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Lindy's annual SEC preview says the most talented is UGA, edging out UT by one skinny point--pretty good, when you consider that Lindy's ranks us 12th on the OL (pretty harsh, placing even our young line beneath Vandy et al); and 8th in linebackers (we know better).

Disclaimer dispensed with: All this is meaningless preseason babble. It's CPA number crunching applied to tea leaves.

On the other hand, last year I assembled these same talent totals and found out they gave the most accurate leading indicator of what would truly did come to pass in the SEC in 2002. Per Lindy's we had the most talent easily, even though hardly anyone picked us to win our division.

What I've done, of course, is to add up the rankings for each position to create a composite talent score. Low scores win. Interesting notes:

*Auburn and Bama are exactly tied in talent...for 5th in the SEC! According to actual talent, then, Lindy's is saying AU is a tad overrated and Bama has been counted out a tad too early.

* The Cocks have passed Kentucky for uncontested 11th place in talent, even with their fine recruiting.

* Best in the West? LSU, breathing heavily down UGA's and UT's collective neck...with Arkansas hot in pursuit.

* Parity has arrived, with six teams within six point of each other at the top.

*The Gators aren't one of those six.

* The West is as wild, wild as ever.

* For a decimated offense, UGA managed to pull in two top ranks: quarterback and receiver. We also rank number one on the defensive line and special teams and second at secondary.

* If our offensive line is even a bit better than 12th, and our linebackers are as good as the coaches believe, we top this particular chart by a whole lot more than one point.

* On the other hand, everyone else will also contest some weak rating they're given.

If you'd like to obsess over the details, you'll find them at:

http://www.robsuggs.com/SEC2003.doc