Florida is the SEC’s top job according to ESPN.com’s seven-writer group of SEC contributors.

Every offseason, SEC programs are re-evaluated in terms of national relevance, facility upgrades, recruiting outlook and overall value. First-year coach Jim McElwain appears to have landed a goldmine in Gainesville.

Here’s what the Worldwide Leader said about the Gators:

Location, location, location. It’s the flagship university in the fertile football state of Florida. There’s enough talent to share with rivals Florida State and Miami, and Georgia is basically in Gainesville’s backyard. Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer helped make Florida a true national brand with all those SEC titles and three national championships. Significant facility upgrades are coming, the fan base is tremendous, game days are great and the Swamp is one of the best stadiums around. The last five years haven’t been great, but with rich recruiting grounds and endless resources, the right coach can quickly turn things around.

The rest of the rankings …

  • 2. Alabama
  • 3. LSU
  • 4. Georgia
  • 5. Texas A&M
  • 6. Auburn
  • 7. Tennessee
  • 8. Arkansas
  • 9. South Carolina
  • 10. Ole Miss
  • 11. Missouri
  • 12. Mississippi State
  • 13. Kentucky
  • 14. Vanderbilt