Alabama has been great, but the SEC isn’t a one-team conference

There is no denying Alabama’s dominance.

The Crimson Tide is the best program in the SEC and in the nation.

But the SEC isn’t a one-team conference. Other teams are on the cusp of making a run for conference and national titles.

Let’s take a look:

Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze has a good thing going in Oxford. The Rebels’ only losses this year were to Florida, Memphis and Arkansas. The win over Alabama was huge, and Freeze and his staff continue to land some of the nation’s top recruits. It seems like Ole Miss is close to winning a division title.

Tennessee: This may the most dangerous team in the SEC heading into 2016. The Vols offense runs through Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd. Both will be returning next season. Tennessee’s four losses came to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida and Alabama. But it won six-straight games to close out the year, including a 45-6 pounding of Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. The Vols should take that momentum and run with it in 2016.

Arkansas: It will be a bit tricky for the Razorbacks with Brandon Allen and Alex Collins headed out of town. But there’s no denying that Bret Bielema has the program trending in the right direction. The Razorbacks run defense finished ranked 12th in the nation. If Arkansas can strengthen its pass defense and find viable replacements on offense, it will be in good shape.

LSU: People can speculate all they want about LSU. But there’s no denying Les Miles’ ability to prepare his team. He enters 2016 with a major chip on his shoulder. The Tigers crushed Texas Tech 56-27 in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers looked like contenders to make the College Football Playoff before losing to Alabama, to trigger a three-game losing streak.

Sean Labar

Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.