Depending on who you ask, there’s only a handful of team capable of winning the SEC Championship this season.

There’s the usual culprits from the state of Alabama, nationally-hyped Georgia and a couple squads from the West talented enough to make a run.

As for the others? It’s a long, winding road to Atlanta with treacherous detours along the way.

What say you, fans, who will belong to the SEC’s elite at season’s end?

Ranking the SEC this season based on each team’s hype level, here’s how the league stacks up:

Let’s party at the College Football Playoff!

  • Auburn
  • Alabama
  • Georgia

Notes: Vegas oddsmakers like these three teams and so do we. I’d throw Ole Miss in this mix as well, but Auburn, Alabama and Georgia have elite talent season, the primary reason at least one of three could run the table during the regular season. The Associated Press expects Auburn to come out of the SEC and eventually challenge defending champs Ohio State for the national title. Going with that projection, one would surmise first-year starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson challenging for All-American status and the Tigers’ defense  making a serious turnaround under Will Muschamp. That’s a tall order on both accounts, but Gus Malzahn’s been there before (see, 2013).

Is there room for us at the big boy table?

  • Ole Miss
  • LSU
  • Tennessee

Notes: From the outside looking in, one of these three doesn’t seem to fit. Tennessee hasn’t won more than seven games in a season since 2007 while Ole Miss and LSU were both ranked inside the Top 10 at some point last season. But the Vols are back and they’ll prove it with firepower on both sides of the football. The Tigers and Rebels could move into the elite group with solid quarterback play. Both defenses should be outstanding.

We’ll take the underdog title and wear it proudly

  • Arkansas
  • Texas A&M
  • Missouri

Notes: Look who’s sitting at the bottom of the underdog pile, the two-time defending Eastern Division champs. No surprise considering Mizzou’s lack of respect nationwide, notably from oddsmakers (7.5 wins, say what?). Gary Pinkel’s team has a much better shot at winning their division than Arkansas and Texas A&M on the other side of the conference, but may not be as talented. The Aggies hope John Chavis brings an edge defensively while the Razorbacks expect to build on last year’s 2-6 conference mark in Year 3 under Bielema. Each of these three teams will win at least seven games and with a few breaks, could compete for a spot in Atlanta.

Worry about bowl eligibility before anything else

  • Mississippi State
  • South Carolina
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Vanderbilt

Notes: Don’t be alarmed, the Bulldogs, Gamecocks and Gators will reach the postseason this fall, but that won’t be good enough to meet each program’s expectations. Mississippi State’s a good team in the nation’s toughest division, likely one of college football’s best ‘last’ place squads. South Carolina and Florida will fight for fourth-place in the East unless Steve Spurrier or Jim McElwain upends Tennessee or Mizzou to make a run at Georgia. As for Kentucky and Vanderbilt, the 2015 season appears bleak. The Wildcats will be underdogs in 7-of-8 conference games and the Commodores have a litany of problems on offense they’re hoping to solve with new OC Andy Ludwig.