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Media members are the supposed experts. The job is to follow these sports teams, and know them better than anyone else in order to pass along the information accurately and precisely.

Easier said than done. The SEC media has accurately predicted a league champion just four times out of 19 since the SEC football championship game began in 1992.

The SEC has brought home the BCS National Championship for five straight seasons, and any coach in the league will tell you than an SEC champion deserves a shot at the national title game.

My picks for the annual clash in Atlanta this year are LSU from the West and South Carolina from the East.

My picks for the title game also leave me in a bind. Do I believe the South Carolina Gamecocks have what it takes to win a national title? In baseball, yes. In football, not a chance.

But, I do believe that is the Gamecocks earn another chance in Atlanta that they will not leave empty handed.

A weaker SEC East schedule sets them up for the task at hand as well.

So here is a look at each division, and the way I see it finishing up.

SEC East:

1. South Carolina (Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey will guide this team to Atlanta.)

2. Georgia (Mark Richt is on the hot seat, and he knows it's time to win.)

3. Florida (Don't expect miracles from Will Muschamp, but an improved defense will help.)

4. Kentucky (Joker Phillips knows how to keep his team in games late. Can they finish them though?)

5. Tennessee (Cleaning up after Lane Kiffin is tough to do, but it should only last one more year.)

6. Vanderbiltt (Vanderbilt will always be Vanderbilt.)

SEC West:

1. LSU (This team is rich in talent, and with no Cam Newton on the schedule they should win big unless they are coached out of a victory.)

2. Alabama (Nick Saban and Alabama may lose only one game in the SEC, possibly two, but one of them will be to a more talented and experienced LSU team.)

3. Arkansas (This pick is strictly based upon how confident Arkansas is of themselves. Confidence is a good element to have for a team, but Arkansas usually loses somewhere they shouldn't.)

4. Auburn (Top tier recruiting classes are young, but the Tigers can compete. Remember that Alabama finished in this spot last season winning 10 games.)

5. Mississippi State (Dan Mullen probably should have left when he had the chance. Starkville is a tough place to win consistently, but Mullen "loves it there".)

6. Ole Miss (Searching for a positive may be that Ole Miss will beat somebody they aren't supposed to this year. That may be it though in the toughest division in college football.)

SEC Champion: South Carolina

 Hands down, the SEC Western division is the best in the league of the two. South Carolina would probably be pegged as a fouth place finish if they played in the SEC West, but I do beleieve that if the Gamecocks make it to Atlanta again this year... Steve Spurrier will not be denied.

Agree or disagree, shoot me an e-mail and tell me why!

Ben Stanfield

Stanfield@wtvy.com