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Toward the end of this month many of us who cover the University of Florida football team and the SEC in general will make our way to Birmingham, Alabama for the annual event known as SEC Media Days, a three day event where we get to interview the coaches and selected players from all the SEC schools.

And talk football too!

While at the event, the media will choose a preseason All-SEC team and come up with who we think will win the SEC East and West. I'll let you know early how I am going to vote.

Although many are predicting Georgia to win the SEC East, I like Florida, and I like Florida a lot. First, the schedule is very favorable for the Gators; yes they have to go to Tennessee but it isn't like Florida hasn't had success there recently and the other road games are at Arkansas, with a new coach, and at Vanderbilt...enough said.

Secondly, Georgia's schedule is brutal. They have to play "the gauntlet" that Florida had to run a few years ago, by playing Alabama, LSU and Auburn from the SEC West. We all know that injuries can change things a great deal, but on paper, Georgia is going to have a tough time of it and I do believe Florida will be really ready to play the Dogs in Jacksonville this year as well.

Certainly, each team has question marks; for Florida, how will the defensive line shake out, especially at defensive tackle? Can the defense improve and get people off the field, something it had a big time problem doing last year? Will the offense be as good as advertised and will Percy Harvin be totally healthy after his surgery?

With Georgia, the biggest question might be how they handle the role of the favorite to win the SEC as many predict it will. There are high expectations in Athens coming off the blowout bowl win over Hawaii and the fact that 45 letter winners and 16 starters return. Stay tuned.

There is no doubt Georgia will be good with star players on both sides of the ball. Defensively, senior linebacker Dannell Ellerbe returns after leading Georgia with 93 tackles last year. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins and cornerback C.J. Byrd are solid at their positions and there is a lot of depth on defense too.

Offensively, running back Knowshon Moreno was brilliant and he could get some help from talented freshman Caleb King. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is a budding star who came into his own last year and at receiver, newcomer A.J. Green could play early and help offset the loss of Sean Bailey. This group last year couldn't catch anything early in the year but caught everything during the last half of the season. The offensive line, solid if not spectacular, returns three starters.

In the SEC West, I am tempted to pick the vastly underrated Auburn Tigers but I can't pull the trigger and I'll go with defending national champion LSU.

The question for any team coming off a national championship starts with motivation; does that team have the same drive and determination after winning it all the year before? And don't forget, players like veterans Jacob Hester and Glenn Dorsey will be missed as much for their leadership as their talent. Only time will tell if LSU has the drive to again succeed but don't sell the Tigers short;LSU still has a lot of talent.

Offensively, Matt Flynn is gone and experience, or lack of it, could be a factor at quarterback regardless if Andrew Hatch or Jarrett Lee wins the job. However, the QB will be surrounded by an experienced offensive line with four returning starters, and a wealth of running backs (Keiland Williams, Charles Scott) and receivers (Brandon LaFell, Demetrius Byrd).

Defensively, the cupboard isn't bare either. The defensive line is loaded with experience and depth, led by senior defensive ends Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman. However, there are questions about who will start at the outside linebacker spots and in the secondary.

Give Auburn's Tommy Tuberville credit; he saw the offense he was running was getting stale and he scrapped it for his version of the spread. There is also a new offensive coordinator, and Gator fans remember him from being at Troy; Tony Franklin has been very successful running the spread attack.

Franklin has two guys competing for the quarterback spot in Kodi Burns and junior college transfer Chris Todd; neither has won the job yet but don't be too surprised if both play in the spread system. Ben Tate (over 900 yards rushing last year) and Brad Lester form a solid duo at running back and Mario Fannin, a running back last year, has been moved to receiver to help a group that was at times unspectacular a year ago, led by the 700 receiving yards of Rod Smith. The offensive line started three freshmen last year and should be better with those guys getting more experience.

Defensively, there are probably more questions, especially along the defensive front where Quentin Groves has to be replaced. However, Antonio Coleman and his eight and a half sacks returns, as do all the starting linebackers. Depth is a concern there and in the secondary as well. With a new coordinator (Paul Rhoads) replacing the very effective and fiery Will Muschamp, we'll see how this group responds.

Still, Auburn has a lot of good players and even Tuberville publicly says his Tigers will be pretty good, and I believe him.

Well, there you are; that's how I will vote when I am at SEC Media Days! Can't wait to go there. Isn't it great to be talking about college football again?