Last season LSU lost to Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas. If the Tigers' championship dreams are to come true, they'll have to reverse those results, as each of these teams this season will compete hard for the Western Division crown and the right to fight for the league championship against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators--a team that also defeated the Tigers in 2008.

2009 has been tabbed a watershed year for LSU Head Coach Les Miles. Despite the fact that he's won more games than Nick Saban did during his first four years in Baton Rouge, has recruited much better than Saban did during his similar stint, and has the same number of national championships won-many ridiculously claim Miles owes the success to Saban. Nevertheless, Miles has recruited what is considered one of the most talented teams in the conference, if not the nation, and has shuffled his staff where it was obviously needed. In short, the Tigers are loaded and ready to reclaim the pride stripped of them during an unconscionable five conference setbacks a season ago.

In this exclusive column for TigerDroppings.com, the only bookmark any true SEC fan might ever need, and the best among the college football blogosphere, we'll take a hard look at the Western Division, the SEC's most competitive sub-conference, and rank its teams from top-to-bottom in order of likely finish based on returning talent, coaching, and experience. Furthermore, we'll predict the outcome of LSU's first game, the latest game this first Saturday, a 9:30 CST kickoff (ESPN) against the Washington Huskies.

Ranking the West

1. Ole Miss – The Rebels have forfeited the beloved bars and stars of the Confederate flag and their cherished, venerable Colonel Reb in an effort to atone for past racial transgressions. Furthermore, they've endured seemingly decades of non-championship football, having not won the conference crown since 1963-almost a half-century ago. Rebel fans are ecstatic over the prospect of finally making it to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game, as they are the only Western Division member to never experience the Georgia Dome in early December. While Ole Miss should win the West, they could just as easily falter, as they aren't used to winning consistently, which is the championship hallmark.

TALENT: Ole Miss has several big-time players, the biggest obviously its junior quarterback, Jevan Snead. Snead threw for 2,800 yards during his first year as a starter in the nation's toughest conference. If he repeats or builds on that performance Ole Miss should be in the driver's seat. A sketchy secondary that got ripped for big yardage a year ago could be their only detractor. Defensive end Greg Hardy is one of the league's top pass rushers when he's healthy.

COACHING: Houston Nutt is a pretty good game-day coach, but lacks any real recruiting presence in the Southeast, and that is by far his biggest detractor. Recruiting to Oxford is still difficult, despite the earlier-mentioned capitulations by a Deep South fan base torn between their prideful Confederate past and a hopeful conference football future. Nutt lost two first-rounders in the NFL Draft, meaning he'll have to "Coach em' up" more as a result.

EXPERIENCE: Some say Snead could be the first quarterback chosen in the 2010 NFL Draft-if he comes out after his junior year. Greg Hardy is feared by most league offensive tackles and quarterbacks, as he is near impossible to consistently block. Ole Miss has experienced playmakers-it's just that they lack depth-the kind you usually need over a twelve-game SEC season. Furthermore, they lack experience in winning championships-It's been 46 years since they've been to the SEC Championship. In short, the Rebels are in uncharted waters. They have no similar experience to draw perspective.

2. LSU – The Tigers are considered the most talented team in the West and the second-most talented team in the nation's toughest conference. Only the defending national champion Florida Gators are held in higher personnel regard than LSU. The Tigers' dazzling array of skilled talent unloads a plethora of size, speed, quickness and strength with names that complement their respective abilities-Woods, Holliday, Shepard and Scott. This redemptive group aims to banish the lingering, losing feeling that saddled them during the latest post-season. Hard work and competition have fueled their efforts. Building on a modern tradition of championship success, they are the embodiment of hungry, skilled Tigers.

TALENT: Senior receiver Brandon Lafell is considered a first-round lock in the upcoming NFL draft, while senior offensive tackle Ciron Black is on the bubble. Senior Running back Charles Scott is a pre-season All-SEC candidate and team captain. Senior Trindon Holliday is literally the fastest man in pads in America. Each of these guys has the skills to make mills, and they're just the upper-classmen on the offensive side of the ball. Headhunting Senior Harry Coleman is hoping for a breakout season, as are seniors Perry Riley, Charles Alexander and Rahim Alem.

COACHING: Despite his superior overall win-loss record and impeccable post-season slate, Les Miles is seemingly always the butt of many coaching jokes. Nevertheless, Miles always gets the last laugh, by outworking his competition. He made the best hire in the country during the off-season by picking up John Chavis. Strength and Conditioning Coach Tommy Moffit is among or better than the country's best. Gary Crowton is nicknamed the "Wizard" for his diversity of experience and cunning playcalling.

EXPERIENCE: The Tigers are loaded with experienced junior and senior talent that played in the 2007 National Championship Game and throttled Ohio State. No disrespect intended, but unlike the Ole Miss Rebels, they've been there, done that, got the Tee Shirt and the brass ring. While the Rebels have a better shot because of a favorable schedule and quarterback play, LSU has more overall depth in talent, and should be considered a near equal challenger to Ole Miss for the sub-conference crown.

3. ALABAMA – The Thundering Red Herd is coming off an 0-2 post-season stint that robbed a resurging Crimson Tide fan base of the collective spirit and pride that predictably resonated in the wake of an unlikely, undefeated, 12-0 regular season. Nick Saban may have undeservedly blamed the late-season Sugar Bowl loss on Tide fans, but in the end it was his defense that couldn't stop the Florida and Utah offensive spreads--not the fans. As a result, Saban has apparently become obsessed in the offseason with ascertaining the final solution to the perplexing spread conundrum. He has been tight-lipped leading to kickoff, but sources close to the Tide program indicate that he has seriously "tweaked" his defense to compensate for what he now realizes were obvious "weaknesses and vulnerabilities" in facing the spread.

TALENT: Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain personifies the Saban era in Alabama in terms of the type of defensive athlete he recruits. McClain is a premier player on a premier defense. This unit should be better than a year ago as a result of added depth and experience, although its numbers likely won't reflect it because of offensive staffing reasons outside of its locus of control. On offense it's the utter dearth of talent at the point of attack that concerns seasoned Crimson Tide football fans. Three of its best offensive linemen from a year ago are in the NFL, and the left tackle replacing the team's best player and the fourth pick in the draft is a junior college transfer. Couple that fact with the news that your leading rusher and quarterback from last year's offense are gone and your new starting QB