You may scoff, but their recruiting has really taken off. I see no reason they can't repeat as East champs, with the division down the way it is. It may still be a reach to suppose they could beat bammer or LSU (the two West faves), but losing Jefferson is going to hurt LSU IMO and I am still not sold on bammer. They have a great D, but I will believe they have an offense of any sort when I see it.
It's a reach, but not so far as you might suppose. It could happen IMO.
That publication is infamous for its reaches in predicting college football champions. Seems like they picked UT back in the past once when we finished something like 5-5 or 5-6.
I'm with you and Droner - South Carolina makes as much sense as anybody else in the SEC right now, and given the SEC's recent history, if you can make it out of the SECCG you have a great shot at winning it all.