re: ESPN - Two SEC writers discuss, Who has the best overall talent, Ala or LSU

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This is not a slam dunk to me. Though I'm certain that Alabama and LSU have the best rosters in the SEC, I'm not sure there's a discernible difference in terms of overall talent. There are NFL-caliber players at basically every position, and they even share the common trait of not knowing exactly what they will get at quarterback.

If I'm forced to choose -- and that is what we're doing here after all -- I'll side with Alabama. Again, it's a 51-49 proposal. But seeing that team up close this week reminded me of just how many playmakers Nick Saban has who have yet to become household names, but will be in the near future. We all know about Calvin Ridley, O.J. Howard, Cam Robinson, Reuben Foster, Eddie Jackson, Tim Williams, Jonathan Allen, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. If you watched more than a handful of Alabama games last season, then you know what to expect from Da'Ron Payne, Marlon Humphrey, and Rashaan Evans, too.

But the casual fans don't always see the layers of undiscovered talent behind them. I'm talking about Cam Sims and Robert Foster at receiver, Jonah Williams and Lester Cotton on the offensive line, Da'Shawn Hand and Dalvin Tomlinson on the defensive line, and Shaun Dion Hamilton and Christian Miller at linebacker. Ronnie Harrison looks like he'll be a starter the next two seasons at safety.

And here's where I really differentiate Alabama and LSU: quarterback. When I look at Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell, Blake Barnett and Jalen Hurts, I see a more talented group of passers than LSU's. I mean, that's three guys who were the top five at their position coming out of high school. Hurts, who was a four-star but not a top-five guy, is downright explosive with great quickness and a strong arm. Though it might take some time for one of those guys to develop, I just feel that there's more for Saban and his staff to choose from.

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