Above: Auburn’s Peyton Barber (25) scores a touchdown against Jacksonville State. (Wade Rackley/Auburn Athletics)

From 2006 through 2012, the SEC had a stranglehold on the NCAA’s football national championship. The title game during that span should have been called the Southeastern Conference Invitational, with LSU, Florida, Alabama and Auburn dominating the college football landscape.

Auburn nearly won it again in the 2013 season, as they led Florida State 21-3 in the second quarter of what would be the last title game prior to the implementation of a four-team playoff.

After Tre Mason rumbled 37 yards to give the Tigers a 31-27 lead in the final BCS National Championship game with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter, Florida State’s sensational Heisman  Trophy-winning redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston capped an 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin to hand the Seminoles a 34-31 victory.

In last year’s Sugar Bowl, which served as the semifinal of the inaugural College Football Playoff, eventual national champion Ohio State came back from a 21-6 second quarter deficit to beat Alabama 42-35, prior to its 42-20 destruction of Oregon in the title game.

So for folks who are screaming that the SEC is no longer the best conference in America, that it has fallen off because it has gone two straight years without a national championship, that’s about as ill-informed as Donald Trump screaming over the winter, “It’s freezing and snowing in New York. We need global warming!”

In fact, the SEC is as tough, if not tougher, than it has been in recent years, with several teams worthy and capable of a run to a coveted playoff spot and a national championship. Don’t be fooled by the fact that there doesn’t appear to be a dominant, superior front-runner as we enter the season’s third week.

These next few weeks are always important in terms of revealing teams that were overrated in the preseason, and those that were woefully underestimated. That’s the beauty of the game, its utter unpredictability.

But one thing we can predict early on is the continued supremacy of Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide. Their 35-17 defeat of No. 20 Wisconsin to open the season proved that their defensive line could be relentlessly nasty stopping the run this year, as they held the normally prolific Badgers running attack to a mere 39 yards on the ground. In this past Saturday’s game, they didn’t allow Middle Tennessee State any runs for more than 10 yards.

They also seem to have a freshman gem in the secondary, with New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick already playing like a seasoned, All-SEC nickelback.

New starting quarterback Jake Coker looks poised and solid enough to run the offensive machine, while junior running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 147 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries against Wisconsin, will carry the load until Coker and the passing game can establish an identity. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Henry is among the top Heisman candidates right now. He’s averaging close to eight yards per carry and already has six touchdowns in only two games.

Years ago, Saban railed against the up-tempo, spread offenses proliferating and taking over the game. But Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin has slowly incorporated spread concepts and principles during his tenure, and if Coker can replace the production of the departed Blake Sims, with Henry running like runaway freight train, fans in Tuscaloosa should have plenty to celebrate this year.

Alabama is not alone in having to replace a successful senior quarterback. Ole Miss faces the same task, while Auburn and Texas A&M will have to prove that last year’s porous defenses are a thing of the past.

The Aggies defense passed its opening test against No. 15 Arizona State in devastating fashion, sacking Sun Devil signal caller Mike Bercovici nine times in a 38-17 win over the Sun Devils. The Aggies looked sharp in all phases and dictated the action against a very good team. Defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall wreaked havoc in ASU’s backfield. New Defensive Coordinator John Chavis, who came to College Station from LSU, looks to have a fast, physical unit that can pressure elite offenses, which was something the team sorely lacked last year.

Offensively, Texas A&M boasts an embarrassment of riches at the skill positions, exemplified by electric true freshman Christian Kirk, who caught six passes for 106 yards against ASU, including a dazzling 66-yard touchdown catch. He also returned a punt for a 79-yard touchdown.

The Aggies cruised to 2-0 with this past weekend’s 56-23 dismantling of Ball State at the newly redeveloped Kyle Field, rolling out to a 49-3 halftime lead before taking their foot off the gas. The recent $485 million renovation of their stadium has increased its seating capacity to 102,733, making it one of the loudest venues in all of college football.

Jeremy Johnson’s debut as Auburn’s new starting quarterback was supposed to showcase a talent that some said was comparable to a certain former stud now quarterbacking the Carolina Panthers in the NFL.

But in the Tigers’ underwhelming, season-opening 31-24 win against a Louisville defense that returned only four starters, Johnson tossed three dreadful interceptions that looked more like they were thrown by Cameron Diaz instead of Cameron Newton. Louisville’s loss to Houston over the weekend further damaged Auburn’s credibility.

It’s impossible to write off Johnson’s ugly start to first game jitters, considering his dreadful decision-making against Jacksonville State, a 41-point underdog, at home last weekend. His two interceptions nearly cost the Tigers the game. Auburn needed a touchdown in the final minute to force overtime against the Gamecocks and barely escaped with a 27-20 win, which dropped them eight spots to No. 15 in this week’s Coaches Poll.

The true early-season test of Auburn’s championship aspirations, and Johnson’s potential, will come against LSU, in Death Valley this Saturday, Sept. 19. It will also be the first true barometer of how new Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp’s unit, headlined by the talented linebacker Cassanova McKinzey and defensive end Carl Lawson, plan to turn around their generosity in terms of allowing points to inferior teams.

LSU’s Leonard Fournette, another SEC back who will make a push for the Heisman, gashed Mississippi State for 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns on Saturday night’s nail-biting 21-19 victory. If Auburn doesn’t show significant improvement this week against LSU, whom they beat 41-7 last year, they could be in for a long season.

Last year, Ole Miss and Mississippi State made an appearance in the playoff selection committee’s early rankings when they both raced out to 7-0 records. This year, they want to prove that they have the staying power to become an elite program.

They both return dynamic talents. The Bulldogs will lean heavily on senior QB Dak Prescott, another early season Heisman candidate who completed 34 of 52 passes for 355 yards and a touchdown against LSU. The Rebels’ defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and rising junior receiver Laquon Treadwell are outstanding talents who will be cashing big NFL checks in the future.

This weekend’s Alabama-Ole Miss matchup could be one of the best of this entire season. Bama, the defending conference champ, will lay its 17-game home winning streak on the line. Ole Miss has scored a combined 149 points in its first two games against Tennessee Martin and Fresno State. That’s more than some teams scored all of last season. The Crimson Tide will be looking to avenge last year’s 23-17 loss to the Rebels in Oxford.

Whatever preseason hype Arkansas had coming into the season was obliterated by its 16-12 loss to Toledo, a team that returned no starters on its offensive line.

In the SEC East, Georgia and Missouri will once again battle for supremacy. Mizzou must replace SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray along with its three top receivers, and the expectation is that the Tigers will take a step back from winning the division two years in a row.

The Bulldogs, who appear to have a shot of competing for a coveted playoff slot, return the league’s leading rusher, Nick Chubb, along with four starters on the offensive line. Chubb ran for 189 yards on 19 carries against Vanderbilt on Saturday. The defense is loaded as well, but the big question is who will replace Hutson Mason at quarterback.

Tennessee, which won four of its final five games last year, could be in the mix thanks to the thrilling backfield combination of dual-threat QB Joshua Dobbs, sophomore running back Jalen Hurd and JUCO transfer Alvin Kamara, a one-time Alabama signee who rushed for 144 yards in his debut against Bowling Green.

Tennessee racked up 604 yards of offense against Bowling Green, and seemed to have Oklahoma on the ropes on Saturday night as the Volunteers led 17-0 early on, before sputtering and not scoring a point for nearly three quarters in their 31-24 double overtime loss to the Sooners. The Vols’ secondary was tested by the Sooners’ new Air Raid attack and OU’s talented wide receiver Sterling Shephard down the stretch.

The Vols improved on their performance against Bowling Green, which passed for 424 yards, but don’t look quite ready for prime time just yet while blowing their biggest home lead in program history. They are a very young team, and once they learn how to finish strong in big games, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.

South Carolina, Florida and Kentucky won’t scare anyone this year, but the Gators’ outstanding cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III alone gives Florida the league’s top secondary. Hargreaves was a First Team All-American last year who led the SEC with 13 pass breakups. He suffered a leg injury prior to the East Carolina game and is questionable for this week’s game against Kentucky.

Here are the SEC’s top players to keep your eyes on in 2015:

Heisman Hopefuls:

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State

Quarterbacks:          

Dak Prescott, Mississippi State

Maty Mauk, Missouri

Jeremy Johnson, Auburn

Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee

Kyle Allen, Texas A&M

Kyler Murray, Texas A&M

Running Backs:

Nick Chubb, Georgia

Derrick Henry, Alabama

Leonard Fournette, LSU

Alex Collins, Arkansas

Jonathan Williams, Arkansas

Russell Hansbrough, Missouri

Kelvin Taylor, Florida

Receivers:

Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss

Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina

Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia

Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M

Travin Dural, LSU

Demarcus Robinson, Florida

D’haquille Williams, Auburn

Tight Ends:

Evan Ingram, Ole Miss

Hunter Henry, Arkansas

O.J. Howard, Alabama

Offensive Line:

Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss

Vadal Alexander, LSU

Cam Robinson, Alabama

John Theus, Georgia

Mike Matthews, Texas A&M

Ryan Kelly, Alabama

Defensive Line:

Chris Jones, Mississippi State

A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama

Myles Garrett, Texas A&M

Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss

Linebackers:

Reggie Ragland, Alabama

Jordan Jenkins, Georgia

Curt Maggitt, Tennessee

Defensive Backs:

Cyrus Jones, Alabama

Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida

Jalen Mills, LSU

Jonathan Jones, Auburn

All-Purpose/ Kick Return/ Punt Return Threats:

Speedy Noil, Texas A&M

Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia

Darrius Sims, Vanderbilt

Evan Berry, Tennessee

Cyrus Jones, Alabama

Impact Freshmen:

Kyler Murray, QB, Texas A&M

Christian Kirk, WR/All-Purpose, Texas A&M

Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M

Kevin Tolliver, CB, LSU

Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama

Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

Lester Cotton, OL, Alabama

Ross Pierschbacher, OL, Alabama

Terry Godwin, WR, Georgia

Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia

Martez Ivey, OT, Florida

Cece Jefferson, DE, Florida

Byron Cowart, DE, Auburn

Terry Beckner, DT, Missouri

Kahlil McKenzie, DT, Tennessee

Javon Patterson, G, Ole Miss

Leo Lewis, LB, Mississippi State

Alejandro Danois is a Senior Writer and Editor with The Shadow League. The former Senior Editor of Bounce Magazine, he is also a freelance sports and entertainment writer whose work has been published by The New York Times, Sporting News, Baltimore Sun, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, SLAMonline and Ebony Magazine, among many others.