I can’t remember a season when there was more debate about who was the No. 3 team in the SEC.

That’s right, No. 3, the team most likely to wedge its way into the Big Two.

Clearly, Alabama and Florida are the Big Two in this league and have been since 2008. Between them, they’ve only lost three games over the past two seasons, and two of those losses were to each other.

But as I talked with coaches, players and media members last week at the SEC media days, it’s obvious that there’s not a clear-cut No. 3 team.

I heard cases made for Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and even South Carolina.

And if Ole Miss takes a chance on former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and it works out, maybe the Rebels also belong in the conversation.

Ole Miss has the easiest schedule of all those teams and might have the best defensive front seven in the league.

Arkansas has the most explosive offense and the best quarterback. Georgia has 10 starters back on offense, including the most feared receiver in the league in A.J. Green.

LSU and South Carolina have some of the best young talent in the league, but both of their fortunes rest heavily on whether their quarterbacks can be more consistent and raise their level of play. I also wonder about both of their offensive lines.

Auburn’s bringing in a heralded signing class, which should provide some of the depth the Tigers were missing a year ago. They also return a veteran offensive line, always a good place to start in this league.

For the time being, I’m going with Georgia as my third choice in the league. I think the defense will be better under Todd Grantham, and I like all the different pieces the Bulldogs have around redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray on offense.

In some ways, this sort of feels like 2005 when the Bulldogs last won an SEC championship. D.J. Shockley was a first-time starter at quarterback that season, but had been around for a while. That’s the difference.

Arkansas is the other team I strongly considered as my third choice. I have no doubt that the Hogs will score points on just about everybody they play. My two questions: How do they handle the mounting expectations, and are they genuinely improved enough on defense to grind out a few wins?