HOOVER, Ala. -- Alabama is once again the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference, while LSU, Tennessee, Mississippi and the rest of the league try to figure out a way to derail the Tide.The Crimson Tides title defense is one of several things to watch next season that was discussed during SEC media days, along with Tennessees resurgence as the favorite in the leagues Eastern Division.Three new coaches were introduced at the meetings that ended Thursday -- South Carolinas Will Muschamp, Missouris Barry Odom and Georgias Kirby Smart -- while LSU running back Leonard Fournette, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly and Tennessee signal-caller Joshua Dobbs were among the most sought-after player interviews.There was also the notable absence of veteran SEC coaches Steve Spurrier and Mark Richt.Spurrier -- known as much for his quick one-liners as his success on the field -- retired last season after 23 years in the league with Florida and most recently South Carolina. Richt was fired by Georgia after 15 seasons in November and is now at Miami.Heres a little more of what was discussed during SEC media days and what to look for next season:TENNESSEE ON THE RISE: Tennessee was voted by the leagues media as the overwhelming favorite to win the SECs Eastern Division. That might seem surprising since the Volunteers havent won their division since 2007, but they have amassed a lot of talent in Knoxville over the past few years. It also helps that the East is full of uncertainty with three new coaches at South Carolina, Georgia and Missouri.Said coach Butch Jones: Thats why you play, is to be in a program like the University of Tennessee where everybody is talking about you. Thats what you work for. Now its what you do with that opportunity.MISSOURIS CHALLENGES: Odom, Missouris first-year coach, stepped to the podium at SEC media days less than 24 hours after finding out that the man who hired him was no longer with the school. Mack Rhoades resigned as Missouris athletic director on Wednesday to take the same job at Baylor. Odom is under contract for five seasons with an annual salary of $2.35 million, but it is more uncertainty next season for a school thats been the site of constant strife.LAW & ORDER: Several Auburn and Alabama players arent expected to miss playing time next season despite their legal problems during the offseason. Tide coach Nick Saban said left tackle Cam Robinson and reserve defensive back Hootie Jones are doing community service and police ride-alongs after a drug and weapons arrest. The charges were eventually dropped.Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said four of his players who were arrested on misdemeanor drug charges, including defensive end Byron Cowart and starting cornerback Carlton Davis, wont miss any time either.OLE MISS INVESTIGATION: The Ole Miss football program has been under NCAA investigation for the better part of four years and the case looks like it could drag into 2017. Coach Hugh Freeze was peppered with NCAA questions during SEC media days, but couldnt provide many answers because the investigation is ongoing. The school has already self-imposed some penalties, including scholarship reductions and three years of probation.Freeze defended his program: I have zero interest in cutting corners to be successful, and our staff knows that very well. I have a lot of things that Im not very good at, but that is not a temptation.BIELEMA CHARM: The evolution of Arkansas Bret Bielema from angry new coach to one of the SECs class clowns has been interesting to watch. Bielema drew several laughs during his appearance on Wednesday thanks to self-depreciating humor and funny anecdotes. One likely reason the fourth-year coach is in a better mood: The Razorbacks are relevant again in the SEC Western Division. Arkansas finished with an 8-5 record in 2015, including a 5-3 mark in the league.Said Bielema: At Arkansas, were not built very sexy, were just kind of a work in progress. We need a lot of time in the bathroom to get ready and come out and look great.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP---AP College Football Website: www.collegefootball.ap.org NBA Jerseys . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. Offcial Jerseys . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. 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Now that Madden NFL 17 is officially released, lets run through everything you need to know about this years version of the video game, including the top rookies, the fastest players, the best teams and more.PLAYERSThe 99 ClubRob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots Luke Kuechly, LB, Panthers Von Miller, OLB, Broncos J.J. Watt, DE, TexansBiggest takeaway:?No player on this list helped his Madden stock in a shorter time period than Miller. He disrupted just 1.9 percent of opposing quarterbacks dropbacks in the regular season, the second-lowest rate of his career. But the playoffs were a different story (4.7 percent), catapulting Miller into Maddens 99 club.Biggest surprise:?Steelers WR?Antonio Brown?has been the single most unstoppable offensive player of the past two seasons -- 132.5 catches, 1,766 receiving yards and 11.5 TDs on average. And yet, Brown landed a 97 Madden rating for the second consecutive year.Best rookies1. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Jaguars (82) 2. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys (80) T-3. Robert Aguayo, K, Buccaneers (79) T-3. Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers (79) T-3. Ronnie Stanley, LT, Ravens (79)Biggest takeaway: Elliott will get more opportunities than any rookie to exceed his rating, which is tied for 31st among all RBs. Running behind the NFLs best offensive line, Elliott has a real chance to finish in the top five in rushing.?Biggest surprise: Texans speedy WR?Will Fuller?is getting rave reviews in training camp, but he didnt even crack the top-10 rookies. Houstons lack of a clear-cut No. 2 receiver could play in Fullers favor as a rookie. ?Best awareness ratingT-1. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots (99) T-1. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers (99) T-3. Drew Brees, QB, Saints (98) T-3. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals (98) T-3. Luke Kuechly, LB, Panthers (98)Biggest takeaway: Just two defenders (Kuechly and Derrick Johnson) had an awareness rating of 95 or higher, compared to 12 offensive players. Kuechly fits right in among this crew: He makes a habit of jumping routes and shooting gaps based on pre-snap reads.?Biggest surprise: Aaron Rodgers?91 awareness rating sounds high, but Brady, Brees, Carson Palmer (94) and Philip Rivers (94) ranked ahead of him among quarterbacks. Watch this video and tell me Rodgers doesnt deserve to be in that group.?Best speed ratingT-1. Brandin Cooks, WR, Saints (96) T-1. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Colts (96) T-1. Jakeem Grant, WR, Dolphins (96) T-1. Corey Grant, RB, Jaguars (96) T-1. J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals (96)Biggest takeaway: Pure speed doesnt always translate to on-field success. The average overall Madden rating of the five players above is 69.4, with Cooks (82) being the most established. The Saints WR had 1,138 yards and 9 TDs last season.Biggest surprise: Panthers WR?Ted Ginn Jr.?ran past just about every secondary he played against last season, but mustered only a 92 speed rating in Madden NFL 17. That sound you hear is Ginn challenging the 31 receivers rated faster than him to a foot race.Best agility ratingT-1. Tavon Austin, WR, Rams (98) T-1. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers (98) T-1. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills (98)Biggest takeaway:?McCoy was banged up last season, but when healthy, Shady is still as shifty as ever. Just check out how easily he shakes Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick on this pplay.ddddddddddddBiggest surprise: Jerick McKinnon and Denard Robinson?(96) both had a better agility rating than Steelers RB?LeVeon Bell (95). Lets poll defenders and see who they think is more terrifying in the open field.Best strength ratingT-1. Stephen Paea, DE, Redskins (98) T-1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Dolphins (98) T-3. Russell Bodine, C, Bengals (97) T-3. Mike Iupati, G, Cardinals (97) T-3. Dontari Poe, DT, Chiefs (97) T-3. Jared Veldheer, T, Cardinals (97) T-3. J.J. Watt, DE, Texans (97)Biggest takeaway:?Suh makes $3 million more annually?and?has a better strength rating?than Watt??How does J.J. sleep at night? (Answer: With his three Defensive Player of the Year awards snuggled close.) In all seriousness, how much would you pay to watch these two have a bench-pressing contest? Count me in for $20.Biggest surprise: Aaron Donald?--?who?put up 35 reps on the bench press at the 2014 NFL combine and beasts through double-teams with regularity -- could muster only a 94 strength rating. Thats tied for 18th overall. Something aint right.TEAMSBest offenses1. Pittsburgh Steelers (93) T-2. Carolina Panthers (91) T-2. Arizona Cardinals (91)Biggest takeaway: Most NFL pundits would agree that the Steelers have the widest array of offensive weapons -- when at full strength. The problem? The lethal combination of QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Antonio Brown, RB LeVeon Bell and WR Martavis Bryant has played just 13 percent of the Steelers offensive snaps together the past two seasons. That number will be at 0 percent in 2016 with Bryant slated to miss the entire season because of another suspension.Biggest surprise:?The Oakland Raiders -- the same team that ranked 23rd in points per games from Weeks 10-17 (18.3) -- are tied for fourth in Maddens offense ratings.?Best defenses1. Kansas City Chiefs (93) T-2. Denver Broncos (91) T-2. New England Patriots (91)Biggest takeaway: The Chiefs defense finished No. 2 in Football Outsiders DVOA metric?last season -- and that was with OLB Justin Houston (97 overall rating) missing all or most of the final six games. So Kansas City showed enough to be one of the top-three defenses, but ...Biggest surprise:?How didnt the Broncos finish with the best rating?!? When you hold Tom Brady and Cam Newton to a collective Total QBR of 18.9 in the two biggest games of the season, you should probably be the No. 1 defense the next season. Just sayin.?Best overall teamsT-1. Carolina Panthers (87) T-1. New England Patriots (87) T-3. Green Bay Packers (85) T-3. Kansas City Chiefs (85) T-3. Pittsburgh Steelers (85) T-3. Seattle Seahawks (85)Biggest takeaway:?Regression, what regression? Madden has high hopes for the Panthers after they went 15-1 in the 2015 regular season. If Carolina ends up getting the NFCs No. 1 seed again, you have to think QB Cam Newtons overall rating (94) will be on the rise in Madden NFL 18.Biggest surprise: The Dallas Cowboys -- who are banking on brittle QB Tony Romo staying healthy for 16 games -- have the same rating as the Arizona Cardinals (84). Yes, the same Cardinals who went 13-3 last season and made it to the NFC Championship Game. ' ' '