The Sports Corner

2008 SEC Football preview

East Division

1. Florida

The Guy: Running backs Emmanuel Moody, Chris Rainey and Kestahn Moore. 

These three need to take the heat of QB Tim Tebow. WR Percy Harvin isn’t at full strength so it will be up to the backfield to break some big plays. All the hits Tebow takes he might not make it through another SEC season. If Moody, Rainey and Moore, or even just one of them can become a reliable option it will go a long ways to expanding UF’s offense. Moody started his career at USC but got lost in the depth chart and transferred after his freshman year, he has a chance to be a special player. Rainey is more of a third down back type and will probably be used in the slot because of his excellent catching ability. 

The Schedule: Florida is manning up and playing both Florida schools from the ACC. Miami comes to the Swamp in September while the Gators will go to Tallahassee in the season finale. The SEC conference schedule is favorable for the Gators. Aside from the Georgia game in Jacksonville, the only tough road game is at Tennessee in September and they have an off-week going into that game. Both South Carolina and LSU come to the Swamp. LSU will be the only difficult opponent UF faces from the west division. Alabama, Auburn and Miss State aren’t on the schedule. 

The Reality: All the knee injuries, Cornelius Ingram prime among them, are killing the Gators. Their defense is still among the best in the country though even with LB Brandon Spikes hurting. Finding a safety to play alongside Major Wright has proved to be a problem with both Dorian Monroe and John Curtis being lost for the year. The offense should click with the addition of Rainey and Moody. If Harvin can get healthy look for him to contend for the Heisman trophy this year, he’s just so explosive. All five projected starters on the offensive line have experience and will need it. They won’t be undefeated, but look for the Gators to get back to the SEC championship game. 

The Future: Tebow won’t be around forever, especially if he keeps playing like a fullback. Redshirt freshman quarterback John Brantley looks to be the next in line and he can certainly throw the ball. Head coach Urban Meyer has talent flowing in consistently but needs to prove his teams can play with more consistency. 

2. Georgia

The Guy: New starter at left tackle. 

Starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant became another casualty in training camp and he will miss the season. Head coach Mark Richt and his staff will try to juggle some players around to get the best lineup on the field and protect rifle armed QB Matt Stafford. Nobody is going to be able to replace Sturdivant but if they can get consistent play from the position, and keep Stafford upright the team has a chance to live up to their lofty preseason expectations. 

The Schedule: Georgia might be the best team in the country, but even they can’t get through this schedule unscathed. Travelling across the country to Arizona State in September won’t be easy, much less the week after playing South Carolina in Columbia. The next two games are Alabama and Tennessee at home. Later in October the Dawgs have to visit LSU, and that’s the week before the Florida game. It doesn’t end there, they go on the road to face Auburn in November and then come home to play Georgia Tech in the season finale. Not only do they play the three most talented teams from the western division, but they play two of them on the road. 

The Reality: There are far too many landmines to navigate. Yes Knowshon Moreno is an electrifying back and his backup Caleb King might even be better, the schedule just doesn’t allow for a single day off. There’s a good base of talent on the defense, a mix of youngsters and veterans that will keep Georgia in every game even if the offense is having trouble getting on track. It’s led by the secondary, where highly touted sophomore Reshad Jones is expected to fill the only vacancy, free safety. Linebackers Rennie Curran, Dannell Ellerbe and Akeem Dent make this one of the best back sevens in the NCAA. It’s not like the line is a bunch of slouches, defensive tackle Geno Atkins was 1st team All-SEC last year. The talent is hard to ignore, but the schedule screams at least one loss and that will ultimately keep the Dawgs from the national championship. 

The Future: Both offensively and defensively the team is set up well for the next few years. Richt has built up a great program, how long they can stay at the top will dictate how long he keeps his job. They won’t tolerate losing. 

3. South Carolina

The Guy: Head coach Steve Spurrier. 

He’s unpredictable, always entertaining and sure knows how to develop quarterbacks. This year he’s putting his faith in junior Tommy Beecher though sophomore Chris Smelley and freshman Stephen Garcia might be more talented. Whoever is throwing the ball, they’ll be doing it behind a veteran line and will have some quality options in wide receiver Kenny McKinley and tight end Jared Cook. The running game will rely on the feet of senior Mike Davis but quarterback play will be the key to the season offensively for the Gamecocks.

The Schedule: The Gamecocks won’t see Alabama or Auburn this year and will thank their lucky stars for it. Georgia, LSU and Tennessee all have to come to Columbia. There are two tough road games to finish off the year, but one is the annual battle for in-state supremacy against Clemson. Florida will be the only road game SC has to worry about in SEC play. 

The Reality: Spurrier needs to put it together eventually. Last year was supposed to be the breakout year for SC but they fell short going 6-6. This year the defense is among the best in the league led by massive linebackers Jasper Brinkley and Eric Norwood, both could play defensive tackle in some schemes. Corners  Captain Munnerlyn and Carlos Thomas form a solid combination. Top to bottom this team is primed to make the run they should have last year and the schedule give them the opportunity to do so. There are seven wins on the table, not including home games against Georgia, LSU and Tennessee, win those games and this will be that breakthrough year the Gamecocks have been looking for.

The Future: It should be determined this season. If they don’t break into the upper echelon of the league now they never will under Spurrier. 

4. Tennessee

The Guy: Safeties Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley. 

Morley sat out last year to get his academics in order. He started 10 games as a sophomore in 2006 and showed flashes of becoming a big time player. Berry showed those flashes in his first year on campus last year. He intercepted five passes as a freshman. Berry can play any position in the secondary but the Vols are likely to use him as the strong safety because he’s such a strong tackler. Berry will even get some looks with the offense to maximize his ability. 

The Schedule: It starts out with an interesting battle in Los Angeles. No one really knows what to expect from UCLA and Tennessee will be the guinea pigs, so to speak. The SEC schedule gets going early. Florida makes an appearance at Neyland Stadium in September and the next week they travel to Auburn. That game is followed by a walk through against Northern Illinois before a four game tilt that will determine the outcome of this season for UT. It starts out at Georgia, comes back to Neyland for Mississippi State and Alabama before heading east to play South Carolina. LSU won’t be on the schedule, but it’s rugged to say the least.

The Reality: The schedule aside, this is a very good football team. Jonathan Crompton might actually be an improvement over Erik Ainge at QB and he’s got a pair of reliable receivers in Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers. The three-headed monster at tailback in Arian Foster, Montario Hardesty and Lennon Creer gives the Vols balance and with four starters returning on the offensive line, they should be able to move the ball at will… as long as the offense can get acclimated to the new offense under fist year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. Defensively the team is inexperienced in front of the secondary. They need a big year from defensive tackles Dan WIlliams and Demonte Bolden. Weak-side linebacker Rico McCoy is light but flies around the field and can make plays. If not for that nasty schedule this team could have gone after the conference championship, they’ll have to settle for nine wins and possibly the Cotton Bowl. 

The Future: A good indicator of how much longer head coach Phil Fulmer will be around in Knoxville will be the new offense. If it’s successful Fulmer might get some reprieve, if not, he will be out in a hurry and the team will have to find a new head man. 

5. Kentucky

The Guy: The new quarterback, whoever that may be.

Curtis Pulley is no longer with the team. Andre Woodson is in the NFL. Sophomore Mike Hartline will get the first crack at the job but there isn’t much to work with. Complementary receiver Dicky Lyons is back but it’s unknown whether or not he can be counted on as a go-to-guy. Hartline is 6′6 and can make all the throws, he doesn’t have great mobility but he’s not a tree. If Hartline can’t get it done, fellow sophomore Will Fidler will probably get a look. 

The Schedule: Opening the season at Louisville won’t do them any favors if they’re not ready. After that they play three cupcakes before the SEC schedule kicks up, and boy does it kick. At Alabama, vs. South Carolina and Arkansas, at Florida and Mississippi State, vs. Georgia and Vanderbilt, followed by at Tennessee to end the madness. Thankfully neither LSU or Auburn graces this list, nevertheless, Kentucky is in the process of rebuilding, and will only have a chance to win the home games against Vandy and Arkansas. 

The Reality: They have some players on defense in corner Trevard Lindley, safety Marcus McClinton, defensive end Jeremy Jarmon and linebacker Braxton Kelley, so the cupboard isn’t entirely bare but if they’re going to get bowl eligible this year the offense will have to produce enough to pull off an upset or two. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like they have the fire power to pull it off. Five wins might be all they’re capable of. 

The Future: There’s no room to move up in the SEC east. Kentucky and Vandy are stuck in a rut until South Carolina and/or Tennessee changes coaching staffs. 

6. Vanderbilt

The Guy: Quarterback Chris Nickson. 

Nickson was just named the starter over Mackenzi Adams and will need to make his senior season his best because he’s basically alone out there. All five starters on the offensive line will be brand new. Only one of the projected starters has even made a start in previous years. This could be a long year for Nickson unless senior receivers George Smith and Sean Walker can replace Earl Bennett’s production at the position. 

The Schedule: Another year in the SEC East for the Commodores will mean another year in the cellar. Two ACC teams in the non-conference schedule won’t be as easy as they were thought to be when scheduled. Both Duke and Wake Forest will play Vandy tough. The winnable conference games are on the road, against Ole Miss, Miss State and Kentucky. They’re overmatched against every other SEC opponent. Rice and Miami (Ohio) are there for the taking but this isn’t one of those years Vandy can get bowl eligible. 

The Reality: This team probably isn’t good enough to win a single SEC game. If they played Arkansas this year it would be possible but they’re looking at a two-win season. Only three starters return on offense. Defensively the entirely secondary returns but they’re going to get gashed by every team that even tries to run the ball. Corners DJ Moore and Myron Lewis are probably the team’s two best players but they won’t get to show that if the run defense doesn’t improve. 

The Future: They’re going nowhere fast. It’s just impossible to improve their standing in the SEC east. 

West Division

1. Auburn

The Guy: Offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. 

Franklin steps into the a great situation for his spread offense to thrive. A quarterback battle is being waged between an athletic sophomore in Kodi Burns, who has the tools to be a great spread QB, and junior college transfer Chris Todd, who is more of a thrower than a runner but has worked with Franklin in the past and is familiar with the offense. Whoever wins the job will have a number of talented skill position players to rely on, including incredible depth in the backfield. The offensive line returns all five starters from last year, two are seniors and three are sophomores. Tight end Tommy Trott might see an expanded role in the offense. The new wrinkles Franklin brings to Auburn should maximize the talent they have on the roster and could bring an SEC title back to the Plains. 

The Schedule: This schedule favors a trip to the SEC championship game in Atlanta that will have them battle tested. Neither Florida nor South Carolina is on the docket. After opening up with Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss, they play three games early in the season that they have to be ready for. There’s a road date with Mississippi State followed by home games with LSU and Tennessee. Wedged in the middle of SEC play is a road trip to play West Virginia. They play Georgia at home and go on the road for the Iron Bowl to close out the season. 

The Reality: The defense must find a way to live without Aairon Savage after a knee injury derailed his season. Savage played a number of roles for the Tigers and was expected to start at corner this year, Walter McFadden will take his spot. The Tigers won’t let one injury keep them down though, this defense has speed to burn at every position and will be suffocating for opponents. Linebacker Tray Blackmon needs to be healthy for the entire season. He has scary athleticism for a linebacker and delivers some of the most punishing hits in the nation. If the defense can stay healthy and one of the quarterbacks can produce Auburn could be on their way to an 11-1 season with a conference championship and a look at a national title. 

The Future: The spread offense. So many teams are switching to it across the country. It’s going to turn Auburn into a perennial national contender. 

2. LSU

The Guy: The defensive line. 

Only one starter is gone from last year’s line and even though that starter was Glenn Dorsey, his replacement is as highly regarded as they come by. Ricky Jean-Francois is a junior that LSU coaches feel could have an impact as big as Dorsey did. Even if he doesn’t the rest of the line will be competing for All-conference honors. Ends Kirston Pittman, Tyson Jackson and tackle Marlon Favorite are seniors while junior tackle Al Woods will also see time in the rotation. It’s going to be damn near impossible to run against this team, even with a depleted linebacking corps. 

The Schedule: Appalachian State is looming. The now three-time defending national champion in division 1-AA won’t be an easy out for LSU in the opener. They served notice by beating Michigan last year, so LSU will be careful. The next two games are Troy and North Texas at home and then it really gets going. First they go on the road to Auburn before coming back to Death Valley to play Miss State then there are three consecutive games against tough SEC east foes and two of them (Florida and South Carolina) are on the road with Georgia coming to Baton Rouge. Alabama also plays in Tiger Stadium and that should be the only other game that troubles the Bayou Bengals. 

The Reality: Ten wins is a good possibility for this team. If they had a quarterback with some experience they would be favorites to win the national title. The group of players contending for the QB job aren’t world beaters, though true freshman Jordan Jefferson could be one day. The offense will lean heavily on it’s veteran offensive line and strong running backs. Keiland Williams and Charles Scott are both juniors and both weight 220 pounds. They’ve got the ability to move the pile and control the clock. Defensively the back seven is young but athletic and once they have game experience will be a great group. They won’t be afforded that time though because of the schedule. Still, a 10-2 or 9-3 finish is nothing to sneeze at. 

The Future: Jordan Jefferson might be the guy that brings the third national championship to LSU this decade. I’m not sure Les Miles is that great of a coach but somehow he keeps on getting it done. 

3. Alabama

The Guy: Freshman wide receiver Julio Jones.

He will start in the first game of the season and will get a chance to make a name for himself early against a great secondary in Clemson. Jones has been called the best recruit to ever come out of the state of Alabama. Could there be fireworks on week one? If he’s really as good as the analysts say, QB John Parker Wilson will finally have a top notch target to throw to and with four linemen returning on the offensive line, he might actually keep his jersey clean. 

The Schedule: Opening the season in a neutral site game against Clemson is the only non-conference game that matters. Three SEC road games will be nearly impossible for the team to win (Georgia, Tennessee and LSU) so two home games at the end of the year against Miss State and Auburn will be key. Florida and South Carolina won’t be on the schedule this year. 

The Reality: Julio Jones can’t do everything for this team. He probably won’t be Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin immediately so the running game has to carry the offense, at least for the interim. Junior Glen Coffee and sophomore Terry Grant have proven to be capable and if they stay healthy the offense should be able to tread water in the SEC. Defensively they’re young, very young. Head coach Nick Saban should have them ready to go so it won’t be a huge issue but defense is where you’ll see a lot of the incoming freshmen on the field and that may be the downfall of this team. There aren’t many opportunities for wins in the SEC but at the very least they will match last year’s seven-win total.

The Future: Saban has the team on the right path and this year will be important to get the incoming class plenty of experience so they can compete for a national championship in 2009 or 2010. 

4. Ole Miss

The Guy: Quarterback Jevan Snead. 

After getting beaten out by Colt McCoy at Texas, Snead packed his bags for Mississippi. Now under the tutelage of new head coach Houston Nutt, expect Snead to lead an explosive offense, much like the ones Nutt ran at Arkansas. There isn’t a Darren McFadden on this team but Snead gives Nutt a QB who can actually throw the ball. They won’t have to lineup in the wildcat formation on every possession and try to fool people. Snead has some experienced recievers in juniors Dexter McCluster, Shay Hodge and senior Mike Wallace. Whoever starts at running back won’t have to carry an excessive load but both freshman Enrique Davis and junior Cordera Eason are certainly capable of doing it. 

The Schedule: An early season road game against Wake Forest could put the team in a hole. But there are opportunities for wins in non-conference games against Memphis, Samford and Louisiana-Monroe. A home date with Vanderbilt and a road trip to Arkansas might offer the only conference wins of the season for the Rebs. With the Egg Bowl in Oxford this year Ole Miss will have the edge and chances are that game will send the winner to a bowl game and the loser home for the winter. The Rebels will be at a disadvantage because of who they play from the eastern division. State gets to play Kentucky and Vandy while the Rebs have to play Florida and SC. 

The Reality: Seven wins might not be attainable, six is about as much as they can handle and that might not get them to a bowl. It’s a shame the schedule is so tough because on paper this should be a bowl team but that’s the way things are in the SEC. With defensive end Greg Hardy injured for the time being, someone will have to make plays in his absence. Hardy’s ability to rush the passer changes offensive schemes altogether. There is still talent on the field without him in the lineup. Defensive tackle Peria Jerry was 2nd team All-SEC last year while the back seven is athletic and should be able to compete with the rest of the SEC.

The Future: Snead is just a sophomore. He and Nutt will have plenty of time together to form one of the most effective offenses in the league. Replacing the defensive talent over the next few years will be the only way they stay in contention. 

5. Mississippi State

The Guy: Free safety Derek Pegues. 

Over the past two seasons he’s intercepted nine passes. He was 1st team All-SEC last year as a free safety but has played some corner in his career as well. Not to mention he’s one of the best return-men in the country. Pegues pulls double-duty returning both kicks and punts for Miss State. It’s safe to say quarterbacks won’t be throwing his way a whole lot this season. Pegues leads a strong MSU secondary but the weakness of the defense is the front seven and if they can’t stop the run there won’t be much Pegues can do to change that. 

The Schedule: It won’t be easy. They have to go on the road for games against Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama and the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss. Thankfully there are chances for wins against Vandy, Kentucky, Arkansas and non-conference teams Louisiana Tech, Southeast Louisiana and Middle Tennessee. No Florida, Georgia or South Carolina is about as good as you can ask for from an SEC schedule but the road games are brutal. 

The Reality: There just isn’t enough on defense to compete with the rest of the SEC. Offensively they have some pieces like WR Jaymayel Smith and depth in the backfield but if QB Wesley Carroll doesn’t improve over his freshman season none of it will matter. Six wins might be the breaking point. The Egg Bowl will be for a bowl game for both teams and it will be in Oxford this season. 

The Future: The progress head coach Sylvester Croom has made at MSU is undeniable but they’re going to flounder around that seven win mark until they upgrade the talent level. 

6. Arkansas

The Guy: New head coach Bobby Petrino. 

Not too many people outside of Arkansas are happy with Petrino. The way he left the Atlanta Falcons was nothing short of disrespectful. He can coach a football team though and eventually Arkansas will be a player but for the next year or two things are going to be dicey. 

The Schedule: Arkansas plays two cupcakes before going on the road to play Texas, a game that kicks off a brutal four game stretch featuring home dates with Alabama and Florida with a road trip to Auburn. If they can survive that, games against Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tulsa will be winnable. The final three games won’t be as they travel to South Carolina and Miss State before hosting LSU in Little Rock. Georgia and Tennessee won’t be on the schedule but this is too much to ask of the new regime. 

The Reality: Don’t expect wins, three is about all you’ll get. With Freddie Fairchild gone, there are only four starters returning on defense. The offense doesn’t have a Darren McFadden or Felix Jones and will suffer greatly until Michigan transfer QB Ryan Mallett is eligible next year. 

The Future: Mallett will put up some big numbers in Petrino’s offense. Incoming freshmen De’Anthony Curtis at RB and Joe Adams at WR have to pan out in order for the first few years of the Petrino era to run smoothly. 

TSC Awards:

Thomas Miller’s Toughest Guy in the Conference - Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia

The Cam Tucker Coverage Award - Derek Pegues, FS, Miss State

Hosea’s Biggest Hitter - Tray Blackmon, LB, Auburn

Scott’s Stoppers - Rico McCoy, LB, Tennessee / Jasper Brinkley, LB, South Carolina

Big play waiting to happen - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida

Impact Freshman - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama