By
Pete Fiutak
East
Division
Florida Spring
practice starts March 29, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Is the year two magic under
Urban Meyer going to apply to Florida? It's been well documented how
Meyer succeeded in his second season at Bowling Green and Utah, and now
the same is expected at Florida. With Georgia in a possible rebuilding
mode and Tennessee still trying to find the license plate of the truck
that ran over it last year, Florida should be the preseason favorite to
win the East, so the pressure should be on even more than last year.
However, the really, really big things are expected in 2007 and beyond
because ...
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Has
a true Heisman contending quarterback ever been benched for a true
freshman? Chris Leak is a prolific passer and a great talent, but as
everyone knows by now, he isn't the prototypical Urban Meyer spread
option quarterback. Super recruit Tim Tebow is. Is Meyer willing to take
a step back this year by playing Tebow to take a huge leap forward for
next year, or will Leak be able to hang on to the job all season long?
What if Leak is merely above-average and not Heisman-like? The Gator
quarterback situation will be sure to be a major topic of discussion all
year long.
Spring attitude... Win the East. Not winning the SEC title
isn't a sin, but not winning a division title is. Just ask Tennessee
what happens when the favorite doesn't come through. The transition from
the Ron Zook era to Meyer is now over, and if the offensive line comes
together in a hurry, there's no reason not to finish the regular season
10-2 at worst.
Georgia Spring
practice starts March 4, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can Georgia reload yet again?
It seems like every year that Georgia is sending half its team to the
NFL and has to fill in mile-wide holes, and it seems like every year
that head coach Mark Richt and his staff get it done. Even so, there's a
razor-thin margin between winning the SEC title and being a league
also-ran, and losing a leader like QB D.J. Shockley, along with all the
talent on the defensive line, most of the top defensive backs, and
talented offensive linemen like Max Jean-Gilles, might be too much to
overcome.
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback.
Shockley turned into a better passer than anyone expected and was the
team's heart-and-soul last year. Big Joe Tereshinski is the first in
line to be the new starter, and he has a little experience getting the
starting nod in the loss to Florida last year, but he's not Shockley and
he's not the type of quarterback who'll make a lot of big plays on his
own. His job will be to not screw up, but he might not have the job for
long if true freshman Matthew Stafford comes in and plays like the
NFL-star-in-waiting that many recruiting gurus believes he is. Blake
Barnes, who has a little bit of experience, and Joe Cox are likely
jockeying for the number three job.
Spring attitude... Just win it again. Yeah, Georgia loses a
lot of starters, but this is one of the nation's deepest programs and
there are several more NFL prospects waiting for their turn. The
backfield might be the best in America with too many good running backs
for one ball. The receiving corps should be fine, and the linebacking
corps should be a strength after having injury problems last year.
Kentucky Spring
practice starts March 29, Spring Game April 22
The big spring question is ... Does Rich Brooks have any
tricks in his bag? With nine wins in three years, Brooks hasn't exactly
capitalized on the positive momentum from the Guy Morriss era. However,
give him credit for keeping his team playing hard when nothing has been
going right. There's a fantastic playmaker in RB Rafael Little to build
around, and QB Andre Woodson should be better after taking some lumps
last year, so there is reason to believe the team should be better.
It'll need to be a lot better for there to be a year five for Brooks.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive line.
More specifically, the defensive front seven that gets five of seven
starters back. Stopping the run was a major problem all season long and
was the main reason Kentucky got knocked out of games so early. Teams
pounded the ball and pounded the ball some more taking the early
momentum and forcing the ill-equipped UK offense to play catchup. With
all the returning experience, the run defense has to be far better.
Spring attitude... Be Vanderbilt, but better. Kentucky
doesn't have a Jay Cutler, but if the Commodores could come within a
blocked field goal of going to a bowl, then the expectation has to be
for the Wildcats to be at least as competitive. With its schedule, UK
should be able come up with five wins if it doesn't screw up (Texas
State, Ole Miss, Central Michigan, Vanderbilt and UL Monroe), so seven
wins and a bowl game aren't a lot to ask for.
South Carolina
Spring practice starts March 14, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Does Steve Spurrier have the
right pieces in place to run his offense the way he'd like? He didn't
try to Fun 'n' Gun, or Cock 'n' Fire, with Lou Holtz's holdovers, but he
did make the offensive effective enough to come up with a decent season.
However, finishing 100th in the nation in total offense isn't exactly
Spurrier's style. You could do a lot worse than have skill players like
QB Blake Mitchell, WR Sidney Rice and RB Mike Davis, but they have to
provide a lot more pop if USC is going to beat Tennessee and Florida
again.
The most important position to watch is ... Defensive back
seven and placekicker. The offense got the headlines, but the defense
and the kicking game won the games. Josh Brown hit ten of 12 field goals
and was always clutch. He also was the team's top punter averaging over
40 yards per kick. Replacing the starting linebacking corps is also a
problem along with finding a new free safety for tackling ball-hawk Ko
Simpson and a new top cover corner for Johnathan Joseph.
Spring attitude... Patch the holes on defense, find more
offensive pop, and this could be a huge year. The schedule is as
favorable as it gets in the SEC East with Georgia and Tennessee coming
to Columbia and the only nasty road games at Florida and Clemson with
both coming late in the year. For a strong team, this is a 9-3 schedule,
but is South Carolina really that good? We might know right away at
Mississippi State. With the right breaks, an appearance in the SEC title
game isn't out of the question.
Tennessee
Spring practice starts March 2, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... So what really went wrong?
It's too easy to blame former offensive coordinator Randy Sanders for
everything and looking back, only the Vanderbilt loss was completely
inexcusable. Of course, by that point of the season the wheels had
completely come off. The defense never got credit for a great season
because the offense couldn't score with an attack that struggled in
every phase. The offensive line had a bad year, the receiving corps
didn't make nearly enough plays, and ...
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. Is
Erik Ainge the answer? He had a solid freshman season, but wasn't
consistent last year forcing the limited Rick Clausen to play way too
much. Ainge has next-level talent, but he has to focus and has to be a
much sharper decision maker. Jonathan Crompton has a banged up shoulder
which should finally be healthy by the start of the season. Bo Hardegree
will also get a shot, but the season depends on Ainge and his ability to
turn his career around.
Spring attitude... Last year was last year. Tennessee hasn't
been a rock at home lately, but it gets most of the big games in
Knoxville with three tough road dates at Georgia, South Carolina and
Arkansas. Any team wanting to win the SEC title has to be good enough to
handle away games against Memphis and Vanderbilt. The return of David
Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator should jump-start the attack, while
there are still more than enough good players to come up with another
good defensive year.
Vanderbilt
Spring practice starts March 14, Spring Game April 1
The big spring question is ... Can Vandy take the next step
and get to a bowl game? It'll be hard to do with QB Jay Cutler off
making millions in the NFL, but last year at least showed that the team
can be more than just an SEC doormat. Six wins might be tough with the
schedule Bobby Johnson's team has to face, but it won't be impossible.
To get to the post-season, Vandy has to win all the games it's supposed
to and not have any MTSU or Kentucky losses like last year.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive
lineman. Oh sure, replacing Cutler will be the first priority, but the
new starter will be running for his life if the line doesn't come together quickly. This was a senior
dominated front wall that held its own throughout last year even though
it didn't do much against the run.
Spring attitude... Win six. If the Commodores can beat
Tennessee State, Kent State, Duke and Kentucky, which isn't too much to
ask for, it'll take only two wins to possibly go bowling (depending on
the NCAA's ruling about six win seasons counting D-IAA games for bowl
eligibility). Of course, every team on the schedule will be looking at
Vandy as a sure win. After last year, going back to the two win seasons
just won't do.
West
Division
Alabama Spring
practice starts February 24, Spring Game April 1
The big spring question is ... What can the offense do to get
more production? The running back situation is excellent with several
good power backs, the receiving corps is full of deep playmakers, and
the line, at least the starting five, should be far better than last
year. It's all up to the quarterback situation and whether or not John
Parker Wilson, Marc Guillon or Jimmy Barnes can be just as efficient and
more dangerous than Brodie Croyle. The real key will be a line that was
pounded by injury and inconsistency last year. There's not much
developed depth, but the young front wall should grow into something
special. As it develops, so will the offense.
The most important position to watch is ... Linebacker. Gone
are DeMeco Ryans and Freddie Roach, who combined to make 142 stops last
year. Juwan Simpson returns to his weakside position and will have to
carry things for awhile until Matt Collins and Terrence Jones get used
to the full-time job. Alabama won't have anything close to the number
one scoring defense in the nation again unless these two shine.
Spring attitude... Is it possible 10-2 wasn't good enough? It
would be fantastic this year. Sure, Alabama had a fantastic season under
Mike Shula and regained its status as a national power, but problems
with the offense and a loss to Auburn left a feeling that 2005 was done
with a bit too many smoke and mirrors. The defense isn't likely to be as
good again without seven starters and the offense isn't going to be USC
right away, but this is still a good team thinking SEC West title. That
might be tough, but just being in the mix before the Auburn game would
make for a successful year.
Arkansas
Spring practice starts March 27, Spring Game April 15
The big spring question is ... Can the program hold on for
one more year before the Mitch Mustain era begins? Head coach Houston
Nutt got his star quarterback, but it was made very clear early on that
Mustain is going to redshirt. This was a young team last year, but the
program has been treading water for a few seasons under Nutt and it has
to start winning now. This will be Nutt's ninth year in Fayetteville and
there has to be some sign that the wheels are in motion to be a true SEC
title contender in the very, very near future.
The most important position to watch is ... Placekicker. Just
about everyone is back on both sides of the ball with more returning
starters than anyone in the SEC, but steady placekicker Steve Balseiro
is gone after connecting on 13 of 18 field goals. He might not have been
the best kicker around and he missed two in the 19-17 loss to LSU, but
he will be missed. The Hogs will likely be involved in several tight
games and must find a suitable replacement. Junior Jeremy Davis will get
the first shot.
Spring attitude... Don't play for next year. It'll be hard
for the Hogs not to think 2007 will be the year Superman flies in to
change around the program, and it'll be up to Casey Dick to be so good
that Mustain can't just stroll on to the field and take over the job.
This year's team should be good enough to get back to a bowl game. The
Hogs played a rough schedule last year and managed to lose every close
game with four losses by four points or fewer. A veteran team wins those
games, and the 2006 Hogs will be full of experience.
Auburn
Spring practice starts February 28, Spring Game March 18
The big spring question is ... Last year was supposed to be a
rebuilding one, so will this season bring an SEC title? Auburn is a
firmly established superpower at this point. The Tigers were an
overtime loss to LSU away from playing for the SEC championship, but all
the warm fuzzies at the end of last year quickly dissipated after
getting dominated by Wisconsin in a 24-10 loss in the Capital One Bowl.
However, that loss might have been the best thing to happen to Auburn
since it seemed to be a motivator for this year. Auburn couldn't have a
better SEC schedule with the road games at Mississippi State, South
Carolina, Ole Miss and Alabama, so there's no real reason to not at
least win the West.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive tackle.
The Tigers have two very big and very talented players to replace on the
line losing big Marcus McNeill along with Troy Reddick. King Dunlap is a
mountain on the left side at 6-8 and 313 pounds, while Leon Hart is a
good-sized player on the right side at 6-5 and 300 pounds. Everything
else on offense will fall into place as long as these two play well.
Spring attitude... So far it's all been positive from the
great Academic Performance Report from the NCAA to the relatively crisp
first few practices. This year might not be 2004, but the team is good
enough to be playing for the SEC title and the enthusiasm around early
practices appears to reflect that. The early word is the team looks a
lot faster. It wasn't exactly a slow group last year.
LSU
Spring practice
starts March 4, Spring Game April 1
The big spring question is ... Will LSU fans accept an
average year? How can an 11-2 season be a disappointment? Give away one
game at home in overtime to an inferior Tennessee team, and lose the SEC
title game. While it might be a little harsh to not heap the love on Les
Miles and his staff for a terrific first season in the midst of a
disaster like Katrina, the bar has been raised on the Bayou. Never mind
that Miles' surpassed most expectations, LSU might be asked to do even
more with its ridiculously talented team. That might be impossible with
road games at Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas.
The most important position to watch is ... Tackle, on both
sides of the ball. LSU has to replace All-Americans Claude Wroten and
Kyle Williams on the defensive side and mammoth left tackle Andrew
Whitworth on the left side. The main focus all spring will be on the
quarterback situation, but the Tigers can't think about getting back to
the SEC title game unless Peter Dyakowski, or another top prospect, can
step in for Whitworth and Glen Dorsey can grow into a rock in the middle
of the defensive line.
Spring attitude... If LSU can overcome the adversity of last
year, it can handle a tough four-game road slate. The program overcame a
hurricane to get to the SEC title game, and the loss of starting
quarterback JaMarcus Russell to blow up Miami in the Peach Bowl. This
might be the fastest, most athletic team in America with a boatload of
talented skill players.
Ole Miss
Spring practice starts March 6, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... Can things be better in Ed
Orgeron's second year? Oh yeah. Coach O's tough style ran off some
players and didn't appear to work all that well in an ugly 3-8 season,
but there's hope for a night and day turnaround thanks to two key moves.
First, he added Art Kehoe to coach the offensive line. The longtime
Miami Hurricane assistant is still one of the best in the game and
should be an instant shot in the arm. Second, former Tennessee
quarterback Brent Schaeffer is in to run the offense adding more
athleticism and talent to the position.
The most important position to watch is ... Offensive
lineman. Kehoe helps, but does he have any players to work with? There's
no center to speak off at the moment with an open audition for the job,
and a battle for the remaining four spots. Michael Oher might be the
closest thing to a lock stepping at tackle, but that's about it.
Spring attitude... Win or get your butt chewed out. Orgeron
is a take-no-prisoners coach who knows what top-level teams look like
from his days at USC, and he's going to do whatever it takes to get Ole
Miss to that level. It's going to take more time before there's any
realistic thoughts about the SEC West title, but the team should be far
more competitive this year. It's certainly going to be better on the
lines.
Mississippi State
Spring practice starts March 6, Spring Game April 8
The big spring question is ... How will the team generate
more offense? Finishing 114th in the nation in scoring and 115th in
total offense isn't going to win many games in the SEC. MSU has to start
putting points on the board, and it has to do it without the only guy
who could play last year, RB Jerious Norwood. To get better, the
Bulldogs need for more production out of the ...
The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback.
Omarr Conner and Mike Henig combined to complete a mere 48% of his
throws with only 1,524 yards and ten touchdowns and ten interceptions.
With Conner at receiver now, it's up to Henig to sink or swim. He's not
a runner and he doesn't have a big arm, but he's going to have to be the
one who turns things around or else redshirt freshmen Tray Rutland and
Ty Evans will soon get their chances.
Spring attitude... Be ready to come out roaring. Conventional
college football wisdom dictates that if you're going to beat a superior
team, you have a better shot of doing it if the game comes early on.
With no preseason to tune up, it takes a little while for some teams to
get going. MSU has to start fast with three straight home games
highlighted by SEC battles with South Carolina and Auburn. Getting blown
out early on won't do much for a team that desperately needs a shot of
confidence.