2008 SEC Early Lookaheads
2009 Pages & Recruiting Classes
East
Florida
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Georgia
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Kentucky
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South Carolina
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Tennessee
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Vanderbilt
West
Alabama
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Arkansas
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Auburn
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LSU |
Ole Miss
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Miss State
2008 Pages
2007 SEC Season
|
2007 SEC Lookbacks/Recaps
East
Florida
| Georgia
| Kentucky
| South Carolina
| Tennessee
| Vanderbilt
West
Alabama
| Arkansas
| Auburn
| LSU |
Ole Miss
| Miss State
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2008 CFN All-SEC Team
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2008 CFN Preseason All-SEC Team
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2007 SEC Lookback/Recaps |
2008 SEC Lookaheads
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2008 SEC Lookbacks/Recaps
Alabama
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 8-4 Final Record: 12-2
Why to get excited: The defense returns virtually intact. Losing
leader Rashad Johnson from the secondary will hurt, and Bobby Greenwood
was the team’s best pass rusher on the front, but the return of DT
Terrence Cody for his senior season was a huge break, while linebackers
Dont’a Hightower and Rolando McClain will set the tone for the back
seven.
Why to be
grouchy: The offensive line could use a bit of retooling, and John Parker Wilson
was a solid quarterback who kept things moving. Wilson might not have
been Tim Tebow or Matthew Stafford, but he was a (cliché time) game
manager who was efficient when he had to be. Andre Smith was the
nation’s best offensive tackle, and he was sorely missed in the Sugar
Bowl, As important as Wilson was to the team, center Antoine Caldwell
was just as vital as the quarterback of the front five.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Generating more of a pass rush. Considering how good and how aggressive
the defense was throughout last season, there wasn’t enough of a steady
presence into the backfield. The Tide was ninth in the SEC in sacks and
was average at making plays behind the line.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OT Andre Smith
Biggest
defensive loss: S Rashad Johnson
Best
returning offensive player:
WR Julio Jones, Soph.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB Rolando McClain, Jr.
Arkansas
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final Record: 5-7
Why to get excited: With the possible exception of Mitch Mustain,
who bolted for USC, Ryan Mallett should be the most talented quarterback
Arkansas has had in a long, long time. RB Michael Smith is back to work
behind a strong line that loses center Jonathan Luigs and tackle Jose
Valdez, but should be strong. The defense gets nine starters back
highlighted by a strong front that should be far, far better. The Hogs
finished last in the SEC in several key defensive categories, but
experience should translate into production. That goes for the offense,
too.
Why to be
grouchy: The schedule is a problem. South Carolina is strong, and that’s the
easiest of the games against the East with Georgia and Florida also on
the slate. The road games? Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU …
considering is a plus if the Hogs can win one of those. Playing Texas
A&M in Dallas won’t be a breeze.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Pass protection. The defense needs to be better against the run, far
better, and improving the turnover margin is a must, but the team can
improve in a big hurry with better pass protection. The run blockers
from the Houston Nutt era couldn’t pass protect, allowing a whopping 46
sacks, and things broke down from there. Ryan Mallett isn’t mobile and
he’ll need the tackles to shine early on.
Biggest
offensive loss:
C Jonathan Luigs
Biggest
defensive loss: LB Elston Forte
Best
returning offensive player:
RB Michael Smith, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
DT Malcolm Sheppard, Sr.
Auburn
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Final Record: 5-7
Why to get excited: Seven starters are back on defense, and
although DT Sen’Derrick Marks and CB Jerraud Powers left early, it
should be better. Antonio Coleman leads a pass rush that should be
improved, while the offense can’t help but be better. Offensive
coordinator Gus Malzahn isn’t a miracle worker, but he’s one of the best
in the game and he should be able to get the attack moving after it
averaged just 303 yards and 17 points per game.
Why to be
grouchy: Alabama. After owning the Iron Bowl for a long stretch, there was a
seismic shift last year in a 36-0 Tide win. Nick Saban has put together
a monster of a program with, arguably the best recruiting classes of
anyone in America over the last two years. Auburn, like just about
everyone in the SEC, has been able to load up on its share of good
players, but it’s nothing like what Bama has done. Oh yeah, and LSU
might have had the best recruiting class of 2009.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Scoring. The defense is always going to be good at Auburn, but the
offense hasn’t shown up for a few years. If the Tigers could simply be
more consistent offensively, and if they could come up with a more
efficient passing game, the wins will start to come. It might be just
that simple.
Biggest
offensive loss:
WR Rodgeriqus Smith,
Biggest
defensive loss: DT Sen’Derrick Marks
Best
returning offensive player:
RB Ben Tate, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
FS Zac Etheridge, Jr.
Florida
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 10-2 Final Record: 13-1
Why to get excited: While the return of Tim Tebow got the most
publicity, and rightly so, the real key to the 2009 season will be a
defense that gets everyone back. Everyone. Led by the return of
LB Brandon Spikes for his senior season, Florida not only returns all 11
starters, but all 11 backups. There isn’t one player gone from the
defense that did anything in 2008, while the offense gets just enough
talent back, helped by recent recruiting classes, to be almost as good
as last year.
Why to be
grouchy: The offense takes a few major hits. Florida is loaded up with tremendous
talents from recent recruiting classes, but it’ll still feel the loss of
Percy Harvin to the NFL a year early, along with his running mate, Louis
Murphy, who was an underappreciated target for Tebow. The line has to
replace Phil Troutwein at left tackle and Jason Watkins from the right
side. Meanwhile the schedule has one major landmine that could screw up
the national title dream: October 10th at LSU.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Maintaining the hunger. This team will spend the entire off-season
getting its butt kissed and it will be national title-or-bust from the
start. This will be everyone’s preseason No. 1 team, Tebow will be
expected to win the Heisman, and the defense will be expected to be No.
1 in the country and all but impenetrable. The team has to guard against
overconfidence. On the field, penalties have to be curbed after
finishing 105th in the nation last year averaging 7.29 per
game.
Biggest
offensive loss:
WR Percy Harvin
Biggest
defensive loss: None
Best
returning offensive player:
QB Tim Tebow, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB Brandon Spikes, Sr.
Georgia
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 10-2 Final Record: 10-3
Why to get excited: The entire starting five on the offensive
line returns, and star OT Trinton Sturdivant is trying to get back from
his devastating knee injury. Yes, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno
might be gone, but it’s Georgia; there are replacements. Caleb King is a
good back, while Richard Samuel will be good if he can get healthy. A.J.
Green is one of the nation’s elite receivers, giving likely new starting
QB, Joe Cox, a star to work with. The defense has work to do up front,
but the defensive back seven should be solid.
Why to be
grouchy: Florida. If the 49-10 whumping from the Gators last year wasn’t bad
enough, everyone returns to the UF defense and Mr. Tebow is back to lead
another good offense. The Dawgs have to host a much-improved LSU team
and have to start out the year dealing with a high-powered Oklahoma
State team in Stillwater.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Generating more pressure. Three starters are gone off a defensive front
that was solid against the run, but struggled to hit the quarterback. To
be fair, no one in the SEC, outside of the Dawgs’ own Matthew Stafford
and Florida’s Tim Tebow, could consistently throw the ball worth a lick,
but that doesn’t excuse the struggles at getting to the quarterback. The
turnover margin was lousy last year, and that needs to improve with a
more disruptive D.
Biggest
offensive loss:
QB Matthew Stafford
Biggest
defensive loss: CB Asher Allen
Best
returning offensive player:
WR A.J. Green, Soph.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB Rennie Curran, Jr.
Kentucky
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 5-7 Final Record: 7-6
Why to get excited: Nine starters are back on an offense that
wasn’t consistent, but was able to come up with flashes here and there.
The offensive line was a plus, especially in pass protection, and it
only loses star left tackle Garry Williams. There are only four road
games on the schedule, and two of them are against a rebuilding Auburn
and at Vanderbilt (the other two are at South Carolina and Georgia).
Why to be
grouchy: The defense loses some really, really good players from the line. End
Jeremy Jarmon is back for his senior season, but Myron Pryor is gone off
the interior along with end Ventrell Jenkins. The offense might be more
experienced, but is there enough talent? After all, this is an attack
that averaged fewer than 300 yards per game.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Passing efficiency. To be fair, Randall Cobb was a wide receiver playing
quarterback at times last season. Mike Hartline has to be more
efficient, has to keep the mistakes to a minimum, and he needs more
playmakers at receiver to help out Cobb. The time should be there to
operate; UK allowed an SEC-best 13 sacks last year.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OT Garry Williams
Biggest
defensive loss: DT Myron Pryor
Best
returning offensive player:
QB/WR Randall Cobb, Soph.
Best
returning defensive player:
CB Trevard Lindley, Sr.
LSU
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Final Record: 8-5
Why to get excited: This isn’t a national title-level team quite
yet, but it should be good enough to be in the hunt for the SEC West
title and it should be a stepping stone for what should be a monster
2010 season. The return of OT Ciron Black for his senior season should
make the line far better, paving the way for a loaded backfield, led by
Charles Scott. The defensive back seven is loaded.
Why to be
grouchy: The defensive line has to replace several future NFL producers. Tyson
Jackson, Marlon Favorite, Charles Alexander, Kirston Pittman, and Ricky
Jean-Francois formed what should’ve been one of the nation’s best
defensive fronts, but it didn’t play that way. Even so, you don’t just
replace talents like those right away. There’s still the question of
consistent offensive firepower. Is Jordan Jefferson ready to be a
big-time, full-time quarterback?
The number
one thing to work on is:
Consistent defense. Actually, consistency on both sides of the ball, but
the defense is what will make or break the season. The Tigers have to
play well against the big boys, and after getting ripped up by Florida
and Georgia, they need to prove they can be better even with the
defensive turnover.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OG Herman Johnson
Biggest
defensive loss: LB Darry Beckwith
Best
returning offensive player:
OT Ciron Black, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
SS Harry Coleman, Sr.
Ole Miss
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final Record: 9-4
Why to get excited: This was a relatively young team last year
that grew up as the season went on, and now the experience should pay
off. Eight starters return on defense, including ends Marcus Tillman,
Kentrell Lockett, and Greg Hardy from one of the nation’s most active
lines. The offense loses OT Michael Oher, WR Mike Wallace, and OG
Maurice Miller, but gets everyone else of note back. The SEC road
schedule is as easy as can be reasonably asked for going to Vanderbilt,
South Carolina, Auburn and Mississippi State.
Why to be
grouchy: Now the expectations are going to be unrealistic. This is a program that
hasn’t been all that patient in the past, canning David Cutcliffe after
a little rough patch and firing Ed Orgeron just as his recruiting
classes were about to mature. Now, anything less than a flirtation with
ten wins and a win over a big-time team or two, like Alabama and LSU,
both home games, will be unacceptable.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Get even more out of the running game. It’s not like Ole Miss was bad
last year, on the contrary, it was second in the SEC, and 28th
in the nation, averaging 186 yards per game. Now it’s time to get more
explosion and even more from the array of talented runners. After all,
Houston Nutt helped make Arkansas deadly with its ground game, and now
he has the chance to do something special with a good all-around
quarterback like Jevan Snead to go along with the ground attack.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OT Michael Oher
Biggest
defensive loss: DT Peria Jerry
Best
returning offensive player:
QB Jevan Snead, Jr.
Best
returning defensive player:
DE Greg Hardy, Sr.
Mississippi
State
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final Record: 4-8
Why to get excited: New head man Dan Mullen will bring in the
offense … some offense. He doesn’t have a Tim Tebow, like he had at
Florida, and the class of all-around athleticism to work with isn’t in
the same league as he might be used to, but he’s a good coach who should
get the SEC’s worst scoring offense moving. The offensive line might
have struggled, but all five starters return to pave the way for RB
Anthony Dixon.
Why to be grouchy: The defense loses all four starters in the secondary, including all-star
safety Derek Pegues, and four starters are gone off the defensive front
seven. That means the offense will have to pick up the slack for a while
and the Bulldogs don’t necessarily have the stars at the skills to keep
up with the better SEC attacks. The passing game has a long way to go to
be merely average.
The number
one thing to work on is:
The offensive line. Against the SEC defensive lines full of NFL caliber
athletes, if you don’t have a strong offensive front, you don’t have a
chance. Last year, MSU allowed a whopping 37 sacks and led the way to a
mere 101 rushing yards per game. To get the offense moving, the
no-veteran line has to be far more effective and it has to find at least
one thing it can do well.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OG Michael Gates
Biggest
defensive loss: S Derek Pegues
Best
returning offensive player:
RB Anthony Dixon, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB K.J. Wright, Jr.
South Carolina
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 8-4 Final Record: 7-6
Why to get excited: The recruiting classes have been excellent.
It’s not like Steve Spurrier hasn’t brought in a high-level of talent.
No, USC’s classes aren’t Alabamas or Floridas, but they’ve been more
than good enough to succeed with. With LB Eric Norwood returning, the
defense should be excellent after leading the SEC, and finishing second
in the nation, in pass defense while allowing just 133 rushing yards per
game. The offense gets back six starters.
Why to be
grouchy: While the Gamecocks get to host Florida and Ole Miss, the four SEC road
games aren’t a plus going to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and against an
improved Arkansas. The offense might get back most of the starters, but
some of the key starters are gone. Someone has to step up and replace
No. 1 target Kenny McKinley, while TE Jared Cook and RB Mike Davis are
also gone.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Interceptions. The interceptions started early, with four against NC
State in the opener, and they didn’t stop, with 27 on the year. The
Gamecock quarterbacks didn’t get any better in ball security as the
season went on, throwing ten in the final three games of the season, all
losses, and threw at least one in every game on the year. To be fair,
the quarterbacks had to press a bit considering there wasn’t any running
game to help the cause.
Biggest
offensive loss:
WR Kenny McKinley
Biggest
defensive loss: S Emmanuel Cook
Best
returning offensive player:
QB Stephen Garcia, Jr.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB Eric Norwood, Sr.
Tennessee
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Final Record: 5-7
Why to get excited: It shouldn’t take too much to get the team
moving again. Eight starters return on offense, and that doesn’t include
a slew of decent running backs ready to break out with a bit more work.
Eric Berry is back in the secondary to lead a defense that won’t be as
good as it was last year, but has Ed Orgeron, one of the best defensive
line coaches in the business, to help overcome the losses up front.
Why to be
grouchy: If you’re a schedule is half-full fan, Tennessee probably isn’t good
enough to beat Florida or Alabama anyway, so those two games might as
well be on the road. Then again, those two games are, well, on the road,
along with a tough game at Ole Miss. The coaching staff is strong, but
it’s going to have to be phenomenal to overcome some serious personnel
losses on the defensive front seven.
The number
one thing to work on is:
The quarterback situation. Lane Kiffin and his staff will be going with
what’s in the cupboard as they didn’t sign any quarterback prospects
this recruiting season. While it’ll be addressed next year in a big way,
for the moment, it’ll be a battle between Jonathan Crompton, B.J.
Coleman, and Nick Stephens. Kiffin has to settle on his leader early on.
Biggest
offensive loss:
OG Anthony Parker
Biggest
defensive loss: DE Robert Ayers
Best
returning offensive player:
WR Gerald Jones, Jr.
Best
returning defensive player:
S Eric Berry, Jr.
Vanderbilt
CFN 2008 Preseason Prediction: 3-9 Final Record: 7-6
Why to get excited: Nine starters return to a defense that was
opportunistic and a major plus throughout last season. Star corner D.J.
Moore took off early, but the return of Patrick Benoist for his senior
season was a big help. The offense might need a lot of work, but this
was a relatively young group that should be far better on the line, with
all five starters returning, and Mackenzi Adams a veteran quarterback to
work around.
Why to be
grouchy: After the opening day game against Western Carolina, there isn’t much in
the way of a breather. Six games are on the road, and while two are very
winnable, against Rice and Army, they could take their toll in the midst
of the SEC season. Going to LSU, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee
will be tough, meaning there will have to be an upset along the way
against someone like Georgia Tech, Ole Miss or Georgia to get to a
bowl.
The number
one thing to work on is:
Converting on third downs. Vanderbilt will never by Oklahoma, putting up
60 points per game, but it needs to at least keep things moving. That
means a more efficient passing game and far more production on third
downs after finishing 108th in the nation last year on
conversions. Connecting on just 31.5% of third down chances isn’t going
to get it done in the SEC.
Biggest
offensive loss:
WR George Smith
Biggest
defensive loss: CB D.J. Moore
Best
returning offensive player:
QB Mackenzi Adams, Sr.
Best
returning defensive player:
LB Patrick Benoist, Sr.