Posted on August 25th, 2008SEC East Preview
The mighty South Eastern Conference. The SEC is the most powerful, explosive conference in all of football. They have had the last two national champions (don’t remind Ohio State that) and they also hold the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow. It comes down to this; if you win the overall SEC championship, your chances of playing in the BCS title game greatly increase. It doesn’t just end with the juggernaut teams or star players, because this conference also holds some of the footballs best coaches, not to mention the highest paid. Now in 2008, it has 6 teams out of its total 12 in the AP top 25, and four Heisman trophy candidates (Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin- Florida and Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno- Georgia). With the competitive balance of the SEC, it almost seems like a National Title game at seasons end with a team from another conference is easier than their own conference title game. If you come out of the SEC on top, you are in the driver’s seat for a national title, NO DOUBT.
SEC East-
1-Florida Gators-
2007 Record: (9-4 overall) (5-3 conference)
Capital One Bowl: vs. Michigan L 41-35
Opening Game: August 30th @ 12:30 vs. Hawaii
Upon the end of last season, Urban Meyer blamed the disappointing bowl loss on the lack of leadership from his team and lack of focus from his seniors. Well this year those seniors are gone and it has now been four years for Meyer at Florida. Every man on that field is one he has recruited. One thing that can be taken from what Meyer said is that maybe he was looking for a way to motivate this squad for this year. If anything is certain from last year, it is that Tim Tebow was not one of those guys who “lacked focus”.
(+) Pros- The reason why the Gators have the best chances of winning big is its offense. The phenomenal Tim Tebow, a rushing threat as well as having an arm that can get it done through the air. Tebow had 895 rushing years and threw for over 3,000 yards. He had combined 55 TD’s, and it’s no wonder he won the Heisman. His main man, Percy Harvin, is a duel threat in his own right. Harvin rushed for 764 yards and caught for 858 receiving yards. Andre Caldwell is gone from the receiving core, but Louis Ingram is a proven senior this year and can very well be the go to target for Tebow, while Harvin is rushing/coming out of the slot as a receiver. This year Florida has a fine class of recruits coming in that will surely make an impact right a way and a man that will help the receivers is redshirt freshman Deonte Thompson. Thompson is considered the fastest man on this team, with arguably the fastest team in the nation. In the backfield, besides the multi-talented Harvin who is capable of a lot, the Gators will have much more help this season than last (a sigh of relief from Tim Tebow). A USC transfer Emanuel Moody will take some handoffs away from Kestahn Moore, who struggled last year. Also, Gainesville is buzzing over freshman RB Chris Rainey. Expect Rainey to add to the Gators explosive offense. At 185 pounds, this guy can really fly out of the backfield. That is the bottom line with the offense really. The defense struggled last year but will be better now. Tweaks and improvements as well as new faces will add a new dimension. A huge factor will be the SEC’s top impact freshman, DT Omar Hunter. Hunter will add a much needed pass rush that was lacking last year.
(-) Cons- The one struggling point on offense last year was from the rushing standpoint. They had to rely too much on Tebow’s legs and that put him into far too many dangerous situations. The reason being was that Kestahn Moore had some fumbling woes. Aside from that, the offense is looking wonderful. The defense on the other hand was the reason this team lost games last year. They let other offenses slug it out, point for point with the Gators, and when they went up against teams with equally as good an offense, it spelled out a loss. They also couldn’t get off the field on third down situations and when this happens it tends to mean that there isn’t a whole lot of passion. The huge reason being was the front four; with no pass rush it really took away from what the secondary and linebackers would be able to do. Now the Gainesville Gators will have impact freshman Hunter as well as other former big recruit interior men. With the line being improved the secondary may be able to improve what was the 98th pass defense in the nation last year.
2- The Georgia Bulldogs-
2007 Record: (11-2 overall) (6-2 conference)
Sugar Bowl: vs. Hawaii W 41-10
Opening Game: August 30th @ 12:30 vs. Georgia Southern
Mark Richt is a guy who does not look ahead. He knows the kind of team he has this year, but just because his Bulldogs are the pre-season favorite #1, doesn’t mean the head coach will do anything different then he usually would. At the end of last year, Georgia players were vocal about not being invited to the Rose Bowl, which they felt was more prestigious then the Sugar Bowl they had to settle for. With a little added motivation, a focused head coach, and the most balanced offense/defense combo in the nation, the Bulldogs goal of winning a National Title is very feasible.
(+) Pros- As the most balanced team in the SEC, clearly both the O and the D have accolades that need to be discussed. Let’s look at what these Bulldogs have going on in the backfield. Knowshon Moreno rushed for 1,334 yards last year and had 14 touchdowns. However, it doesn’t stop there, because they have a big kid named Caleb King. Coach Richt has gone on record as to saying that they have to get King the ball more often this season, who is a physical runner that’s not afraid to do some punishment. QB Matthew Stafford is the leader of the Dawgs and has the potential to be a #1 overall pick in the next NFL draft. Stafford will have a young, yet experienced line in front of him. The line had three freshies on it last year and look how good of a year the team had. With another year of development, expect bigger and better things for Stafford and the backs having holes to run through and more time to throw. Now on to the defense. They really found their stride last season when they made some adjustments after a blow out loss to Tennessee. The coverage for Georgia really can dictate how the D plays if they are able to provide good coverage, leaving the opposing QB no windows of opportunity. In come the guys up front to bring that QB down. Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins are outstanding in the interior and their line mates (junior college transfer) Jarius Wynn and Roderick Battle at the ends are extremely capable of having a dynamic pass rush.
(-) Cons- This team doesn’t have all that much to work on. One thing Coach Richt has discussed though is replacing last year’s kicker. Now, I know a kicker is important in clutch situations, but if that is what the coach is worried about replacing, you know you have a good situation going into the season. Another issue that I myself have noticed is that Matthew Stafford has more to prove. He has great talent but last year only had a 55.7 completion percentage. That has to get higher, which will result in his receivers, like Mohamed Massaquoi, getting more yards on the year. I fully expect Stafford to only get better. So with all the balance on Georgia, why do I have the Gators ahead of them? It’s simple. The revenge factor. If you remember, last year during the game between the two, Georgia’s entire team stormed the field after their first TD of the game and you can bet the Gators haven’t forgotten that. Florida will own the tiebreaker over UGA by beating them at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Also, Georgia has a slightly harder schedule than UF, having to go to Arizona State on Sept. 20th. The Dawgs also have to play at South Carolina, a team they lost to at home last year, and going to Columbia to face the Ol’ Ball Coach is never a cakewalk. Last but not least…they close out their SEC schedule at Auburn.
3- Tennessee Volunteers-
2007 Record: (10-4 overall) (6-2 conference)
Outback Bowl: vs. Wisconsin W 21-17
Opening Game: September 1st @ 8:00 @ UCLA
Philip Fulmer loves to run the ball. He always has. Defensively the Vols have also always been great at stopping the run. These are the ways of the Phil Fulmer regime. Things are about to change though in Knoxville. Clearly unhappy with not having an SEC title since 1998, Fulmer hired a new offensive coordinator. Dave Clawson is the man heading the offense now. He is a former I-AA head coach from the University of Richmond. Rocky Top has a tough season opener having to go to The Rose Bowl and face UCLA, but if they can get past them it will be a great non-conference win to their resume and they can compete with any team inside the SEC.
(+) Pros- The offense is going to have a new identity to it this year. Clawson is implementing four and five receiver sets, more run-based sets out of the shotgun, more of a spread-option package and a defined package for the speedy wide out Gerald Jones. Spreading the offense out more and bringing more of an option into the playbook will ultimately set up for the Vols to run like they want. Tennessee has a good defense in place already with six starters and plenty of other experience returning. The new format on offense is a great fit for this years new QB Jonathan Crompton. He sat behind Erik Ainge for the last three years and is much more athletic at the position. Crompton has shown very good signs during spring and summer workouts, leaving little concern for Fulmer, as he seems ready to go. Even if Crompton were to struggle, he is going to be given time as four starters from a year ago return on the offensive line and this line only gave up 4 sacks all year last go around. Anthony Parker is one of the All-Sec linemen and he will be the driving force for one of the best offensive lines in the SEC. With a great line, that should set up nicely for those running situations for leading rusher Arian Foster. This guy is special at the running spot as well and could very well rival Moreno for the most rush yards in conference. Another bright spot for this team are its receivers, who started slow last year but then picked it up through out the season. Lucas Taylor had exactly 1,000 yards receiving with 73 receptions, two other players had 50+ receptions, and now that Gerald Jones is completely healthy to play all year, that will add a great threat inside this new game plan.
(-) Cons- When talking about the bad things regarding the top teams in the SEC, it really is a tough task. I have read a few articles about Tennessee having a down year with their defense and I just can’t buy that. I understand the hardest thing for this team to do will be to replace Jerod Mayo, who was tenth overall in the NFL draft. But, with the returnees that they have it will bring about a sense of stability to an otherwise mediocre defense last year. They do need help in the secondary; they ranked second to last in the SEC. Cornerbacks Brent Vinson and DeAngelo Willingham made notable progress as the 2007 season progressed and strong safety Eric Berry had an outstanding second half of the season. To add to things, safety Demetrice Morley is back after missing last year for academic reasons. Therefore, with new leader Rico McCoy (leads amongst returning players in tackles with 106) at LB and a fair amount of starters on D, expect this Vols D-unit to come back to form with stopping the run and adding some pressure to the QB.
4- South Carolina-
2007 Record: (6-6 overall) (3-5 conference)
No Bowl
Opening Game: August 28th @ 8:00 vs. North Carolina State
Just like Urban Meyer, this is Steve Spurrier’s fourth year in a new place. Things haven’t gone as well for Spurrier, however, as they have for Meyer. The Ball Coach only has a 21-17 record while being at SC and he ended last year on the longest losing streak of his coaching career (5). Spurrier has gone on to say it is time to hand the over the reigns and now his son, Steve Jr., will be the offensive coordinator. Perhaps this will free up some aggravation on dad’s part, because this year he’ll be seeing a lot of things that won’t make him to happy if he can’t get his QB situation figured out. On the up and up, the coach finally has his guys in town, and it gives him some really quality depth on the roster.
(+) Pros- Last year the defense was the Gamecocks Achilles Heel. They ranked dead last in the SEC in rush defense as well as last in sacks obtained. The reason for this was the inferiority of the LB core and the men up front on the D-line. Although the front seven were bad, the secondary was amazing. All-American Captain Munnerlyn returns along side Emmanuel Cook, who each had 3 picks last year. The Gamecocks were 1st in the SEC and 4th in the nation in pass defense. So, how does the D all come together this year? New defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has made some changes with the linebackers and defensive line. Eric Norwood (DE) and Cliff Matthews (LB) have switched places and that could add a new element for them considering they had nothing working with what they were doing. The return of MLB Jasper Brinkley, who missed last year with a knee injury, will really bolster the defense, as he is the leader. The biggest factor is budding star on the interior line, Ladi Ajiboye, a sophomore who has reportedly spent all off-season getting into his best shape and working to become a difference maker in pass-rush situations. The offense is not without hope this year either with receiver Kenny McKinley (All SEC) returning. McKinley had 968 yards, 77 receptions and 9 TD’s last year. And whoever the QB will be this season will have suitable passing targets with Jared Cook and Dion Lecorn, the two leading receivers behind McKinley
(-) Cons- South Carolina is really going to miss quarterback Blake Mitchell more than any other loss this season. There is no clear-cut choice as to who the starter will be. As of now, it seems to be a Tommy Beecher over Chris Smelley. Smelley actually had some playing time last year when Mitchell was banged up. He did happen to throw for over 1,000 yards but also had some accuracy issues, throwing 7 interceptions in the seven games he appeared in. Beecher only appeared in one game last year, the first one. Between the two, I don’t see a clear-cut favorite or why Beecher is the projected starter; perhaps it is his athleticism. In the Gamecock’s spring game the two threw for a combined eight interceptions! That isn’t the worse part of it. Spurrier likes to use the second team defense against the offense in the spring game to build confidence. So these two QB’s threw for a combined eight picks against the worst defensive unit they’ll see all year. I sure hope they weren’t trying to hard in that game, otherwise that losing streak for Spurrier is going to continue. They always have the option to go to a freshman at QB with Aramis Hillary. One quick side note, SC has to find a replacement at RB with the loss of Cory Boyd and that likely will come from senior Mike Davis. Will it be a bowl year for Steve Spurrier? It will certainly be hard in the grueling SEC, and they need to find their QB to create stability for the year. I say go with Smelley, the guy who has seen some of these teams before and hope the defense is much improved and can win you some games.
5- Kentucky Wildcats-
2007 Record: (8-5 overall) (3-5 conference)
Music City Bowl: vs. Florida State W 35-28
Opening Game: August 31st @ 3:30 @ Louisville
It is sadly back down to earth in Lexington for the Wildcats. For years they were the doormat of the SEC and then last year was a remarkable change. Andre Woodson led them to a #1 rank in passing offense amongst the conference and even had the Cats ranked as high as #7. Now Woodson is gone amongst other key offensive players. Rafael Little, who rushed for over 1,000 yards, is gone and Woodson’s top two receiving targets left with him. It will be a time of change for Kentucky and who’s to know when they will have a year like that again.
(+) Pros- The Wildcats return plenty of guys on the offensive line. That is about the lone positive for Kentucky, but a good line is the best thing for an offense with no real philosophy. The guys up front can open up holes for the running game, which is going to undoubtedly be the main focus for them considering they have no passing or wide receiver threats.
(-) Cons- Mike Hartline is the new starting QB. Hartline, however, will struggle in his first year as a starter, especially in this league. The main reason they will struggle is the fact that every target from a year ago is gone. The passing game is going to struggle for both reasons of an inexperienced QB as well as no receivers. Dicky Lyons is the only capable target to throw to. However, he is undersized and if he is getting the majority of the throws, expect him to be banged up early.
6- Vanderbilt Commodores-
2007 Record: (5-7 overall) (2-6 conference)
No Bowl
Opening Game: August 28th @ 7:30 @ Miami (OH)
Vanderbilt opens the season on the road against MAC favorite Miami (OH). This is going to be a challenge for the Commodores, the Red Hawks are a good team, but they should be able to win the game considering they hail from the SEC. It is not a given though. If they can’t win this game, there is no way they will win at the end of the year at Wake Forest or anywhere in between. Well, they will probably beat Rice and Duke.
(+) Pros- The defense is losing the majority of the talent that kept this team in games last year. The secondary is all back though and they are good. This is the lone bright spot for the ‘Dores. Cornerback’s D.J. Moore (All-SEC) and Myron Lewis are two of the best backs in the conference. They will have a lot of work ahead of them this year because there is virtually no pass rush up front and the LB’s are very inexperienced.
(-) Cons- The offensive line is all gone. Left Tackle Chris Williams was a first round draft pick and anchored the line. With him and the rest of his line mates gone it will be a very difficult year for either QB Craig Nickson or Mackenzi Adams to get any time to throw a ball. They will have mostly juniors on the line this year and with defensive lines like Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee on tap for the ‘Dores, these guys will have a long year. Another issue is on the other line. There is really no depth at the tackle position. There are only two players on the roster with any experience at the spot and one of them (Adam Smotherman) has had a history of knee ailments.
