2009 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW
The road to Atlanta for the SEC Championship again starts in Gainesville, Fla.
Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators approach the 2009 season as an overwhelming favorite to win the SEC East, a near-universal pick to capture another conference crown, and the national consensus choice to take a third BCS championship in four years. Everybody’s All-American, Gator quarterback Tim Tebow, wraps up a storied career with a chance to win a second Heisman Trophy and a third national title. |
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2009 ARKANSAS PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
The Hog offense returns eight starters from a unit that ranked fourth in total offense in the SEC. The big story heading into fall camp will be the big transfer playing under center. QB Ryan Mallett was one of the nation’s top recruits a couple years ago when he signed with Michigan. After the Wolverines made a coaching change, Mallett (a 6-foot-7, 248-pound pocket-passer) found himself an ill fit in the spread option running attack of new coach Rich Rodriguez. He figures to be a perfect fit for Bobby Petrino’s pro style system, and the results could be explosive for the Arkansas offense. |
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2009 AUBURN PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
Auburn enters the 2009 season with a new offensive system, but a lingering question as to who will lead the attack. New head coach Gene Chizik hired offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn (formerly of Tulsa and Arkansas) to implement a no-huddle, shotgun offense. By the spring game, the Tigers had learned the new scheme well enough to hang several big plays on a short-handed defense. |
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2009 FLORIDA PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
Can we expect another Superman sequel in 2009? While the strength of this Florida football team might reside on the defensive side of the ball – all eleven starters return from last season’s national champions – the heart of the Gators beats under the number 15 jersey of quarterback Tim Tebow. |
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2009 GEORGIA PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
What a difference a year makes. The Bulldogs entered last season as the nation’s top-rated team, a ranking based mainly on offensive firepower. The strengths of the Georgia squad were at the skill positions, namely strong-armed QB Matthew Stafford, RB Knowshon Moreno, and WR Mohamed Massaquoi. The question marks were along the line of scrimmage where the Dogs were young, unproven, and low in numbers. Now, the big three playmakers are all off to the NFL (Stafford as the top overall pick), Georgia is young or unproven at most skill positions, and Dog fans are counting on the offensive line as a team strength. |
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2009 KENTUCKY PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
Will the “Wildcat” save the Wildcats this season? Inconsistency plagued the Kentucky offense last year, especially in the passing game. Junior QB Mike Hartline returns after passing for only nine TDs and just over 1,600 yards. He figures to be a solid if unspectacular signal-caller. Spectacular does describe the other man who will take snaps. Expect rising sophomore Randall Cobb, primarily a wide receiver, to see plenty of action from the shotgun “Wildcat” formation where he provides an explosive run-pass threat. |
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2009 LSU PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
The LSU offense returns plenty of seasoned skill-position players, and enough experience up front to be of championship caliber. The biggest item on the Tiger agenda is to get consistently good play from the quarterbacks. Sophomore Jordan Jefferson finished 2008 as the Tiger starter, and his performance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Georgia Tech (offensive MVP) leaves him the top option heading into the fall. Jarrett Lee, another sophomore, started eight games last season, has a strong arm, and is mobile enough, but lost confidence after being bitten by an interception bug. Two freshmen went through spring drills with the Tigers. Chris Garrett is a big, pro-style passer, while Russell Shepard is a multiple-threat. Shepard was considered by many to be the top QB prospect in the nation. |
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2009 OLE MISS PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
In 2008, the Ole Miss offense ranked second in the SEC in scoring and third in total offense. The Rebels were one of the most balanced teams in America, rushing for 186.5 ypg, and passing for 221.2. Six starters return from that offensive unit, including the top five rushers and three of the top four receivers. Junior QB Jevan Snead comes off a tremendous year in which the Texas transfer threw 26 TD passes, second only to Tim Tebow in the SEC, and finished third in the conference in passing average at 212.5 ypg. Snead capped off the season by throwing for a career-high 292 yards in a 47-34 Cotton Bowl thrashing of Texas Tech. |
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2009 MISSISSIPPI STATE PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
New head coach Dan Mullen comes to Starkville fresh from another national title as offensive coordinator at Florida. He has to start from scratch at Miss State in implementing his spread attack because former coach Sylvester Croom favored a West Coast short-passing style scheme. Eight offensive starters are back from the 2008 squad, but Mullen essentially wiped the depth chart clean upon his arrival. |
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2009 TENNESSEE PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
The Volunteers struggled on offense last season, ranking 115th in Division I in total offense. New head coach Lane Kiffin brings an offensive background to Knoxville, but the talent level is not up to typical Rocky Top standards. Starting senior Jonathan Crompton is one of only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster; junior Nick Stephens provide relief. Crompton threw more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) last season. Freshman B.J. Coleman probably outplayed Crompton in the spring, but left the team after not winning the job (and possibly making it easier for Kiffin to sign a big-name recruit). |
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2009 SOUTH CAROLINA PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
The quarterback position gets the most attention on most every football team, and that is especially true for any football team with Steve Spurrier as head ball coach. The QB spotlight shines squarely on enigmatic redshirt sophomore Stephen Garcia in 2009. After apparently treating his first 15 months of college life like a character in an extended version of the old Animal House movie, Garcia finally got on the field in 2008 and showed enough promise to win the QB job. The Gamecocks need continuing maturity from Garcia as he is the only quarterback on the roster to have taken a game snap (fellow QBs Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley transferred). There is no viable option after Garcia. Reid McCollum would probably get dibs on the position, but don’t be surprised to see exciting freshman DB Stephon Gilmore take some shotgun snaps. |
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2009 VANDERBILT PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
For a bowl-winning team, Vanderbilt struggled mightily on offense last season. The Commodores were last in the SEC in total offense and ranked a lowly 117th nationally. They should improve this season due to scheme and experience. The Commodores are flirting with a no-huddle and they return nine starters on offense that might be able to run the attack. The quarterback battle between senior Mackenzi Adams and sophomore Larry Smith is the biggest unresolved issue coming out of spring. |
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2009 ALABAMA PREVIEW
OFFENSE:
The Tide offense loses seven starters from the 2008 SEC West championship squad. The most significant of those losses is quarterback John Parker Wilson, who departs Tuscaloosa holding virtually every passing record at the school. Major depletions at running back and along the offensive line are other concerns. Since the defense and special teams figure to be outstanding, a return trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game may be in the cards if Bama is just average on offense. |
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Atlanta bids for Florida-Georgia game
Atlanta sports boosters hope to win one of the country's top college football rivalries: the famed annual showdown between Georgia and Florida. |
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15 SEC Predictions
by Brian Harbach
Months before the season is set to begin here is a list of 15
predictions that might be reality in 2009 for the SEC. |
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Mike Slive gets three year deal
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive has agreed to a three-year contract extension. |
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Former Tennessee DT Jesse Mahelona Killed in Automobile Accident
by Tommy
Former Tennessee Volunteer Jesse Mahelona was killed in an automobile accident in his home state of Hawaii. |
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