SEC PREVIEW EAST DIVISION

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1 SEC PREVIEW EAST DIVISION FLORIDA STRENGTHS: Tim Tebow plays quarterback...next. A defense that held Oklahoma's record setting offense to just 14 points in last year's national championship game has all 11 starters back plus all 11 back ups. Linebacker Brandon Spikes should be playing on an NFL team but decided to stick around Gainesville. Cornerback Joe Haden and safety Ahmad Black also help to lead a star-studded cast in this defensive back seven. The quality depth at running back is only equaled at places like USC. Aaron Hernandez is turning into one of the better pass catching tight ends in the conference. All-American return man Brandon Jacobs is back. So are both the punter and kicker, making this one of the best special teams unit on both a conference and national level. CONCERNS: A ton of young talent is lining up at receiver but Florida has failed so far to find a dominating playmaker at this position since Percy Harvin bolted early for the NFL. Riley Cooper and David Nelson are solid players but don't scare defenses. Look for a few youngsters like Deonte Thompson and incoming super-recruit Andre Debose to play a major role. The offensive line loses both starting tackles and a guard. PROGNOSIS: The Gators are a unanimous preseason No. 1 ranked team in every single preseason poll and rightfully so. They are extremely heavy favorites to get back to the BCS title game with a great defense blessed with speed and experience, outstanding special teams, tons of playmakers on offense and a leader in former Heisman winner Tim Tebow steering the ship. The non-conference schedule is laughable and the only two real challenges from a sub-par SEC will be LSU and Georgia. All the ducks are lined up for Florida to win its third national championship in the last four years. PROJECTED RECORD: 12-0 GEORGIA STRENGTHS: The offense line should not be an issue anymore as it has been the past couple of seasons. All-Conference tackle Clint Boling heads a unit that returns eight linemen who have started over the past two years. Young A.J. Green, who hauled in 56 receptions as a true freshman last fall gives Georgia a playmaker running routes. The strength of the defense is at linebacker where three starters return, as does plenty of depth. Rennie Curran logged 115 tackles last fall and is one of the better linebackers in this conference. Geno Atkins returns at defensive tackle as doe Jeff Owens, who missed last season with a knee injury. Stuffing the run should not be a problem in Athens. CONCERNS: One of the biggest questions in the entire SEC will be what happens at quarterback and running back for Georgia where Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno left early for the NFL. Incumbent Joe Cox does not possess a rocket arm but he can be extremely accurate. Caleb King gets first shot at replacing Moreno but there are others that will see time while trying to keep the sure-footed ground traditions alive. A lack of a pass rush has hurt the Dawgs. Issues still linger at defensive end and depth in the secondary is not overwhelming.

2 PROGNOSIS: Georgia won't be the preseason No. 1 team as it was a year ago heading into the season. In fact, the Dawgs have dropped quite a bit in the current 2009 early polls. They lost three chief players early to the NFL but the cupboards are far from bare as always with this program. All eyes will be on the play of the offensive backfield where unproven players take over for Stafford and Moreno. This team ended up being labeled underachievers last fall and the lackluster defense under coordinator Willie Martinez is starting to feel the heat. They will rebound emotionally and be right in the SEC East Division race until Halloween when the Gators will be the overwhelming favorite. But Georgia is the second best team still on this side of the conference. PROJECTED RECORD: 8-4 KENTUCKY STRENGTHS: Offensively the Wildcats welcome back nine starters. The best of them all may be young sophomore Randall Cobb, who will line up predominately at receiver but also behind center on an occasion as a dual-threat weapon. He gives UK the playmaker they need. The running game has not produced the results that should be expected. Senior Alfonso Smith lines up at tailback with 4.3 blazing 40-yard dash speed and the return of sprinter Derrick Locke returning from a knee injury should bolster this rushing aspect. The true individual stars on this team are on the defensive side. Linebacker Michah Johnson and cornerback Trevard Lindley are veteran All-Americans. CONCERNS: The hope for a better offense has to start with QB Mike Hartline, who has wrapped up the starting role for a second season. His inconsistency and passing stats have been detrimental to the ball club thus far. This defensive line was supposed to be one of he best since head coach Rich Brooks took over before All-SEC defensive end Jeremy Jarmon was ruled ineligible by the NCAA this spring for taking a banned substance, leaving only four returning starters on this side of the ball. Outside of Randall Cobb, the receivers that were extremely young last fall need to make some bigger strides. PROGNOSIS: What is on paper does not always tell the tale. Kentucky lost a good many players on the defensive side. However, this could once again be the strength of the team with several players ready to step into the limelight. This will be an important factor as an offense with a good big of experience is still lacking in the production department. If QB Mike Hartline does not start to show major improvement, incoming recruits could replace him. Getting the ball into the hands of electric Randall Cobb will be the priority. Expectations are much bigger now after three consecutive bowl wins, this team is just as equipped as any of those three UK squads before them. PROJECTED RECORD: 6-6 SOUTH CAROLINA STRENGTHS: The front seven on defense is a great place to start. Led by 250-pound All- American linebacker Eric Norwood, this group will be tough to run against. Norwood is also set to break the school's sack record. The defensive scheme put into place by coordinator Ellis Johnson proved to be more than effective last season. Stephen Garcia won't be an immediate savior behind center for coach Spurrier, but he is starting to show the potential the head ball coach saw when recruiting the Tampa native. His nifty feet also make him a dangerous ground weapon.

3 CONCERNS: Same ole story for coach Spurrier, the offensive line is killing this program. This unit will welcome back four different starters but continues to rank last in the SEC in both opening holes for the ball carriers and protecting the QB. The ball carriers are very inexperienced and losing TE Jared Cook early to the NFL does not help a receiving unit missing a star player. Two new cornerbacks must step in for a secondary that lost its two best players (Captain Munnerlyn and Emanuel Cook) as both left the program early for the NFL Draft. PROGNOSIS: The Gamecock nation is still waiting on Steve Spurrier to deliver South Carolina to the SEC Promised Land after going a meager in his four seasons as the head ball coach. Five new assistants were bought in this off-season in an effort to revitalize a lifeless effort at times. Although the secondary is breaking in new faces, plenty of heralded talent is at the coaches disposal and so defense should be the cry in Garcia has a bright future at QB if he can stay out of trouble but until he gets some time to throw from this offensive line, he won't do any better than his below average predecessors. The Cocks could use an eight win season to boost morale...easier said than done. PROJECTED RECORD: 6-6 TENNESSEE STRENGTHS: Safety Eric Berry (SEC Defensive Player of the Year) may pound-for-pound be the best player in the entire conference, including the likes of Tim Tebow. The rest of the secondary is talented too where several others with experience have a chance to start. The Vols boast two returning senior starters at defensive tackle. Dan Williams is a load for anyone to block. Rico McCoy is also one of the better linebackers in the SEC. Monte Kiffin will be making a return to college football after 26 years in the NFL as he calls the new UT defense. The running backs are extremely deep and rich in southern talent. CONCERNS: No doubt watching these quarterbacks direct this offense has been like watching paint dry. Just when incumbent B.J. Coleman was set to take on many of the snaps after a descent spring game he transferred out. Thus, the same two co-starters from last fall (Jonathan Crompton and Nick Stephens) are back to handle this offense again. The offensive line performed horribly a year ago. The youthful depth here is the biggest concern, combined with the group s nominal efforts of a year ago. Outside of McCoy, the linebackers are all inexperienced and short on depth. PROGNOSIS: Barring some unexpected brilliance at the quarterback position, coach Lane Kiffin's first year at Tennessee will likely be one of modest improvements, with seven wins a realistic goal. Defense will again be the staple but won't have quite the stingy nature of a year ago given some of the departures on this side of the ball. The offense will attempt to rely mostly on the ground game with a bevy of talented ball carriers; just none of them are All-SEC caliber yet. If the recruiting classes can continue to be as good as last February, 2010 and/or 2011 will be better days in Knoxville. Just making any bowl in 2009 is a legit goal. PROJECTED RECORD: 6-6 VANDERBILT STRENGTHS: The Commodores do not lose one single starter on either side of the line of scrimmage. If games are won up front, Vanderbilt will be a team tough to contend with. A defense that allowed less than 20 points per game returns nine different starters. The entire front seven remains in tact led by All-SEC senior linebacker Patrick Benoist. This could also be one of the

4 league's better pass rushing units with senior bookends Broderick Stewart and Steven Stone applying pressure. CONCERNS: Settling on a quarterback and elevating the passing game is by far the team's biggest need. Larry Smith, who started the bowl game and fifth-year senior backup Mackenzi Adams will share the snaps. A major shortage of playmakers on the offensive side won't help the issue. The receivers too share the blame for making this the worst passing effort in the SEC. Losing cornerback D.J. Moore early to the NFL has to be a concern although the secondary as a whole looks to be fairly strong. PROGNOSIS: It all comes down to what kind of quarterback play Vanderbilt gets because this team has the most starting experience returning in the SEC, especially up front. With 17 starters back from the program's most successful squad in 26 years, coaches are confident this team can make consecutive bowl appearances. The defense is more than equipped to contain most of the SEC opponents on the schedule. This offense is just short on playmakers, so expect the clock eating ground game behind a veteran offensive line to keep scores low. The Commodores must also find enough depth to withstand a 12 game schedule with no off-weeks. Head coach Bobby Johnson got this team bowling in This year's version is even better on paper. PROJECTED RECORD: 7-5 WEST DIVISION ALABAMA STRENGTHS: The Tide had the third-rated scoring defense in the nation a year ago and it's only going to get better. This is still Nick Saban's defensive scheme and the quadruple linebacker set led by All-American Rolando McClain has every single starter returning. Even better is the fact that huge 365-pound nose tackle Terrence Cody decided to return for another season to take on double teams. All-American cornerback Javier Arenas heads a rich secondary capable of matching the production of this magnificent front seven. Arenas is also nationally honored at handling both punts and kicks. Receiver Julio Jones is the best athlete on either side of the ball. CONCERNS: This offensive line struggled at times without big tackle Andre Smith. He is gone now as are two other full-time starters on this front. Greg McElroy replaced John Parker Wilson, who set virtually every school passing record at quarterback. McElroy is eerily similar to his predecessor in terms of managing the game but if he gets injured, Alabama could be in big trouble as proven backups are slim to none. Running back Glenn Coffee bolted for the NFL making the job of opening holes with a new offensive front much more emphasized. PROGNOSIS: Outside of Florida and Oklahoma, there may not be a better set of defensive personnel across the national landscape. Both the punter and kicker return, as does Javier Arenas as a return man. Alabama is going to win with defense and solid special teams nothing new for head coach Nick Saban. All Greg McElroy has to do behind center is avoid crucial mistakes. The recruiting classes have been phenomenal and in the process have made this team deep at most every single position. The front seven on defense is strong enough to make Bama the favorite in every game on the regular season schedule, which does get Tennessee and LSU coming to Tuscaloosa. The only meeting with the Gators will likely be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. PROJECTED RECORD: 11-1

5 ARKANSAS STRENGTHS: The Razorbacks finally have some offensive explosion at receiver where all three starters return. The tight end position can also be tossed around in this discussion as All-SEC honoree D.J. Williams hauled in 61 receptions last fall. Few teams can match the depth Arkansas has at running back. Returning starter Michael Smith has stardom penciled in for his final season if he can stay healthy. Four other players from this deep well will also see playing time. The defense has 11 starters back so experience will at least be a positive factor. The secondary is extremely young but has seen a good bit of time on the field. With some quality JUCO transfers looking to solidify this backfield they should be more than respectable guarding the pass. CONCERNS: While the defense has so many players returning from a year ago, they ranked the worst in the SEC last year in total defense allowing over 31 points per game. Giving up the big play continued to haunt this side of the ball through the spring. Special teams have been so poor that former Michigan State head coach John L. Smith was specifically hired to resurrect this area. A quarterback that can throw has been a lost skill in Fayetteville for decades. Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett hopes to change this aspect. He tosses a remarkable deep ball but is still learning to operate the short game. He won't be helped if the offensive line has a repeat performance of finishing 118th nationally in sacks allowed. PROGNOSIS: Bobby Petrino will operate with an experienced team this time around in his second season. The Hogs were expected to have a major drop off last fall. Confidence is building after finishing 5-7 while upsetting LSU in the last game. With a huge stable of running backs and a wealth of quality receivers, this team could surprise quite a few people as players begin to adapt in this new offensive approach of scoring points. The defense however, won't allow the team to improve if their efforts do not. Too much experience is on this side of the ball to be worse than the numbers showed a year ago. This team should be bowling in a weaker West Division. PROJECTED RECORD: 7-5 AUBURN STRENGTHS: Antonio Coleman is an All-SEC performer at defensive end, Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens possess all-conference talent at linebacker and the secondary with three starters back should be considered a strength. The running back combo of senior Ben Tate, last season's leading rusher, and all-purpose Mario Fannin, who can score anytime he touches the ball, give Auburn a fairly potent ground attack. They will line up behind an offensive line that welcomes back four starters led by Ryan Pugh, maybe the best center in the SEC. CONCERNS: Offense has been a huge issue for a very long time. An ungodly amount of new coordinators have never been able to help the quarterbacks turn the corner and this position is still unsettled heading into August where last year's starter Kodi Burns (7 interceptions to just 2 touchdowns) does battle with Neil Caudle, a former in-state recruit that has almost totally been forgotten. The receivers continue to lack a presence on the outside, mostly due in part to the lacking passing numbers of the past. While the defense appears to be the rock for this team, the defensive line has issues at tackle since Sen'Derrick Marks decided to split for the NFL and depth is thin across the board. PROGNOSIS: Fans get excited thinking about new head coach Gene Chizik and the defenses he once put together as the defensive coordinator under the glory seasons of Tommy Tuberville. But the offense has always been a different story. Since the Tigers made an attempt to move to a spread offense they have struggled which ultimately cost Tuberville his job. So Chizik immediately hired heralded guru Gus Malzahn whose Tulsa offense led the nation in total offense the past two

6 seasons. Getting the personnel to run this no-huddle attack may prove difficult however especially at quarterback. The talent level is not close to what Chizik had when he left the program. PROJECTED RECORD: 7-5 LOUISIANA STATE STRENGTHS: Seniors Charles Scott at running back, Brandon LaFell at receiver and Ciron Black at tackle are all candidates for post-season All-American awards. They represent prime examples of how deep the athletic talent runs across the offensive board. Also back is rugged senior tight end Richard Dickson, the third-leading receiver last season. The linebackers should be the strength of the defense, especially considering the team's best tackler Harry Coleman has been moved here from safety. Both cornerbacks return including young sensation Patrick Peterson, the USA Today 2007 High School Defensive Player of the Year. Elusive Trindon Holliday, a five-time All-American in track continues to give LSU a weapon in the return game. CONCERNS: The defensive line only returns one starter as four full-time contributors up front have moved on. Defensive end Rahim Alem is a pass rushing specialist extraordinaire but has to do more in terms of being an every down player. Someone new needs to step up at safety to help the SEC's 11th rated pass defense. The quarterback issue heading into last fall when Jamarcus Russell was kicked off the team did not help continue the winning ways that were being built in Baton Rouge. Jarrett Lee started most of the games and struggled until injury allowed Jordan Jefferson to step in and light up the scoreboard against Georgia Tech in the bowl game. Getting continued consistency with these two still behind center is an unknown factor. PROGNOSIS: After a disappointing 2008 season that had a few embarrassing losses, the rout of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A bowl not only built some confidence heading into the new season but also may have established a new quarterback in sophomore Jordan Jefferson. He has a wealth of athletes surrounding him on offense. Handing the ball off to Charles Scott out of the backfield may be his best move. There are some holes to fix on defense with new full-time coordinator John Chavis taking over. If they can learn to defend the pass better and avoid the turnover bug that killed this team in 2008, they are the clear favorite to push Alabama for the West Division crown. The light non-conference schedule guarantees at least four wins. PROJECTED RECORD: 10-2 MISSISSIPPI STRENGTHS: Jevan Snead threw for 2,762 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first season under first-year coach Houston Nutt. He is going to make a case for being the next best quarterback in the SEC behind Tebow. The vast majority of playmakers return from an offense that scored over 32 points per game last fall. Seniors Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge anchor the receiving unit. McCluster at only 5'8, 165 pounds is a special all-purpose contributor who excels at both running and catching the ball. The Rebels also return their top four running backs. Despite the loss of Peria Jerry at tackle, a defensive line that led the nation in tackles for loss a year ago is stacked. Ole Miss has one of the nation's most consistent kickers in senior Joshua Shene. CONCERNS: The number one concern has to be a secondary that gave up an SEC worst 221 yards per game last fall. There is hope in the fact that three starters return to this backfield. Three new full-time starters have to be located on the offensive line. Replacing offensive tackle Michael Oher will be a tall order. The toughest assignment will be playing with a target on their chest this

7 time around as Ole Miss enters the preseason as a legit Top 15 team. The pressure will be three times as great. PROGNOSIS: Head coach Houston Nutt has to give thanks to the coach he succeeded in Ed Orgeron. The talent Orgeron put in place is probably the best Oxford has seen going back well before the days of even Eli Manning. Ole Miss welcomes back 17 starters from a team that won their final six games of a year ago including a big Cotton Bowl win over Big 12 power Texas Tech. These are big reasons why the Rebels will be a preseason Top 15 favorite. This team is surely good enough to make some conference noise but does not have the depth or offensive line to do so on a national level. However both Alabama and LSU are home games with potential to make the West Division race quite interesting. PROJECTED RECORD: 10-2 MISSISSIPPI STATE STRENGTHS: Defense has always been a positive attribute and so it should be no surprise to note that State will continue to be strong up the middle where linebackers and tackles possess the most dominant players. Jamar Chaney returns from injury and budding star K.J. Wright head the linebacker class. Former Tar Heel head coach Carl Torbush was bought in to handle the defense and should keep the success on this side of the ball rolling. Veteran Anthony Dixon is a former 1,000-yard rusher. His bruising approach is a great place to start building an offense. CONCERNS: Once again, the lack of depth and talented bodies on the offensive line figures to be a major stumbling block for first year head coach Dan Mullen and his spread offense being implemented. Tyson Lee gets the early nod behind center but at only 5'10 has never proven to be much of a threat. New recruit Tyler Russell, last year's Mr. Football in Mississippi will get every chance to win the job. Mullen wants a ton of players lining up at receiver, a major "holy cow" considering how low the numbers are here. The Bulldogs need some help getting a pass rush and the secondary has to replace three starters. PROGNOSIS: Dan Mullen takes over as head coach after leading Florida to two national titles as the offensive coordinator. The offense at Mississippi State however has been heading in the opposite direction in that time, which ultimately cost former coach Sylvester Croom his job. The numbers just are not there on offense to work this new spread offense yet. Receivers are far and few between and the offensive line has been in shambles...a bad combination for a team built on still using the a powerful rushing attack as its foundation. The defense should continue to be more than fine, although a lack of pass rush and new starters in the secondary could prove cumbersome. The Bulldogs could easily find a 1-5 record heading into mid-october as the nonconference schedule (Georgia Tech and Houston) a'int easy. Welcome to Starkville coach Mullen. PROJECTED RECORD: 3-9

8 PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH EAST 1. Florida 2. Georgia 3. Vanderbilt 4. South Carolina 5. Tennessee 6. Kentucky WEST 1. Alabama 2. Louisiana State 3. Mississippi 4. Arkansas 5. Auburn 6. Mississippi State