In the next two days, I'll take an in-depth look at the SEC. The Eastern Division is Monday and the Western Division is on tap for Tuesday. I'll kick everything off with my fearless predictions. And, no, I don't have Georgia on top like everybody else. I love the Bulldogs' talent. I hate their schedule. I'll examine the key games in the East and some of the more pressing questions later today, so keep checking back. I'll also have a Q&A with new Tennessee offensive coordinator Dave Clawson. The SEC Media Days in Birmingham are just around the corner, July 23-25, so it's getting close, folks.
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1.Florida: The pick between Georgia and Florida was a dicey one. Both are legitimate top 10 teams nationally, maybe even top 5 teams. But when you compare their two schedules, that's where the similarities end. Of the Gators' most difficult games in 2008, only one will be played outside the state of Florida -- Tennessee on Sept. 20 in Knoxville. The other edge Urban Meyer's club has is revenge. Meyer's eyes narrowed and his jaw stiffened at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla., when he was asked about the Bulldogs' team dance party in the Florida end zone last November in Jacksonville, igniting a 42-30 Georgia win. Of course, revenge only gets you so far. The Gators are loaded on offense. Versatile running back Chris Rainey joins Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin to form the most explosive playmaking triumvirate in the conference, and the defense will improve enough that the Gators won't have to win every game 35-31.
2. Georgia: If we were going strictly with the best 22 players on one team, the Bulldogs would be the pick. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has steadied himself and become more of a leader. Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in the league and runs behind an offensive line that returns three starters. The defense should be among the best in the league with nine of 11 starters returning. But there's no getting around trips to South Carolina, LSU and Auburn and the annual showdown with Florida in Jacksonville. It also remains to be seen how the Bulldogs will handle such lofty expectations. With all the national championship talk, winning the SEC has sort of become second fiddle -- or so it seems. Georgia will be there at the end and factor heavily into the race. But that schedule ... ouch!
3.Tennessee: Now that Phillip Fulmer has a new seven-year contract and nice raise, the talk about his being pushed out the door in Knoxville has died down, right? Sure, and gasoline prices are dwindling, too. Fulmer's handle on the job and whether or not the program is headed in the right direction remains a hot topic on Rocky Top. The Vols haven't won an SEC championship since their 1998 national championship season. They were closer than even some of their own fans would admit last season and had LSU on the ropes had it not been for a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by senior quarterback Erik Ainge. Jonathan Crompton takes over at quarterback this season and does so under a new offensive coordinator, former Richmond head coach Dave Clawson. The Vols need a better start on defense than they had a year ago if they're going to get back to Atlanta this season.
4. South Carolina: Maybe the Head Ball Coach was a year too early in his prediction that South Carolina was ready to contend for an SEC title. Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks looked the part during the first half of the season and then unraveled. The big question is at quarterback. The starter entering preseason practice is little-used Tommy Beecher, but there's still a chance that Stephen Garcia will get a chance to return after making a couple of knuckleheaded decisions off the field to get himself in trouble. The heart of the defense will be linebacker Jasper Brinkley, who returns after blowing his knee out last season. But Brinkley has plenty of talent around him. The secondary is deep and experienced, and look for new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson to take this unit to another level in 2008 ... just not high enough to break through and get to Atlanta.
5.Kentucky: OK, we're taking nominations for the most underrated coach in the SEC the last few seasons. Rich Brooks gets my vote, and if it's not Brooks, then it's Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson. The Wildcats, coming off back-to-back eight-win seasons and bowl victories, have more overall talent in their program right now, according to Brooks, than they ever have since he took the job in 2003. The problem is that they're having to replace just about everybody who made a play for them last season on offense -- Andre Woodson, Rafael Little, Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson and Jacob Tamme. Curtis Pulley, who runs like a defensive back, will probably get the first shot at replacing Woodson at quarterback. On defense, cornerback Trevard Lindley and defensive end Jeremy Jarmon have All-SEC potential. Believe it or not, this might be a year where the defense has to set the tone for the Wildcats.
6.Vanderbilt: Similar to Kentucky, Vanderbilt suffered major personnel losses from a year ago, and those losses weren't confined to just one side of the ball. The Commodores have made tremendous gains the past few years, and Johnson deserves a tremendous amount of credit. But getting to five or six wins this season would be his best coaching job yet. Mackenzi Adams and Chris Nickson will battle for the quarterback job. Both are likely to play and will be operating behind a revamped offensive line. The defense also took some big hits, but safety Reshard Langford is one of those players who makes up for others' mistakes. The Commodores will need a bunch of younger players to come through if they're going to win at least four games for the fourth straight year.
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Chris Low
Chris Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
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Chris Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
