We the football brethren have no choice but to watch numerous replays of the games of the past on the NFL Network and ESPNU. I’m asked how I can watch a game I have seen before, already know the outcome and could make far better use of my time. My answer is always the same-It’s in my blood. Times are about to change.
Soon, high schools will begin the regiment of pre-season practice. The same goes for college and professional teams as well. The Southeastern Conference will host its annual media days beginning today in Birmingham. As with any year, new faces will be sitting in the hot seat. Both players and coaches alike.
During the upcoming week’s leading into the 2008 season, I will take a look at the SEC and breakdown each team. The SEC East is known for producing teams visible on the national scene. The Florida Gators, two-time National Champions, return last season’s Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. The Georgia Bulldogs could be the most talented team in the nation, prompting the nod as the favorite this season in the eastern division.
1-Georgia Bulldogs- With 16 of the 22 starters returning, head coach Mark Richt couldn’t be happier. Throw in the starting backfield, highlighted by sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford, and a special season is on the horizon. The schedule is quite difficult, as with any school in the SEC, with road games at Arizona State, LSU and Auburn. With Moreno and Stafford staying healthy, don’t be surprised to see UGA in the BCS National Championship game.
2-Florida Gators- Very few occasions does a Heisman Trophy winner return to college. In this case, Tim Tebow could possibly make the decision twice. In order for Tebow to return to glory, he will have to lead the Gators on a championship run. The offensive attack will have to rely heavily on sophomore running back Chris Rainey, who had a coming out party in the spring, to ease the load of Tebow. Seven starters return on a defense that was lit up in the Capitol One Bowl against Michigan last fall. A torrid schedule with games versus Hawaii, Miami, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State will take its toll on Tebow. The Gators will have their hands full and must incorporate an offense to somehow protect Tebow.
3-Tennessee Volunteers- The Vols are quite the story. Head coach Phillip Fulmer has made the locals a bit restless in the eastern part of the volunteer state lately. While he continues to pile up the victories, the championships are not coming quite so easily. UT saw itself dismantled by Florida and Alabama last season. Newly installed quarterback Jonathan Crompton hopes to cease the naysayers. The offense returns a talented receiving corps led by Lucas Taylor and all of the offensive line. Eric Berry anchors a veteran secondary. If all falls into place, the Vols could vie for a shot at Atlanta in the SEC Championship game. Unfortunatly, games at Auburn and Georgia will prove to be the difference.
4-Kentucky Wildcats- Coach Rich Brooks shocked the nation, grooming now departed quarterback Andre Woodson into one of the best in college football. Now, he faces the test of doing the same with Junior Chris Pulley. If Pulley can effectively hand the ball off to talented running backs Derrick Locke and Tony Dixon, he has already passed phase one of the transition. Dicky Lyons, a speedy target at wide out, has garnered quite the praise in the off-season. The defense will be seasoned, with the emergence of Jeremy Jarmon at defensive tackle. The Cats have Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina inside Commonwealth Stadium which should help insure another bowl berth.
5-South Carolina Gamecocks- Steve Spurrier made a choice four years ago. The world renowned “ole ball coach” decided to call Columbia, SC home. Four years later, many wonder why he did. A membership to Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters Tournament, doesn’t seem all that enticing now. USC is without quarterback Blake Mitchell due to graduation. Talented receiver Kenny McKinley anchors an offense that lost all of its offensive line. A talented secondary should help former defensive coordinator at MSU Ellis Johnson, who now has the same duties at USC. For the Gamecocks, they will have to scrap to mirror the 6-6 record of last season.
6-Vanderbilt Commodores- When head coach Bobby Johnson returns for his seventh year at Vandy, he will be without two-thirds of his starters from last season. That doesn’t bode well for a program whose last bowl game came in 1982. Senior quarterback Chris Nickson returns to anchor an offense with one returning wide receiver in Sean Walker. Couple that with no running backs or linemen returning, although experience was gained last season with numerous injuries in the trenches. With a 5-3 record heading into the final four games last season, the ‘Dores saw any resemblance of a winning season slip through their fingers losing the remaining games. For 2008, it doesn’t look to improve.
Next week, a look inside the SEC Western Division.
No comments:
Post a Comment