Can Georgia win without runningback Knowshon Moreno (top) and QB Matthew Stafford?This is the start of the 2009 College Football Preview on The News According to Chris. We start the 2009 College Football Preview with Part 1 of the SEC Preview.
The last three seasons have been glorious for the SEC. Florida won the National title in 2008 and 2006 while LSU wrapped it up the 2007. No other conference has ever won 4 straight titles. Will the SEC be the first? Let's take a look out East.
SEC EAST PREDICTIONS
1) Florida Gators
Key Returning players: All of their Defense and QB Tim Tebow
The 2009 Florida Gators look to be one of the greatest teams college football has ever assembled. The odds on favorite to repeat as National Champions, Tebow goes for his last hurrah as Gator QB. Now Tebow winning his second Heisman? That remains to be seen but I don't see it happening when he has Texas QB Colt McCoy and Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford on his heels. This team is solid but I can see this team slipping up as well. Remember when Georgia was picked to win it all in 2008? If you buy into the hype, you'll get burned. Also look for Urban Meyer to be watching Notre Dame closely. If Charlie Weis has another bad year, Meyer will take his dream job with the Irish.
2) Georgia Bulldogs
Key Returning Players: QB Joe Cox, RB Caleb King, WR A.J. Green
The mighty Georgia Bulldogs were picked to win it all in 2008. But injuries to their offensive and defensive lines caught up to them when they played Florida last season and got rocked. This season looks to be different. Although not as strong on offense as last season, the Bulldogs boast a lot of experience in their lines. If the linemen can stay healthy and not get injured, this team could surprise some people and sneak into the SEC Championship. In 2005, Georgia was a sleeper team that got in and won the SEC Championship. At runningback, Georgia has three capable backs in King, Thomas and Samuel. Their schedule looks solid as they get the week off before Florida while the Gators run through three games without a rest when Georgia comes to Jacksonville. With the experience and leadership of QB Joe Cox, the dawgs look to shock the SEC and the world.
3) Tennessee Volunteers
Key Returning Players: CB/FS Eric Berry, QB Jonathan Crompton, WR Gerald Jones
Key Games: UCLA; @ Florida; Georgia; @ Alabama; @ Ole Miss
Predicted Record: 7-5 or 6-6 (4-4 or 3-5 in SEC)
Lane Kiffin. Never has a coach seen so much press before a ball was even snapped. Not even coaching his first game yet, Kiffin has made headlines. Whether it's recruiting middle schoolers or ripping off his shirt to pump up his team, you can tell this isn't going to be your grandfathers Vols. With Jonathan Crompton inheriting the QB role, this offense is not going to be very consistent. The only hope the Vols have is with their Heisman-sensation free safety Eric Berry. Hard to judge where this team will end up. If the offense is terrible, a losing season is inevitable. However, if they click they could go as high as 8-4. Two of their first three games are going to be tough as they play UCLA and then go to Florida for their "Welcome to the SEC Lane Kiffin" thrashing.
4) Kentucky Wildcats
Key Returning Players: QB Randall Cobb, CB Trevard Lindley
Key Games: Florida; Alabama; @ Georgia; Tennessee
Predicted Record: 8-4 or 7-5 (3-5 in SEC)
The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off three straight bowl victories: Back-to-back Music City and the Liberty Bowl last season. Can they keep the bowl streak alive? I think they can if QB Randall Cobb is consistent and the play of CB Trevard Lindley is nothing short of extraordinary. However, their SEC schedule is frightening with Alabama then Florida in back to back weeks. Also, will this be the year Kentucky snaps their quarter century losing streak to Tennessee? Coach Brooks has a great thing going. Now he needs to kick it up a notch and go for the SEC Championship.
5) Vanderbilt Commodores
For the first time in a quarter century, Vandy made a bowl game and won it. It was close though as they ripped through the opening half of the 2008 season only to fizzle and barely get the bowl game. Vandy lost a lot of key players but have enough returning to hammer out another bowl-eligible season.
6) South Carolina Gamecocks
Key Returning Players: QB Stephen Garcia, RB Eric Baker
When Steve Spurrier came to Columbia, S.C. in the fall of 2005, the school was abuzz with exctiement. This was the man who resurrected the Florida Gators and made them the powerhouse Urban Meyer has today. Now, the honeymoon is over and Spurrier is not the firecracker coach he once was. With the numerous discipline problems and the difficulties of recruiting against the Florida's and Georgia's of the SEC, Spurrier looks to be in the twilight of his career. I mean let's face it, he was never going to get the great recruits that those SEC powerhouses get. Coming off a 7-6 season, S.C. has a schedule that has two ACC opponents they will most likely lose to: N.C. State and Clemson. They also have to play Alabama and Ole Miss from the SEC West. Succup will be missed as their special teams are going to be something to keep an eye on all season long.
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