Five Burning Questions about the SEC East
Gainesville, Fla.–I spent yesterday at Florida’s practice and will spend today at the football offices meeting with players and coaches. I will file a report on the Gators later this week. But first, let’s look at Five Burning Questions about the SEC East as Spring practice gets into full gear. (Note to my ACC friends: I’m finishing the week with Jimbo Fisher at Florida State and will preview the ACC early next week).
1. Who is going to make the plays for the Florida offense? Based on what I saw at practice on Monday, there are going to be a lot of guys making plays. Yes, Tim Tebow is gone but I saw a lot of speed and a lot of talent. After waiting his turn, John Brantley takes over at quarterback with an NFL arm. This kid is good and he’s going to have a bunch of weapons at his disposal. Chris Rainey is moving to the Percy Harvin position and will have a big year. The list of receivers goes on and on: Carl Moore, Deonte Thompson, and Andre Dubose (didn’t practice Monday) are all big-time. Emmanuel Moody, the transfer from Southern Cal, is expected to have his breakout year at running back. With a veteran offensive line returning (minus center Maurkice Pouncey) Florida looks like a team that is going to score a bunch of points. They have to be the early favorite to repeat as SEC East champs.
2. Will the Georgia offensive line jell early? This time last year I thought the Georgia offensive line of 2009 would be the best since the SEC championship team of 2002. That was based on depth that had been developed after two years of playing a bunch of young guys plus the return of LT Trinton Sturdivant, who had missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. Well, Sturdivant was hurt again before the season and was lost. The offensive line, for all its promise, really struggled until the final third of the season, when it played well and Georgia was able to run the ball consistently. Now Sturdivant is back and there is a lot of experience including right tackle Josh Davis, guards Cordy Glenn and Chris Davis. I really like center Ben Jones. Georgia certainly has the running backs (Washaun Ealey, Caleb King) to move the football. But the offensive line needs to be a cohesive unit from Day 1. If Georgia can run the ball at the beginning of the season, the quarterback situation will take care of itself.
3. Will South Carolina FINALLY be able to run the football and protect the quarterback? For all the discussion about quarterback Stephen Garcia, the fact remains that South Carolina has had the worst running attack in the SEC the past three seasons. The Gamecocks also gave up 37 quarterback sacks, which tied LSU for last in the conference and was 105th nationally. In Shawn Elliott, Steve Spurrier has hired his third offensive line coach in the past three years.. Elliott, formerly at Appalachian State, will bring a lot of energy to a group that returns three starters up front. South Carolina already has a quality running back in sophomore Jarvis Giles and signed one of the nation’s best high school running backs in Marcus Lattimore, who arrives this summer. If South Carolina can improve in running the ball and protecting the quarterback, then the offense doesn’t fall completely on the quarterback. Like most quarterbacks, Garcia makes better decisions when he’s not running for his life.
4. Is Nick Stephens the quarterback at Tennessee? Yep. I think so. Stephens started six games in 2008, Phillip Fulmer’s final season as head coach. But last season Lane Kiffin and his staff settled on Jonathan Crompton early and Stephens only attempted 13 passes. Still, he’s the only guy in camp who has attempted a pass at this level of competition. When I was in Knoxville last Friday I was assured that it was a three-man race among Stephens, JUCO transfer Matt Simms, and Tyler Bray, a newcomer from California. I was also told that every guy will get a lot of throws in practice and that offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and head coach Derek Dooley will scrutinize each man very carefully. I don’t believe a starter will be named until this summer but my money is on Stephens for pretty obvious reasons: The second game on Sept. 11 is against Oregon, the defending Pac-10 champs. The third game is against Florida, which has won 26 of its last 28 games. Can’t throw a rookie into that fire no matter how good he looks in practice.
5. Can Kentucky keep it going under Joker Phillips? There have been a lot of really good coaches at Kentucky—Bear Bryant and Jerry Claiborne quickly come to mind. But no coach in the history of the school had ever taken the Wildcats to four straight bowl games until Rich Brooks, who retired after the 2009 season and turned the program over to his offensive coordinator, Joker Phillips. Phillips has a lot of work to do if Kentucky is going to go to its fifth straight bowl. I met with Phillips a couple of weeks ago when he was passing through Atlanta. I see two major areas of concern: 1) Cornerback Trevard Lindley and linebacker Micah Johnson were All-SEC caliber players and won’t easily be replaced on defense. They were difference makers. Redshirt freshman Qua Huzzie could take Johnson’s place and be as effective. While Kentucky will be solid at the quarterback position, where sophomore Morgan Newton will compete with Mike Hartline and redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski, the Wildcats must find four new starters on the offensive line. That’s not easy in this league.
BONUS QUESTION
Can Vanderbilt do something—anything–about its offense? After last season head coach Bobby Johnson had seen enough. His team averaged only 8.9 points in SEC games which is a big reason why the Commodores went 2-10. Johnson shook up one of the most stable coaching staffs in college football moving Jimmy Kiser, the play caller, into the offensive coordinator’s position. Quarterback Larry Smith, who looked to have so much promise going into last season, was very inconsistent and completed only 46.9 percent of his passes. He will be challenged in the spring by JUCO transfer Jordan Rodgers (brother of Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers) and redshirt freshman Charlie Goro, a former Parade All-America. Goro led his high school team in the Chicago Area to a 14-0 record and a state championship as a senior.
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227 comments Add your comment
Gator Rob
March 23rd, 2010
8:00 pm
dude, let’s not talk about bad losses, UGA is 2-2 vs UK the last 4 years and lost to Vandy at home a few years ago. Go away. Mediocrity is really making you guys delirious.
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:01 pm
UNDER Richt
Vs. SEC foes: 43-22
.
Vs. Top 25 foes: 29-18
.
Vs. Top 25 foes away from home: 18-12
.
Vs. Top 10 foes: 8-6
.
In postseason games (bowls and championships): 9-3
.
In games decided by a touchdown or less: 34-14
.
Record at home: 46-9
.
Record on the road: 42-6 (including bowl games)
.
Losses to unranked teams: 6
.
Top 25 finishes: 8
.
Top 10 finishes: 6
.
Fact:………UGA was 12-1 in 2002 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fact ………Fla was 12-1 in 2006 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fact ………Not UGAs fault there were 2 unbeatens that year. “unlucky”
.
Fact……….Not Flas credit that there was only one unbeaten in 2006. “Lucky”
.
Fact:………Luck (not merit) had more to do with Fla getting an invite to the BCS not that Fla was more deserving to go to a NC than UGA with identical records.
.
Fact:………No SEC team has ever lost a BCSNC game and if UGA would have been invited nothing indicates that it would have been different
.
Fact……….UGA has 2 SEC titles..same as Fla in last 9 years and equal amount of total wins (90) over all.
.
Fact……….UGA has been ranked more times top ten in last 9 years than any SEC team at 6. Fla has only been ranked top ten 3 times in 9 years (real impressive).
.
Fact……….In 9 years under Richt only LSU has more wins by 1
Fact………..UGA has won 4 str8 bowls….more than any other SEC team.
.
Fact……..UGA has won 11 of last 13 bowls…Thats more than any team (tied with LSU and more than FLA)
.
Fact…… UGA has won 8 or more games in last 13 years…more than any other team in the nation including Fla.
.
Fact…….UGA is clearly as good or better than any SEC team over last 9 years. Only a fool or a fan of the mythical BCSNC selection process (non playoff) would think otherwise.
.
Fact…….UGA had same record when they won the SEC title in 2002 as Fla did in 2006/8 when they won the SEC title. But UGA had the misfortune (luck) to have that record in a year that had 2 other teams with undefeated records.
Hardly an indictment on UGA but rather on the NC selection process.
6 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
90-27 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage (one of only 7 in the history of college ball to have ever accomplished this)
4 str8 bowl wins
7-2 in bowls (big games)
Mark Richt coached QB coach for Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke = 2 Heismans; Head Coach for David Greene = all time winningest college QB until Colt McCoy this year); and coached Matthew Stafford = very rich #1 draft pick)
No Probations
He has my respect.
Gainesville D.A. is a Gator booster
March 23rd, 2010
8:01 pm
Hey Lord of the LIzard,
Is this finally going to be the year that Moody has a breakout season? Haven’t ya’ll been saying that for the past three years. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Lord of the Lizards
March 23rd, 2010
8:05 pm
Gator Rob…don’t bother. Nothing personal, but I don’t think you’re gonna be curing ignorance tonight either. The guy is in total la la land….
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:06 pm
La La land?….these are hard facts
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:07 pm
under Richt
.
UGA is 4-1 against ALA
.
UGA is 3-3 against LSU
.
UGA is 8-1 against GT
.
UGA has won 4 str8 against Auburn.
.
La La Land?
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:08 pm
good night haters. Facts dont lie
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:10 pm
Facts dont change merely because you dont like them
Dirk Diggler
March 23rd, 2010
8:11 pm
It’s a school night pat, shouldn’t you be in bed?
SOOHSO
March 23rd, 2010
8:12 pm
160rd or close
Trubador
March 23rd, 2010
8:13 pm
Good grief! Who is this idiot?
ARdawg
March 23rd, 2010
8:16 pm
Moody was a stud at Socal. In the SEC he’s just another running back mired in mediocrity. There will be no “break out” season for Moody. His best opportunity for a break out year was when he had Tebow in the same back field. I ain’t buying it
SOOHSO
March 23rd, 2010
8:24 pm
Trubador, get a life!!!!
Me
March 23rd, 2010
8:24 pm
Actually, doesn’t Fla have like three running backs with Demps and Rainey too. Thought I read somewhere that Demps is a NCAA track champion, can somebody out there clarify?.
jumbeauxtiger
March 23rd, 2010
8:27 pm
Good to see you back on here Tide Rising. I agree it’s unfair to face 6 in a row that have a bye before facing you.
Yes LSU is one of the 6 but don’t forget you have a bye too before facing us. The Tide had a bye before facing us in Tuscaloosa last November also while we didn’t.
Not making any excuses just pointing out the facts.
Congrats on the Crystal Ball. Bama is the team to beat in 2010.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
Buckhead Bulldog
March 23rd, 2010
8:28 pm
SOOHSO- I think Trubador was referring to Pat Sully?
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:32 pm
SOOOOO I am an idiot for posting facts that you dont like….OK I will accept that title in that case
Suspended SEC Officiating Crew
March 23rd, 2010
8:35 pm
Shreveport is pretty compeling.
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:38 pm
UNDER Richt
Vs. SEC foes: 43-22
.
Vs. Top 25 foes: 29-18
.
Vs. Top 25 foes away from home: 18-12
.
Vs. Top 10 foes: 8-6
.
In postseason games (bowls and championships): 9-3
.
In games decided by a touchdown or less: 34-14
.
Record at home: 46-9
.
Record on the road: 42-6 (including bowl games)
.
Losses to unranked teams: 6
.
Top 25 finishes: 8
.
Top 10 finishes: 6
.
is pretty compelling
Johnny DangerDawg
March 23rd, 2010
8:39 pm
Oh Florida has talent? Thanks for that expert analysis, Tony. I’m so glad the AJC pays you to go to Gainesville to uncover these shocking developments.
Seriously, the only question with Florida is their coaching staff. Most people say Steve Adazio is simply not as good a play-caller as Mullen was. How will the defense play without the great coaching of Charlie Strong? Is Urban putting in as many hours now that his health is on the line? These are the things that will determine how good UF can be.
Buckhead Bulldog
March 23rd, 2010
8:40 pm
pat sulley- I think it is more a matter of you posting the same thing repeatadly….Hey! I’m pro CMR, but the same stuff over and over does get a little old on a blog, bro’.
Come on man…don’t you realize these Gators are just playing you?
Buckhead Bulldog
March 23rd, 2010
8:42 pm
whoops — repeatedly
pat sulley
March 23rd, 2010
8:43 pm
or am I playing them….hence the repetitive facts that irritate them…question is why is it irritating you?
ReptilesRule
March 23rd, 2010
8:50 pm
Yes indeed, Jeff Demps just led the Florida Mens track team to the indoor NCAA championship! He was the national 60M champ. He will probably be the RB starter again for the Gators as Rainey has been moved to the slot receiver (the old Percy position). Moody will have an expanded role but will have to be sure of ball security, which he did very well last year. But I’m telling you, WATCH OUT for a guy named Mike Gillislee who is big, fast and coming on strong. In fact, I think he had a big run against Georgia late in last years game as well as in the Sugar Bowl vs Cincy.
bank walker
March 23rd, 2010
8:50 pm
I thought I read that bama was to vacate 21 wins not 15. Can anyone elaborate?
Bama Rules
March 23rd, 2010
8:55 pm
Tebow cried and CUM quit because they knew the Gators rein is over. Deal with it.
Bama Rules
March 23rd, 2010
8:58 pm
So CUM goes home and tells his wife he just quit a $4 Million a year job. She says deligate all the heavy lifting and smile, the Gators will put up with mediocrity for a few years and we will book it.
NoGaGator
March 23rd, 2010
9:02 pm
Buckhead Bulldog -
We’re not playing him, Patrick is just playing (with) himself (sorry, couldn’t resist).
Seriously, I’m all for these forums serving as useful, constructive point/counterpoint and learning the latest from them. We’re all fans of our particular schools but none of them is perfect – be it Gators, Bammers, Dawgs, Bees, et al.
Guys like Patrick, with their inane blather, need to go and be hooted off in shame – like what is happening now. Then these forums can be more useful to the rest of us instead of devolving into the toilet.
Annette
March 23rd, 2010
9:04 pm
The real bonus question:
how many of UGA’s thug-athletes will be arrested this year?
SEC FANATIC
March 23rd, 2010
9:10 pm
Wow, doesn’t “Bama Rules” sound like that sulley guy?? I say that only because Bama fans are much more classy than that!
Up in the clouds
March 23rd, 2010
9:20 pm
Well in any event this year will be most interesting. And everyone starts out even. All the blather at this point is irrelevant.
Buckhead Bulldog
March 23rd, 2010
9:22 pm
Whatever gets ya off, I guess. I agree with you NoGaGator, there are a few that make reading these blogs painful. Too bad, because I like to read the insight some of the fans from SEC schools have about their teams. Oh well!
Tide Rising
March 23rd, 2010
9:30 pm
Jumbeauxtiger,
Nice to see you back also along with some of the regular posters including several of the gator posters. Yeah, we do take our bye before LSU and you take yours before playing us so thankfully it evens out in that case. We took our bye against LSU last year also and I think since we view LSU as the other dominant team in the west so starting a couple years ago we started taking our bye before the LSU game.
Personally I would rather see the bye come before the UT game since the UT game is right at the 7 game mark of the season. Also, the week of the UT game last year our team was pretty physically and emotionally tired the week of the UT game and I think it gave them a big advantage in a game that on paper shouldn’t have been close.
Tech Land
March 23rd, 2010
9:32 pm
I heard mark richt is working on a new and improved taunting penalty to use against florida, if Ga scores a touchdown, involving crotch grabbing, throat slashing and coach dancing! It will be about as creative as Ga gets in that game!!!! Richt—a pure genius! He learned from the master, the old corrupt bobby bowden.
Tide Rising
March 23rd, 2010
9:35 pm
SEC FANATIC,
Every fan base has em. Them being the lunatic fringe of the fan base. Georgia has Sulley, we’ve got our fair share, etc.
SEC FANATIC
March 23rd, 2010
9:38 pm
Buckhead Bulldog and NoGa Gator, ditto.
Steve
March 23rd, 2010
9:41 pm
No need to worry about #1, and Florida has more talent than any school has a right to have. They will figure something out.
As for number 2, I don’t think the OLine really played that much better the final third of the season. The real difference is that UGA committed to running the stinking football. There are very few O-Lineman who would rather pass block than run block. Run blocking is technically easier and much more fun. The O-Line looked better the last third of the season because our play-calling was better. END OF STORY.
SEC FANATIC
March 23rd, 2010
9:42 pm
Tide Rising, argreed.
Buckhead Bulldog
March 23rd, 2010
9:45 pm
Tide Rising- I hear you, but we got a lot MORE than just Sulley, my friend…ha ha.
goladymall1888
March 23rd, 2010
10:16 pm
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Tide Rising
March 23rd, 2010
10:41 pm
golady1888,
I could stand 50 of Sulley’s blogs and 50 of any other crazy fan’s blog’s before I could stand someone using the blog to promote their business. No more shameless self promotion. You want to advertise go to freaking Ebay!
nonamerequired
March 23rd, 2010
11:07 pm
while it’s been painful to see the gators success over my dawgs for years…
it’s PAYBACK time…..
gators on the slide…nice recruiting, but we know how that just causes unrealistic expectations…
DAWGS vs BAMA in Atlanta
my one and only post..and it WILL happen.
thunderbull56
March 24th, 2010
12:06 am
TB, SEC,Profanity? You asked for it.Nowhere are there more half wits than an SEC fan blog.Wait, me being one of them.Kentucky? consistent? in football? ‘Cum ‘on Man? SC ? a running game? “Cum ‘ on Man! UGA beating UF? I’d have to say I had an eye problem. I can’t see it happening ‘Man! Young Dooley at UT? Like old Dooley at UGA! Vandy’s chances,good as a one a one legged man’s in an ass kickin’ contest! Who’d I leave out TB?
Real Georgia Dog
March 24th, 2010
12:33 am
Georgia’s defense will be the real deal in 2010 with Grantham, the 3-4 and tons of top shelf talent. Florida’s going to be way down, after losing their superstar QB, their best olineman and their 2 top receivers. Brantley’s a finesse player and will not be able to create plays like tebow. Without any good receivers, Ga’s D will eat up florida’s offense–take it to the bank. Dawgs win that game easy, and will start a long, dominating run of wins.
pat sulley
March 24th, 2010
1:34 am
and yet no one has refuted any facts I posted hmmmm
SEC FANATIC
March 24th, 2010
1:40 am
Good night John Boy…
pat sulley
March 24th, 2010
1:42 am
You guys say I am rabid? I merely get on an UGA blog and attempt to stop Ala, Fla, and other teams fans from coming onto a blog they dont belong and keep them in check with facts when they start spouting non sense about Richt not being a good coach or that UGA somehow (even tho the facts dispute it) is not a top tier team. I think my facts have clearly ruffled their feathers and they have no come back except to attack me. If you disagree with the facts or dispute them then offer opposing facts. I wonder why you cant…hmmmm
.
Buckhead is either a plant or an idiot and it doesn’t matter which to me
wdfive
March 24th, 2010
2:43 am
Pat that is more than weird its sick! And the fact of the matter is with the talent Georgia has had over the past 9 years they’ve underachieved. But it seems your ok with being mediocre. Championships is what matters in the end! When was UGA’s last one? I don’t remember because I wasn’t born then
wdfive
March 24th, 2010
2:49 am
And this was not a UGA blog!!
Fast Eddie
March 24th, 2010
5:10 am
For all you UGA fans who are obsessed with UF’s strength of schedule and “luck” in winning national championships, it isn’t their fault your UGA dog teams have sucked so badly and helped bring down their SOS rating. You’re really stretching to start blaming the officials on the field for their winning.
Obviously, you think UGA’s teams are better. Okay, have at it. Start kicking their butt on the field. If you are successful, you can stand on your hind quarters and pee while you crow about the dogs.