2009 SEC Preview

Football Contest!

The Southeastern Conference is always one of the best conferences in the country.  The high profile exposure and scouting leads to some superb new talent every year.  Most SEC teams can lose players to the NFL draft and still be a force the next year with all the new recruits that come to campus.  This year is no different as the SEC is strong and looking to make a statement as the best conference in the country! The preview will list the teams in predicted order of finish by each division inside the SEC.

SEC EAST

1. Florida Gators-It’s nearly impossible to pick any other team to win the East because Florida is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the division.  The other teams are impressive but Urban Meyer has made sure with recruiting that the Gators will always be poised to make a run for the National Championship and it starts with going to the SEC Championship. A perfect example of this is the recruitment of highly touted WR Andre Debose and he will be poised to fill the shoes of the
   

   Can Ole Miss suprise this year?

   recently departed Percy Harvin.  With Tim Tebow back in the mix and a schedule with just two real challenges in LSU and Georgia, Florida will win the east this year.

2. Kentucky Wildcats-The sleeper team in the east is the Wildcats.  This team has been building and heading in the right direction over the last three years and this season they should see it pay off.  Mike Hartline is a quarterback that can lead this team and is ready to take them to the next level.  The Wildcats return plenty of players and are solid and deep on defense.  Trevard Lindley is one of the best defenders in the country and will lead a unit that will be tough to beat.  With some big wins last year this team has the confidence to play with the big boys in the east.
3. Georgia Bulldogs-The Bulldogs had plenty of hype going into last year and had a very disappointing season.  This year it may be even harder to do well since they lost QB Matthew Stafford to the number one pick in the draft.  To make matters worse they lost standout Knowshon Moreno depleting their firepower from the offensive side of the ball.  The bright side is Georgia football knows how to recruit and they will be ready for the season.  Mark Richt knows how to develop young talent and prepare them to be competitive.  The difference will be how well this team starts to gel.  Georgia will make a run at the East but fall short.
4. Tennessee Volunteers-Lane Kiffin was hired as the teams new head coach in the off-season. He has some very big shoes to fill in replacing long-time coach Phil Fulmer.  Kiffin has come in and made some waves, insulting Florida fans and breaking the rules along the way.  He will have plenty of work to get done as the offense has to progress after averaging 146 yards per game. The problem will be on offense with a brand new line and three QB’s to choose from.  John Crompton should get the first shot at the offense but if he fails and the line crumbles it could be another long season for the Vols.
5. South Carolina-Steve Spurrier is finally taking this team to the next level and getting national respect.  Stephen Garcia will hopefully have put his off the field problems behind him and they will let him run this offense. Spurrier has a way of shaping young QB’s but if not they have two others ready to step up. Eric Wolford was brought in as a new offensive line coach and they will need some help as the only real returning piece is the center.  Spurrier has to get this team to start fast because they end the year with four tough games that could demolish a good season.
6. Vanderbilt Commodores-last year was a coming out party for this team.  They were dominant on defense and that is how they won plenty of games since the offense was one of the worst ones in the SEC.  The problem is they lost plenty of key players on defense especially in the secondary and if that becomes a weakness, the offense will not be able to bail them out.  Larry Smith should get the go ahead at Quarterback but if the offense resembles last year pathetic start then he will get pulled quickly in favor of Mackenzi Adams.

SEC West

1. Alabama Crimson Tide-Alabama got stung in the off-season and had to forfeit some wins for athletes using grant money to buy books for other students.  Last year was an unbelievable year for Alabama, but they may be hard pressed to repeat it.  They lost plenty of great players on offense to include three starters on the offensive line, but Saban has had several great recruiting years and those young players will get a chance to shine this year.  Nine starters do return on defense and they have a soft schedule with no games against Florida or Georgia.  Alabama will win the west!
2. Ole Miss Rebels-Wow what a year! They were the only team to beat Florida, ended on a six game winning streak and won a bowl game.  Houston Nutt has plenty of talent and it only got better as he is a proven recruiter.  The defense was intense and the pass rush bothered other QB’s in the SEC.  The secondary will have to step and improve but as long as the pass rush is there they can get by with a weaker backfield.  Jevan Snead will be under center for the Rebels but the offensive line lost plenty of talent so that could be the weakness on a Rebel team that will fight for the West. All the tough games for the Rebels will be at home (LSU, Alabama) and they get a pass from Florida and Georgia.  The Rebels will play a big role in the west!
3. LSU Tigers- LSU had a struggle last year but they have no problem recruiting and are loaded for this year.  Les Miles brought in John Chavis to coach the defense and have plenty of returning players from last year’s squad.  LSU lost a lot of bulk on the defensive line, but this has always been a strong point for LSU and they will have some studs ready to step in.  The real key to the season will be Jordan Jefferson.  He finished strong last year and if he can keep that form the Tigers will fight for the West.  The big game at Alabama will be one of the biggest in college football this season.
4. Arkansas Razorbacks-the hogs had a very tough last year but still managed to keep some games close and play tough ball down the stretch.  This year Petrino will have some more tools to fit into the system as Ryan Mallett transferred from Michigan and will start at Quaterback.  They may improve on defense only because that is the only way to go as they finished last in total defense in the SEC.  The one year of experience will give them some help but with a small backfield and a tough schedule it may be another long year for the Hogs.
5. Auburn Tigers- Gene Chizik was hired in the off-season and the Auburn fan base went nuts! They wanted a high profile name and were stunned with this hiring.  Since then they have settled down and Chizik was smart enough to surround himself with great assistants.  Gus Malzahn will run the offense and that will translate to success on the field right away as he is the brightest offensive mind in football today. The problem is Gus does not have the tools yet. QB Kodi Burns looked rough whenever he had to throw the ball and all of the star recruits are going to Alabama. This will be a building year that Chizik, may not survive.
6. Mississippi St. Bulldogs- The Bulldogs grabbed Dan Mullen from Florida and will look to run the same spread offense.  The problem is he may not have the talent.  The offense was putrid last year. They were 113^th in the nation in scoring and will take some time to get better. With holes on the offense and defense and a killer schedule Mississippi St will have a tough season and look to build to the future.

Bet The SEC Here

SEC EAST Winner: Florida Gators

SEC WEST Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide

SEC Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide

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