By Chris Low, Special to CNNSI.com
Is it possible to take SEC championships for granted?
At Florida, Steve Spurrier is beginning to wonder. The Gators have won six
SEC titles since 1991. But a bigger prize has commanded most of the attention
in Swamp Land entering the 2001 season -- the national title.
"Nobody much talks about SEC championships anymore," said Spurrier, whose
Gators last won college football's top prize in 1996.
The ingredients are certainly there to make another run this season. There's
a wealth of returning starters on both sides of the ball, plenty of depth, and -- maybe even more importantly -- both Tennessee and Florida State have to
come to the Swamp.
For the Vols, it's the same 'ol story. They simply haven't been able to beat
Florida, and at the Swamp, it's been 30 years since they walked away
victorious. Outland Trophy winner John Henderson will anchor a defensive line
that could be as good as any in the country, but the schedule is also the
toughest in the country.
Over in the West Division, Mississippi State just keeps winning. The Bulldogs
have won 26 games the past three years, and nobody outside of Starkville, Miss., has
seemed to notice. LSU took a huge step last season under Nick Saban. The
Tigers need to prove they can finish the deal this season after blowing a
trip to the Cotton Bowl a year ago with a season-ending loss to Arkansas.
Looking for surprises?
South Carolina, given its remarkable turnaround last season, won't sneak up
on anybody. Nonetheless, the Gamecocks and Lou Holtz could easily challenge
Tennessee for the second spot in the East. If the Gamecocks start out 4-0,
look out.
Most of the talk about Alabama has centered around possible NCAA sanctions
for the Crimson Tide. But first-year head coach Dennis Franchione has a
defense that's healthy and equally hungry to make amends for last season's
3-8 disaster.
Meanwhile, Georgia fans are rallying around new head coach Mark Richt, hoping he brought some of Florida State's excellence with him from Tallahassee, Fla. But another new head coach, Kentucky's Guy Morriss, has the misfortune of taking over amidst the recruiting scandal that doomed predecessor Hal Mumme.
 |
|---|
|
The kid with the famous last name also has the tools.
Eli Manning, the younger brother of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton
Manning, took the reins of the Ole Miss offense in the spring and put up some
pretty impressive numbers. The next step for the 6-4, 205-pound sophomore is
to turn it loose on the rest of the SEC.
"He was more in tune with what we were doing," said Ole Miss head coach
David Cutcliffe, Peyton's offensive coordinator at Tennessee. "He was good
with his decision-making. He really improved in a lot of ways."
Cutcliffe knows a thing or two about quarterback talent, too. In addition to
Peyton, he developed Heath Shuler and Tee Martin at Tennessee.
|
|
|
|
 |
|---|
|
HOT: Tennessee defensive tackle John Henderson
Expansion Houston Texans are eyeing him with the first pick in next year's draft.
NOT: South Carolina running back Derek Watson
Back from exile, but can he stay?
HOT: South Carolina defensive coordinator Charlie Strong
Won't be a coordinator
for long. Prime head-coaching material.
NOT: Florida defensive coordinator Jon Hoke
Spurrier's not a patient man, which
means Hoke's defense better rock.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
With Rex Grossman and Brock Berlin locked into a neck-and-neck battle for the
Florida quarterback job, Grossman decided to go home for part of the summer.
The feeling in Gainesville was that Spurrier wanted Berlin to win the job
anyway. That's despite Grossman finishing with 21 touchdown passes last
season and earning All-SEC honors.
It simply wouldn't be Florida football without a little quarterback drama.
|
|
|
|
 |
|---|
|
Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill
No coach in the conference does more with less
LSU quarterback Rohan Davey
Has battled through a litany of knee and ankle injuries
Florida cornerback Lito Sheppard
Is there a better all-around player in the country?
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
If history holds true, Sept. 15 will be the day that propels the Gators to another SEC championship. That's when Tennessee comes calling.
The winner also stays with the lead pack in the chase for a national
championship. Tennessee has lost seven of its past eight games to Florida.
And worse for the Vols, they haven't won at the Swamp since Phillip Fulmer
was playing -- 1971.
But then the one time they did win, in 1998, the Vols went 13-0 and finished No. 1.
|
|
|
| |
 |
|---|
|
Arkansas running backs Cedric Cobbs, Fred Talley and Brandon Holmes all
rushed for more than 100 yards in a game last season. ... Tennessee is just
10-6 since its upset loss to Arkansas during the 1999 season. ... Florida led
the nation last season with 40 forced turnovers. ... David Greene is the first
left-handed quarterback Georgia's Richt has coached and the first for
the Bulldogs since 1956. ... Under first-year coach Morriss, Kentucky
held its winter workouts at 6 a.m. and incorporated a heavy dose of contact
work in the spring.
|
|
|
