I enjoy Mandel's writing, and think he offers an unbiased approach to each conference, team, and journalistically does an excellent job of not playing favorites. Some writers you know who their favorite teams are, and their least favorite.

Regarding the Dawgs, they were up and down last year, I agree. But the key word phrase is LAST YEAR . UGA did lose to Vandy and Kentucky, granted, it shouldn't even have been close, but don't forget this fact either, UGA could have easily been 11-2 having beaten Vandy and Kentucky and IMO should have beat Florida in Jacksonville, but a Lumpkin fumble on their own 6 yd line was the deciding factor. The only game UGA got demolished was Tennessee. I'll never understand that game. Jumping out to a 24-7 lead and losing 51-33???

Either way, UGA had a rebuilding year and should have been 11-2 and they did it with a freshman QB. I recall a similar UGA team, the 1990 squad who also started a freshman QB named Eric Zier. My point is, didn't Zier break out in 1991, then dominated in 1992, only to break all the passing records at UGA?? I think it's safe to say Stafford will be very similar to that. All I got to say is I want to see all the media eat crow when UGA wins the SEC East this year.

Give me break! Gators have the best athletes in the country, they will play lsu in the sugar bowl and worst case scenario play in the sugar bowl!

albert, really? lsu and florida in the sugar bowl? love to place a bet with you.

I love it when UGA fans try to make excuses for their uneven performance. As a Gator fan, I'd be delighted if Stafford's career turned out exactly like Eric Zier's: 0-4 against Florida, and zero conference titles.

As far as last year's team: great team's don't get demolished anywhere, and good teams don't get demolished at home like Georgia was last year.

The bottom line is Mandel is right-every team in the SEC East has serious question marks, so an SEC East title is within SC's reach.

First year starters at QB always wind up costing a team a game or two, so I think Florida is going to get surprised at least once. (And albert, please think a little about how unlikely it is that 2 teams would meet 3 times in one year before you predict an LSU-UF Sugar Bowl.)

Tennessee just doesn't seem to play as consistently, although having Cutcliffe as offensive coordinator again seems to be steadying them out.

Bottom line- nobody's a sure bet in the SEC East right now.

Gators are going to have an explosive offense but their defense is questionable especially the cornerbacks. As a Gator alum, I hope the Gators are back in the SEC title game against LSU but SC could def be there instead. UGA doesn't know how to beat UF and can barely get to play Vandy or Kentucky. Please, they also barely won against a winless Colorado squad. They're not doing anything this year, again. What a suprise. Darth Visor could have a big year this year. Go Gators!

I cannot wait for Tim "The Lisping Lizard" to get his bell rung a couple of times by SEC linerbackers and safeties. It's gonna be AWESOME!!! If Mark Richt had gone with talent last year instead of an overmatched senior legacy who couldn't start for the bottom of the ACC at QB, Matt Stafford's rapid improvement wouldn't have happened in the last three games of the season, beating three top-16 ranked teams in a row, including Auburn at Jerdin-Hair [sic], it would have happened during that stretch of Missy St, Vandy, Florida, and Kentucky. If Mark Richt starts the better QB at the beginning of the season, Georgia goes 11-2 easy. Now, Matthew Stafford is poised to light up the leage, while The Lisping Lizard is set to become the next Casey Clausen, another forgettable golden boy who's hype was worse than his bite.

Georgia wins the East this year, and wins the SEC next year. But knowing how bad Les Miles is as a coach, we might win the SEC THIS year. I fear no Gator. And I definately don't fear The Lisping Lizard. He should fear a few safeties I know in the Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia secondary. All it takes is one good pop! Hah!

Stuart, if would be great if you could also write about football West of the Rockies. There is a conference out there called the Pacific 10 and they have the #1 team in the country and an extremely competitive conference from 3-8. Every team except for Stanford and WSU has a chance to finish in the top 3.

Hey New York... just in case you're new to this website, Mandel's been writing in accordance with each conference having their media days. Guess what? When the Pac-10 has their media day he will be writing pieces about them! Get with it and don't be so premature to criticize.

The gators aren't starting 10 new players on defense. They are starting 9. Both Derrick Harvery (DE) and Tony Joiner (S) started last year and in the BCS national championship game.

The only problem I have with the opening of this article is that you could replace the names of coaches in the SEC with coaches in the Big Ten and it would be the exact same thing, having been at a Big Ten Media day and I am sure the same could be be said for the Big 12, Pac-10 and ACC ... ie: Joe Paterno, Jim Tressel, Lloyd Carr, Kirk Ferentz, Ron Zook, etc.

The SEC is nothing but a bunch of whining coaches and fans year in and year out. The SEC play no one out of conference and when the SEC does they get beat down by 30 or 40 points. It's all about the money and not the talent anymore, kind of sad.

January 2007, Tempe, AZ. #2 ranked and thorougly dogged, massive underdog, and media-blasted Florida Gators 41, the UNREAL, OUT OF THIS WORLD, UNDEFEATED AND WHOLE SEASON #1 RANKED OHIO STATE BUCKEYES, 14. 41-14. Whoops.