The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Florida Gators in the most un-Spurrier way possible.

Eat clock with long drives, change field position, and punt.

Against the anemic Gators, though, the Gamecocks could have taken a knee on every play and still won.

Because the Gamecocks were far from perfect themselves. In fact, they tried to give the Gators a free football game, but being the nice guys they are, Will Muschamp's crew refused to take it Maybe Muschamp wants his boys to win, and not allow the other guys to lose.

How did it happen?

Well, once again, let's start with penalties. The Gamecocks actually committed far more than Florida, but the Gators' came at the worst possible times- like 3rd and goal and 4th and 3. Again, these are the procedural pre-snap penalties that drive any coach out of his mind. The pass interference and late hits are more costly, true, but they also show that your player is hustling and playing with emotion. So that's at least a trade off.

I'm starting to lose faith in Weis. It hurts to say, but I really am. The play-calling looked so much like it did a year ago with Addazio- dive left, dive right, occasional sweep, fumble, sack, two yard out pattern... with the same results. To Weis' credit, though, I'm not so sure he has any other option. The offensive line is comically bad, and by now it's pretty obvious that Brantley's confidence is permanently and irreversibly messed up. Sure, there's all this talk about him being a tough guy for coming back, and while I applaud his efforts, it doesn't translate into results.

I will not call for Muschmp's firing, or Weis's... yet. The schedule is a nightmare, granted, but the Gators could be 8-2 right now. If they catch all the punts against Auburn, don't commit 16 penalties against Georgia- many of them on third down- and convert in the red zone against South Carolina... guess what? This Gators team is 8-2, off to Atlanta, and maybe ranked in the top 10.

But no. We're the Florida Gators. We tease our fan base by playing well for awhile against the great teams- see the touchdown to Andre Debose against Alabama, the 17-3 lead against Georgia, etc.- and THEN we choose to screw ourselves with authority, so hard that we cause the second big bang.

Give Muschamp time. Let him and Weis recruit guys for their style, and see how it works. I just think that being left with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps is more than enough to work with to have success. The offensive line issues, however are Urban Meyer's fault. He was too busy napping along with Steve Addazio to even sense that the line was horrendous. So for that, yes, Urban Meyer did leave the cupboard bare.

I'm sick of this. But I will tolerate it. Again, this is not last year. Last year our offense was just offensive to the minds of real football fans. Steve Addazio committed genocide on people's brain cells both by running killer dive plays and then explaining to the poor peasants of Gainesville how the play works, interspersed with telling people that "everything's gonna be OK".

This year, we are left to clean up the mess that Addazio started. It happens in politics all the time- I'm not getting into what party I am or anything, just saying that when a new President comes in, he often doesn't like what his predecessor has done with something and will try to fix it. But it sometimes gets worse before it gets better (in his eyes), and in the long run, improvement will be made. So I am giving Muschamp two more seasons (2012, 2013, this season's been shot in the head multiple times) to get this team to Atlanta. There are some positive signs already- the team has played three ranked teams really tough. They just gave the games away because they're not used to that spotlight.

For next year, here are the problems that MUST be fixed. I've been hammering on them all year, and the Gators haven't seemed to have made any adjustment or commitment to fixing them. Maybe by putting them in bold will help. We can start next week against Furman, and then continue to work on them against FSU and if we make a bowl game (no sure thing) then we'll work on them there:

Offensive line

Good thing Jessamen Dunker, DJ Humphries and Omari Phillips are on the way. Charlie Weis would be better off playing offensive line all on his own than sticking the current starters back out there to wreck another QB's confidence. The trio of big baddies all rank as top 15 offensive linemen. I don't expect them to be Michael Ohers in their first game, but by 2013, after a year of learning the SEC game, these guys should be primed and ready for war. Good protection can mean the difference between a win and a loss on even one play.

Deep receiving threats

I haven't really touched on this because it's far down the line of problems the Gator have, but UF has sorely lacked a dependable deep receiver. It's safe to say now that Deonte Thompson has been a bust. We need another Louis Murphy-type receiver, or an Aaron Hernandez type tight end. We'll be getting both in Latroy Pittman, Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson. In Taylor and Thompson we have arguably the nation's two best tight ends, and Pittman is a speed demon.

Cut the penalties

Watching the Gators get flagged repeatedly for the same pre snap infractions makes me want to strangle small animals so they can let out some freakish cries that my own throat cannot make in order to express my utter disdain. I'm kidding. I love animals. I am not kidding, however, when I say the Gators get so many flags thrown at them you could collect them all and start a new continent. The penalties just gotta go, along with the lazy attitude that some of the players have when they simply ignore Muschamp's tongue lashing and do it again. If the penalties stay, the wins will continue to fly away.

Great defense

Here is where Urban Meyer left the cupboard stacked. At least, if you believe ESPN, scout and rivals. Ronald Powell, Jonathan Bostic and Dominique Easley have silently done great jobs but the rest of the defense just isn't living up to their billing. Of course, that's hard to do when your billing is the greatest recruiting class in recent memory, but then the top-ranked senior class of 2009 (Tim Tebow's class) reached their potential and beyond. Muschamp is known to recruit and coach great defense, so I have some confidence this will be the first issue fixed. It's not really bad to begin with right now, but it's not at championship level, and all of these goals are what Florida needs to do to get to Atlanta. The defense will get there first.

-------------------

The QB position isn't really as important. Sure, it's nice to have a Tim Tebow or a Tom Brady, but it's not necessary. All we need is a Doug Johnson, and you can consistently win 10 games and get to Atlanta with Doug Johnson. That would be the last position that needs an improvement. Look at how LSU and Alabama are doing without a great QB. One loss between them and it came against each other in overtime. It's defense that wins championships, and our coach is Will Muschamp.

So one day we'll return to glory again.

From the nanosecond the Big 10 made the announcement that it was including Nebraska, I knew the SEC would go to 16 teams. Not 14, but 16. Think: would the commissioner of a league that won (at the time) four straight BCS Championships just sit back and allow this? When Auburn won the SEC's fifth straight, it became official: the SEC was going to go to 16 teams.

Now, these are just rumors, albeit strong ones. But let's just say it's true, and official.

What does it mean to the Gators?

Let's go negatives first, and save the positives for last.

1) Recruiting in the state of Florida

This is a gigantic blow for the Gators' in state recruiting. Often, a decision for an uncommitted 17 year old kid from the Sunshine State comes down to wanting to play in the ACC or SEC, and of course the bigger stage is in the SEC. And Urban Meyer took advantage of that, pounding the Seminoles 5 straight times and then hitting the recruits with "do you want to play on the big stage?" Combine that with the bludgeonings Tim Tebow handed Bobby Bowden and it was an easy call.

Now, though, Florida will HAVE to beat FSU to get recruits. The line "it was a bad year and now we're starting over" might work this year and maybe next year but not for long. With the conference advantage now gone, the only way to really show recruits that Florida is better is to hammer Florida State with regularity. And that won't be easy.

2) More of a year long grind/injury risk

You'll never hear me saying what a tough out of conference schedule Florida has. Jeremy Foley is a wimp and will never schedule anybody not named Florida State (and Miami once) that's any good. Now, though, the Gators will likely have to play 10 conference games, as opposed to the 8 plus Florida State. As we saw in 2008, any one conference game could turn into a loss. The addition of an extra game increases the risk of a loss, decreases the chance of an unbeaten national champion, and increases the injury risk.

3) End of the Florida-Auburn and Florida-Miami rivalries

Once upon a time, Florida vs. Auburn was one of the fiercest and most evenly matched rivalries in the nation. The Tigers hold a 42-38 lead and many of those games hurt more than just one loss. The Tigers had a knack of beating the Gators by a field goal, as recently as 2007. But after 2002, these teams stopped playing each other every year and just played twice every five years.

The Gators and the Hurricanes also had an annual (but meaner) rivalry that was destroyed when the Gators got weak with their schedule and replaced the U with Montana State (shameful, nothing less). Steve Spurrier wanted them back but it could not be done with the SEC expanding to 12 teams. The two teams met sporadically (twice in bowl games, twice in the Swamp, and once in the Orange Bowl, and are scheduled to meet again in 2013... but who knows?)

Now, with the new additions, instead of the teams playing more often, they will play even less often, since the division alignments likely will not pair the Gators and Auburn together. The teams might play once every eight years or so. It also means the definite end of Florida-Miami unless they both make it to a bowl game. It's a shame, really as these used to be intense matchups and now they will be defunct.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But there are positives, too:

1) Out of state recruiting

The Gators already had a strong hold on Texas since Will Muschamp signed with Florida. But now they will get their hands on the St. Louis area, one of the hottest big cities in the Midwest along with Chicago. Kids in St. Louis will now have a lot more access to watch SEC games, which gives Muschamp and the Gators a bigger audience to impress. And of course South Carolina has the same problem with Clemson that Florida has with FSU joining the conference, which can work to everybody else's advantage.

2) Florida-FSU rivalry will become more intense

Aside from in state bragging rights and recruiting, this rivalry means nothing. It doesn't determine which team will play for the SEC Championship, it doesn't determine bowl games, or anything like that. This is why I consider Florida-Georgia to be a bigger rivalry. Now, Florida-FSU will be even nastier. Watch out for plenty of the chippy behavior that has caused enough flags to cover a field during Florida-Georgia games.

3) More firepower, more BCS champions

These are four historically good, but not fantastic teams joining the conference. Winning a 16 team conference will have even more power with the pollsters, who cannot turn away a one loss team from the SEC even with 12 teams. That power grows a lot with each team in, and more conference games means more chances to impress the pollsters as well.

After a nice weekend chilling in Atlanta, I'm back with the final position and the top 5 players from the SEC:

5) Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

He had a great performance in a big game last year filling in for a star QB. So did Garret Gilbert of Texas in the 2010 BCS Championship Game. How did that translate to the next season? Not well. I'm not at all saying that will happen to Wilson; just that one good performance doesn't mean jack. Let's see him do it again, with everybody keying in on him, with all the hype he earned last year. He does have the skill set and the receivers around him to help out. But let's wait until he actually does well as a starter against good teams before we rain praise on him.

4) Stephen Garcia, South Carolina

Look up the word enigma in the dictionary. If there's no "Stephen Garcia" in the synonyms, sue the dictionary. This guy is as unpredictable as George Steinbrenner on a bad day. Sure, he can sling it. Sure, he can buy some time with his feet. Sure, he can fit the ball in a tight window. But how he and his QB coach Gus Mangus act off the field will determine how well he does. Having guys like Alshon Jeffrey and Marcus Lattimore is a big plus, and if he stays out of trouble, he should have a great year. But that IF is bigger than Mars.

3) John Brantley, Florida

Laugh. But when in a system that fits him, he does pretty good. Actually, he does National Player of the Year good. KC Joyner of ESPN was right. He can be elite in 2011. He's got the arm strength, the accuracy, the footwork and the intelligence. The fifth and missing piece to Brantley's success is confidence. How quickly Charlie Weis can restore it in him remains to be seen. That's all that stands in the way between Brantley and his name being called in the top 10 in the NFL Draft. 10 picks vs. 9 TD's a year ago is misleading when you remember who called the plays. that was then, this is now.

2) Tyler Bray, Tennessee

Once the Vols dumped the albino chiclet Matt Sims and turned to Bray, the Vols went 4-2 with a close loss to SEC East champions South Carolina, and a controversial Music City Bowl loss to North Carolina. Carolinas aside, Bray was undefeated against some of the lower SEC teams. Now the big tests come. Let's see how he does against Florida, Alabama and LSU as a starter. But he looked very impressive a year ago. He's also working with Justin Hunter, a highly underrated wide receiver.

1) Aaron Murray, Georgia

This hurts. But until somebody proves otherwise, Murray is the cream of the crop in the SEC and maybe the nation. Don't worry Gator fans. Murray was awesome last year and Georgia sucked- with star receiver AJ Green. Now Green is gone, Georgia has only one running back, and one receiver (Isaiah Crowell and Orson Charles, respectively). Without Green, Murray's numbers should take a small dip, but not much. In all honesty, I really do feel bad for Murray. He will waste a great career with a bad team. He is to some extent a dual threat QB, and he is not afraid to buy time with his feet, or even take off. Maybe he'll wake up and take off from Georgia and join a real school, like North Alabama. Hey, they have Janoris Jenkins.

Now we move to the running backs:

10) Vick Ballard, Mississippi State

Used exclusively as the Big Bulldawg Bruiser named Ballard, he somehow found sieves that, when looking at a slo-mo replay, WEREN'T THERE. Needless to say, this can get annoying for opponents. He strikes me as a young Brandon Jacobs type back- powerful, with a little speed, and doesn't often fumble. He should thrive once again in Dan Mullen's spread option offense in Starkville, especially with fellow running back type player Chris Relf at QB.

9) Warren Norman, Vanderbilt

OK, we know, he's on Vanderbilt. And OK, we know, Vanderbilt was 1-7 in the SEC last year. But there's no way they beat Ole Miss for their lone conference win without Norman, who is known as a silent killer among his teammates, and isn't really known at all around the SEC. He does lots of damage, albeit in defeat. He has all the tools needed except for one thing: he's a little too small to be able to handle repeated 25-30 touch games. But if used right, he could be a game breaker.

8) Michael Ford, Louisiana State

Running backs weren't really the focal point of LSU last year- more like Lesprechaun Miles and his big gambles that paid off in spades, and then the defense. LSU has silently become RBU- Running Back University. Jacob Hester, Charles Scott, and Stevan Ridley have been the most recent. Ford isn't quite as big as any of them, but he sure can run. He's a terror if he finds a hole, and he should be able to replace Ridley without much of an issue. As long as he doesn't fumble. And as long as Jordan Jefferson plays OK.

7) Michael Dyer, Auburn

Deep down, I believe this kid is just as good as anybody in the country. But he had all his success with Newton. This raises a huge question: will he be as good with a much larger role? So many careers falter when success is met by a bigger load. Will Dyer be the next? Or will he be the next Trent Richardson? He's fast as hell and can break tackles with the best of them. He doesn't fumble much, either... but can he block? That's going to be the big question with last year's offensive line departing.

6) Isaiah Crowell, Georgia

His talent is unquestioned. His success at Georgia is not. He will have a good offensive line to work with, which is about as good as Georgia's news is. He has exceptional raw talent, with good speed, great vision, good cutbacks, and can break tackles. But... again... he is a FRESHMAN. If he has a great 2011, I will move him up in the postseason rankings, but ranking a freshman high is a big risk. I will say this: if he develops like Knowshon Moreno did, he will be a top 5 RB... in the nation.

5) Knile Davis, Arkansas

He will be expected to take a lot of pressure off of the passing game, and he's fully capable of doing that. His moves are fun to watch, paired with his speed. He's got great acceleration, and if he sees a hole, he's through it. He is the type of running back you can build a championship team off of. He also rarely fumbles. If he can somehow top his 2010 numbers, his name will shoot into the top 10 players in the NFL Draft, at any position.

4) Brandon Bolden, Missisippi

One of the most underrated players in recent history will take his final turn through an SEC season, with probably his worst team yet. That shouldn't hinder his journey to the NFL, which will continue with one last great season at Ole Miss. He is a fantastic runner who rarely fumbles, has great moves and speed, and great vision. Blocking is a question mark, but that can be worked with when you've got a great all around game like Bolden.

3) Jeff Demps, Florida

One reason above all reasons for this: who's gonna catch him? LSU tried putting track star Trindon Holliday on him to shadow him all day and Demps still torched LSU in both 2008 and 2009. Sure he's small, but he's also a great athlete who will try out for the 2012 Olympic track team. He can also shake tackles at a rate far more than his size would suggest, and can block shockingly well, a plus as Charlie Weis gets very pissed off when backs whiff on blocks. Just how fast is he? How about 9.96 100 meter dash. So, who's gonna catch him? In a footrace, nobody. Repeat, NOBODY.

2) Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina

Lattimore is a freak of nature who excels at finding a crowded spot and turning it into a hole, and then breaking free for a big gain. His moves and athleticism are way off the charts, and proved this during his freshman season time and again, especially against Florida. He almost never fumbles, and can be relied on to carry a lot of times in a game. He has great instincts, a must for a running back, and can power forward or juke somebody out, depending on who it is, a rarity. If not for the guy ahead of him, Lattimore would be the best running back in the country.

1) Trent Richardson, Alabama

Richardson is as good as you will ever find. I'm not afraid to say it: he is better than his predecessor, Mark Ingram. He is far more explosive, can break tackles at a similar rate, and is faster. Oh and he doesn't fumble, either. Defenses foolish enough to have holes in it can count on a good dose of the Alabama fight song (ugly as hell) and a good cursing out by their coach. Because a hole means that TR is through it for a touchdown. He's that quick. He's just the best running back in the nation. Doak Walker Award, prepare to be taken to Tuscaloosa (until he gets drafted).

Today, we take a look at the SEC's top 10 wide receivers/tight ends:

10) Orson Charles, TE, Georgia

Hiding behind AJ Green, Charles had a great freshman season at UGA. He and QB Aaron Murray were high school teammates and friends and still are. Add that to the fact that they're both very good and you've got trouble. For a tight end, Charles is extremely versatile. He reminds me in some ways of Aaron Hernandez. He is really nothing more than a great receiver playing tight end: his moves, speed and hands are that of a wideout. Look for him to step up and replace Green as Murray's top target, and snag the Mackey Award for best tight end.

9) Marquize Maze, WR, Alabama

Nick Saban teams don't usually need much offense to win, but they do need some. They got it the last two years from Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. With both gone, Trent Richardson and Maze step in. Maze is a dark horse receiver to inflict some heavy damage and maybe even win the Fred Biletnikoff Award, since nobody is paying attention to the Tide offense. He's got the hands, the speed, and the football intelligence to succeed big time at Alabama in 2011.

8) Melvin Harris, WR, Mississippi

The dark horse of all dark horses of anything is Harris. He had a big 41 yard TD catch against Jacksonville State in the Rebels' opener... and caught exactly two more TD passes the rest of the season. He'll have to do a lot more than that in order for Ole Miss to succeed. And with Markeith Summers gone, he'll have more of a chance to. His talent is very impressive. He is a very good wide receiver in every aspect: good hands, fast enough, and dependable enough on big plays. Or at least he has been in the past. Can he bounce back and do that again in 2011?

7) Andre Debose, WR, Florida

Debose didn't really do much of anything on offense in 2010 thanks to Steve Addazio, the head clown of the Gators' offensive circus. But this kid is absolutely electrifying. He took two kicks back for touchdowns and narrowly missed on a third. If used right- and I believe Charlie Weis will- Percy Harvin will wonder aloud why some people photoshopped him and put him on the screen during Florida games this year. No, they're not the same. Let's hold off on the Percy comparisons until he actually plays a game. But this kid's POTENTIAL is as high as Harvin's ever was. Solid hands, lightning quickness, evil juke moves- he's got it all.

6) Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas

There isn't a whole lot separating the fearsome threesome in Fayetteville. Wright was depended on the least of the three (plus dearly departed tight end DJ Williams) but that's certainly no knock on Wright when you see how explosive he was. As the FOURTH target of QB Ryan Mallet (also gone), he pulled in 42 receptions. That's unheard of. His speed and athleticism are off the charts, and he will be a major pain to deal with for opposing defenses because who has three cornerbacks like Joe Haden?

5) Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee

Perhaps the biggest bright spot in a very disappointing 2010 for UT was the freshman Hunter, who has a habit of burning defenses for deep bombs and easy scores. With Tyler Bray holding the keys full time now to this offense, look for him to shine even more. His hands and speed are fantastic, and look for him to maybe draw some double coverage. This kid will be the next AJ Green if only his team does a little better. Then again, Georgia sucked with Green and he still was phenomenal. Who knows?

4) Chris Rainey, WR, Florida

Hands down the best athlete in the SEC, and maybe the country. I'm sorry Gatorhaters but this kid is unbelievable. He only played in half the Gators' games and still finished second on the team in rushing. With Charlie Weis aboard, he will be more of a receiver, and we've seen him do pretty well in the slot before. With summer and fall practices closed, we don't know how exactly he will be used. But this kid's speed, nasty jukes and spins, and hands will propel him to a fantastic senior season.

3) Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas

Childs has a nasty habit of catching big bombs at bad times for opponents. He is not quite as dangerous physically as some receivers behind him, but he's still a threat in one on one. What makes him better is he is a rock. He caught 46 passes a year ago, and is always depended on to make the big 3rd and 15 catch on the sidelines with two minutes left and down by five. Of course, he is still a very good athlete, don't get me wrong, and that's how he can get loose in the secondary. He's just more of an overall great wide receiver for the Razorbacks.

2) Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas

The last of the three Musketeers in Fayetteville is Adams, and he may be the best of them. He hauled in an even 50 passes a year ago from Mallet, and seems poised to duplicate that in 2011. His hands, speed, athleticism and football IQ are exactly what NFL scouts want to see. There really isn't a lot he can't do- he's even good at returning punts. He will probably be the #1 option for Tyler Wilson... or maybe they'll all be relied on equally?

1) Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina

Yeah, Lane Kiffin, this kid's really pumping gas well. It's not his fault that you missed out on by far the best athlete to come out of South Carolina in a long time. This kid doesn't do everything well, he does everything extraordinarily well. He is an absolute nightmare for even the best defensive backs to handle. Hell, even Janoris Jenkins had trouble with him. He's an extremely gifted athlete, and assuming Stephen Garcia stays out of trouble and keeps throwing to him, he's bound to win the Fred Biletnikoff Award for most outstanding wide receiver.

Today, we take a look at the top 5 offensive linemen in the SEC:

5) Xavier Nixon, OT, Florida

It's kind of weird to see a Gator in the top 5 in offensive linemen, since UF's oline wasn't all that impressive last year. But Nixon had a very good season, albeit very quietly. He does have tons of strength and isn't easily fooled by defender's dekes and jukes. At time, though, he can go for the pancake block and miss. I was a little uncertain to put him here, because putting Gators so high means high expectations that aren't always lived up to, but his raw talent gets him this spot.

4) Ben Jones, C, Georgia

He's a senior for a Georgia team that has tons of question marks, and a dependable one at that. 2008, 2009, and 2010 were all underachieving seasons for the Dawgs, between the preseason #1 ranking being stomped on, and then stolen by the Gators in the 49-10 rout, and an abysmal 14-12 over the next two years. With all the drama of Richt keeping his job, Jones has been left alone to silently dominate opposing defensive tackles. He's big and surprisingly quick for a linemen, a scary combo for opponents. He's also a good leader, and Georgia's rock for four years now despite numerous injuries.

3) Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

Aaron Murray is without a doubt a great QB. Perhaps he might not have had the same numbers without Glenn, a mammoth tackle who as a freshman protected his blind side very well and allowed him to blossom. This was as a freshman. Now a sophomore, Glenn will have even higher expectations to protect Murray. He's pretty big and pretty fast, and also a good student of the game. He knows the angles opponents can take, and can open big holes for his running backs. Look for Isaiah Crowell to run up the middle a lot because of Glenn and Jones.

2) William Vlachos, C, Alabama

Jones would be an all-SEC no brainer if not for Vlachos, a monster of a man that snaps the ball for the Crimson Tide. He has pretty nimble feet for a guy as big as him, and he is also a running back's best friend for his brute strength. Maybe the success of Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram had something to do with him. Or, more accurately, a lot to do with him. And the same goes for Greg McElroy.

1) Bradley Sowell, OT/OG, Mississippi

The Rebels averaged over 200 yards a game on the ground last year, and most of that success can be credited to Sowell, a senior who anchors a very good offensive line at Ole Miss. Brandon Bolden ran rings around defenses a year ago, and Sowell was always there providing the block- sometimes downfield, because he is that fast. And of course, he'a a mammoth of a man, who hits like a human bulldozer. He doesn't get fooled by defenders' moves, either, a big plus for a big guy like Sowell. He is the best offensive linemen in the SEC as of right now because he is the steadiest linemen in the nation.

The rest of the Top 10:

6) Barrett Jones, OT/OG, Alabama

7) Larry Warford, OT/OG, Kentucky

8) Bobby Massie, OG, Mississippi

9) DJ Fluker, OG/OT, Alabama

10) Chris Faulk, OT, LSU

Today we take a look at the best defensive linemen in the SEC:

5) Jaye Howard DT, Florida

This is a beast athletically, a big man that can also run. That's a bad combo for offensive linemen. He "only" had 28 tackles last year, but that's deceiving of just how dangerous he truly is. He can pick any gap he wants, and he'll crash it. He did that numerous times last year and there was nothing o lines could do about it. He's just too quick. He's got good instincts, too. And when he hits you, you go down. Watch for him to break out with a fantastic 2011 season.

4) Kendrick Adams, DE, LSU

He had 27 tackles a year ago. Not bad, but nothing fantastic, either. So why is he #4? Because with Drake Nevis gone, he will have more of an opportunity to rack up the stats. He was pretty damned good last year, but it was under Nevis' shadow... and everything Nevis did was buried by everything Nick Fairley did over on the Plains. But now, everybody will get to see the newest great defensive end at LSU dominate the show. He's got sweet moves to put on offensive linemen to go along with solid tackling, which should propel him to a great year.

3) Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

On a Mississippi State team that the average fan kind of turned away from and said, "ew", Cox was quietly wreaking havoc in opponent's backfields a year ago. If the Bulldogs are going to get attention nationally in 2011, Cox will have to step up and do even more. He's got the tools: He's huge, and with moves. Oh and he can also put the bone jarring hit on a poor unsuspecting running back and force a fumble if he's in a really bad move. He's a force to be reckoned with, even with the departure of former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.

2) Ronald Powell, DE, Florida

He's actually a hybrid linebacker/defensive end, but look for him to play the latter in 2011. And look for him to absolutely dominate. He's quick off the snap and just quick in general, combined with sure tackling and nasty moves on offensive linemen. When 25 tackles as a (mostly) defensive end is "highly" underachieving, then you know the guy's loaded with talent. He really seemed lost in 2010 under Teryl Austin and he really seemed to buy into Will Muschamp's new, attack happy scheme. The former #1 overall recruit in the nation playing for a coach that has produced some great defensive ends who were not as talented? Look out, world.

1) Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

He's the defensive end version of Powell. Unbelievable athlete who had a slightly disappointing 2010. Then again, all Gator players not named Ahmad Black and Andre Debose had disappointing 2010 seasons. Floyd is a beast. He may be even quicker than Powell off the ball, and he's stronger than most offensive linemen he'll be facing. Oh and he can put crunching hits on QB's and ball carriers, and has the instincts to snag an easy pick. Go ahead and call me a homer, Florida's got 3 of the 5 best d linemen. But the truth is, they do. And Floyd leads the way, just like he'll lead a suffocating defense in 2011.

Also considered:

6) John Jenkins, DT, Georgia

7) Damion Square, DT, Alabama

8) Dominique Easley, DT, Florida

9) Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

10) Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU

Today, we count down the SEC's five best linebackers

5) Ryan Baker, LSU

85 total tackles and 8 sacks playing behind Kelvin Sheppard is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's something to be extremely proud of. Baker doesn't do anything fantastically, just does everything well: tackles well, has good speed has good instincts and has good intelligence of the game. But let's see how he does as LSU's top linebacker, with Sheppard no longer around to lead the way. That's the only question regarding his success in 2011, the step up to the leadership position.

4) Jonathan Bostic, Florida

He didn't do a whole lot in 2010, but the things he did do were very impressive. He has great vision and can see plays happening two seconds before they happen, which is probably the top quality needed in a linebacker, along with tackling. Oh and he does that well, too. He had 36 solo tackles a year ago (one more than Baker) which is something to think highly of once you realize that the Gators were actually almost as bad on defense as they were on offense as a team. Bostic should have a great 2011 under Muschamp's new system.

3) Jerry Franklin, Arkansas

Franklin has been the rock of the Arkansas defense since 2008. He's one of those guys that you don't realize how much you'll miss him until he's gone. He has accumulated 269 total tackles in three years at Arkansas, including 15 in one game against Mississippi State last year. He is the surest tackler the nation- yes, the nation, not just the SEC- has seen since Brandon Spikes. He's also got decent speed to boot, and fantastic instincts, the deadly triple threat in a linebacker. Watch out for this guy to launch his name into the conversation of the Butkus Award and have a fantastic 2011.

2) Jelani Jenkins, Florida

I feel I'm a pretty honest and rational person when doing these rankings. And I honestly believe that Florida will have two of the SEC's five best linebackers. Why not? Bostic has great potential, and Jenkins does too. Jenkins can really motor, plus he's got exceptional instincts on top of it. 77 total tackles in 2010 is deceiving. It makes a fantastic linebacker look good. This guy will shoot out of nowhere to have a monster 2011 season- good enough to shut down the best running backs the Gators have to face.

1) Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

The cream of the 2011 linebacker crop resides, sadly, not in Gainesville, but in Tuscaloosa. Hightower is a playmaker. He's got the great vision, speed and tackling, but there's just something special about him. Kind of like Tim Tebow. Yeah, he had all the skills, but it was just something else that made him incredible. Hightower will be incredible in 2011, not just because of who he is, but because of who he plays for. His Tide teammates will back him up plenty as he wins the Dick Butkus Award for best linebacker in the nation.

The rest of the top 10:

6) Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

7) Danny Trevathan, Kentucky

8) CJ Mosley, Alabama

9) Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

10) Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

Let's count down the five best defensive backs in the SEC.

5) Jeremy Brown, CB, Florida

Playing behind Janoris Jenkins is pretty much going to assure you that you will not get nearly the cred that you could get elsewhere. Brown was fine with that, picking off 3 passes as part of a fantastic Gator secondary. But with Jenkins and safety Ahmad Black departing, Brown is the best left over from that group. He's the number 1 CB now, meaning he'll draw the top receiver. He's got all the tools: great quickness, great instincts, and very strong for his size. He's great in man coverage, and should do a great job on some of the best receivers in the SEC.

4) Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Claiborne was in a similar situation last year to what Brown faced: playing behind Patrick Peterson. While Brown was quietly very good, Claiborne was quietly fantastic, snagging five interceptions in 12 games. And just like Brown, he watches his better teammate depart. I publicly doubted Claiborne last year, but I saw him play three times, and he impressed me in all three. He is a fantastic athlete who will not give an inch in bump n run coverage and has good enough instincts to be a safety.

3) Janzen Jackson, SS, Tennessee

The physical traits are all there. Incredible vision, good speed, heavy hitter, and can play good enough man coverage to fool somebody into thinking that he's actually a cornerback. It's the mental side of him that causes problems. Off the field issues have plagued this star safety for his first two years at Tennessee. Here's to betting that he is a good boy and puts those to bed and has a solid 2011 season. If something goes wrong, talent will not be the culprit.

2) Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick had huge shoes to fill last year with the departure of star cornerback Javier Arenas, and did well, picking off three passes and batting down numerous others. He possesses exceptional talent in bump n run coverage, even with- no, especially with- the best receivers. He's got great speed and great hand, and can match anybody's route cuts within a tenth of a second. He is without a doubt the best cornerback in the SEC heading into 2011, until somebody unseats him.

1) Robert Lester, FS, Alabama

Here is why you don't throw against the Crimson Tide if you do not absolutely need to: they've got the best corner and the best safety in the league. Lester is not exactly a heavy hitter, though do not be fooled, he can lay a big hit if need be. No, Lester excels in the art of ball hawking, hunting down errant passes and claiming them as his own. He picked off 8 passes last year, including two huge ones against Arkansas. He possesses unbelievable instincts and an uncanny knack of timing his jump just right. His first step to the ball is blinding. And the rest of them aren't too bad, either.

Also considered:

6) Winston Guy, SS, Kentucky

7) Mark Barron, FS, Alabama

8) Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

9) Rudell Crim, SS, Arkansas

10) Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

Today, we take a look at teams' ability to stop the run.

1) Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide's scary front 7 features Courtney Upshaw, CJ Mosley, and Dont'a Hightower. These are three of the scariest players on the defensive side of the ball in the nation. All three are sure tacklers who love to shoot through gaps and blow up the play before it even gets started. Saban will occasionally call corner/safety blitzes, bringing the secondary into the mix. Nobody would try running against the Crimson Tide if their secondary was anything less than fabulous. Yet that's what teams will have to do- run. Not up the middle, but to the outside. The only way to beat this Tide D is to use speed to the outside. And not many teams have that kind of speed, because Alabama is pretty fast too. Meaning it'll be impossible to score much against Alabama.

2) LSU Tigers

Drake Nevis and Lazarius Livingston depart to the NFL, but the cupboard is far from bare in the LSU front 7. Kendrick Adams and Sam Montgomery return for their senior and sophomore years, respectively, and both are defensive linemen to fear. Stefon Francois and Ryan Baker may be the best linebacker tandem in the country. Both are battle weary seniors who know what it will take to win. And they will lead their team to do just that. Watch out for DT Anthony Johnson to step up and make some huge plays as a freshman. This is a ferocious defensive front 7 that will plug holes and stuff the run nearly as well as Alabama.

3) Florida Gators

Putting a team that could not put pressure on opposing QB's if their lives depended on it at #3 is pretty strange, I know. But look at who's coaching, and his track record. Now go look at the players. I mean beasts. Ronald Powell and Sharrif Floyd should wreak havoc and become offensive lines' worst nightmares. Linebackers Jelani Jenkins and Jonathan Bostic should do the same in the second wave. Basically, teams have to be crazy to even try to run against Florida. The Gators are as loaded up front as they have ever been before.

4) South Carolina Gamecocks

Spurrier's team is cocked and loaded on both offense and defense, at least in the front 7. But last year, SC's defense took a backseat to the Marcus Lattimore show. Would anybody believe that the Gamecocks were top 5 in the nation in sacks? That's right, and they should be even more ferocious this year. Cliff Matthews leaves but Melvin Ingram, Devin Taylor and Travian Robinson all come back from that team. Oh and there's Jadeveon Clowney, who might make an immediate impact. These guys will lead the way to stifle opposing running games. And they'll do a great job, too.

5) Arkansas Razorbacks

Jerry Franklin and Jake Bequette are two of the game's least known players. Why? Because their buddies on offense score so much that who needs defense? Whether Arkansas needs it or not, they'll get plenty of it from Franklin, a big hitting linebacker, and Bequette, a fearsome pass rusher as well as run stopper. Another name to look out for is Anthony Leon, a redshirt senior linebacker who can make the sure tackle for you. This is a solid, but not quite stingy, run defense.

6) Mississippi State Bulldogs

MSU does a lot of things well, and nothing great. Defending the run is one of them. They do have a fantastic defensive tackle in Fletcher Cox, who can stop the run extremely well. Josh Boyd and Shawn Ferguson will help him out in the defensive line, but the linebacker position is a little bit shaky. Mike Hunt (go ahead, get your laughs out of the way now) will be expected to step up big time. Chris Hughes and Deonte Skinner will also have high expectations as rising sophomores to clog holes. This group is too unproven to move any higher, but too talented to move any lower for now.

7) Georgia Bulldogs

Credit has to be given to Todd Grantham and Georgia- they're talented. The loss of Justin Houston was humongous, and it will be difficult to overcome. But it's doable because of the talent. If they do, it will be because of Darryl Gamble and Marcus Dowtin, two hard hitting linebackers who know how to stop a running back dead in his tracks. Perhaps the key to this front 7's success is JUCO transfer John Jenkins, who very well may be the DT version of Cam Newton. But he better be. Because if he is anything short of it, Georgia will suffer. Big time.

8) Auburn Tigers

A name to look out for is Nosa Eguae. He will be the best bet to replace everything Nick Fairley brought to the table- big hits, sure tackles, and harrassing QB's. But for Auburn's sake, he needs to do all of those things very well, because there's nobody else even close to being ready to step up. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of talent between Corey Lemonier and Michael Goggans, but there's no sign that they are ready to make the huge jump from bench guy to beast guy. Then again, there wasn't with Fairley either. We shall see.

9) Mississippi Rebels

3:32PM, September 27, 2008. Kentrell Lockett leaps over the line and blocks the PAT in the Swamp. Ole Miss gets that leaping ability and all the other key things Lockett brings back in 2011, like his speed, his sure tackling, and his heart. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, there are no other holdovers from those back to back Cotton Bowl teams. Jonathan Cornell is a major loss at linebacker, and I'm not sure Mississippi can fill it. The Rebels do have DT Shackelford to help out Lockett some, but will it be enough to effectively stop the run?

10) Tennessee Volunteers

Can UT replace Nick Reveiz and Chris Walker? At the bottom of the order here, it becomes a game of how much you are able to do it. And I'm not sure the Vols can at all. I could name names here, but it's pointless. That's what ESPN team rosters are for. Daryl Vereen is the "leader" of the group returning, and needs to be huge in order to stop the run. Here's what it comes down to: who steps up out of nowhere and becomes a star to help him out? If the answer is nobody, then John Brantley can run QB sneaks for 500 yards.

11) Kentucky Wildcats

Danny Trevathan is the real deal at linebacker, but who will help him? Again, there are no known threats in the UK front 7 to assist him, but that's the fun. Ronnie Sneed is my pick to come out of nowhere and be a shutdown, gap-shooting linebacker that can effectively stop the run. But other than these two, this is a poor front 7 that has no proven dependable players. Look for UK to finish at or near the bottom of the league in rushing yards and TD's defense.

12) Vanderbilt Commodores

One man. Chris Marve, a bruising linebacker. He will make or break the defensive front 7. He's the one who will either hold opposing running games to under 500 yards or not. Alas, he is going to be counted on to do way too much, and the entire defense will likely fall apart. This is a terrible front 7 that could not stop a Munchkin from walking through its own front door.

Today, we take a look at teams' ability to stop the pass.

1) Alabama Crimson Tide

Although Alabama was hit hard by NFL Draft losses, the only big one on defense was Marcel Dareus. And it is a big one. But remember who's coaching this team. Kirby Smart will never let one or even five losses affect the team, and he will be replaced either. Nick Saban will lick his chops whenever opponents throw because even if Alabama cannot get a great blitz, the secondary is incredible. Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, Robert Lester and Mark Barron form what may be the best secondary in college football. Throw one up there and one of these guys will grab it. Throwing deep will be an absolute last resort against Alabama.

2) LSU Tigers

One upon a time, there was a defensive back named Craig Loston. He has incredible versatility, speed and ups. Better that you guys know now then after he explodes onto the college football scene. He was lost behind Patrick Peterson and Jai Eugene, but with them gone, watch for Loston and Morris Claiborne to step up and snag any errant football. LSU always has nasty defenses, so this isn't anything new. And watch out for LSU's front 7 to help out by putting a truculent blitz on unsuspecting QB's.

3) Arkansas Razorbacks

Nobody knows a single name in the Hogs' secondary? That's cool with Rudell Crim, Elton Ford, Tramain Thomas, and the rest of the defensive backfield. This team only surrendered 23 points a game in 2010, and most of those guys return. Crim in particular can appear from nowhere and grab a ball out of a receiver's hands. He'll play back, back, back, and then the second the ball is thrown, he'll jump the route and pick it off. The front 7 will play a big part as well, disrupting the QB's timing with heavy blitzes.

4) Mississippi State Bulldogs

MSU doesn't do anything fantastic, they just do everything good. And they have a good pass defense, featuring junior cornerback Johnthan Banks, who had a pair of pick 6's against Tim Tebow in 2009 and picked off another pass in last year's game. Fellow junior Corey Broomfield should lock down the other side of the field, meaning MSU has two solid cornerbacks to match up against the top two receivers. We'll find out how much the defensive line helps out with blitzes, however.

5) Kentucky Wildcats

Huh? Kentucky in the top half of the SEC in anything? Finally, an SEC East team, and one of the worst, gets on the board. Why the Wildcats, though? They have the most underrated defensive player in the country- Winston Guy. He draws a lot of comparisons to Major Wright, for bringing the heavy hitting and great instincts to a defense. Anthony Mosley, Mychal Bailey and Randall Burden should step up and make some big plays too. And then there's Danny Trevathan, who can blitz as a linebacker and can play decent coverage as well. This will be a decent pass rush, mainly because nobody expects it to be.

6) Florida Gators

There's only one reason Florida is this high. It's because their front 7 promises to be deadly. It will pick up the pass defense, which loses Ahmad Black and Janoris Jenkins. What was the Gators' rock is now its Achilles heel. Jeremy Brown is the lone returning starter from one of the best secondaries in the nation, and he's a pretty dependable one. He'll need help, though, and between Cody Riggs, incoming freshmen Marcus Roberson and Chris Johnson, he should get some. The pass defense will rely on big blitzes from a particularly evil front 7 to carry it.

7) Auburn Tigers

Neiko Thorpe and Demond Washington are two pretty decent corners having been through a championship run. They'll know what to do when it comes to locking down on the big time receivers, which will be a necessity come big games. The pass defense may actually be a strength of the Tigers in 2011, compared to 2010 when it was a liability. A big question mark: what does the pass rush do to pitch in?

8) Tennessee Volunteers

Humongous question: Does Janzen Jackson play? Every day, something different: he'll play, no he won't, he's back in school, he won't play though, and on and on and on. Oh and what's up with Brent Brewer? (thug) What's going to happen with the pass rush? This team could shoot way up or drop even lower depending on who actually plays for them come September 3rd. The 8 slot is just a purgatory for Tennessee.

9) Mississippi Rebels

Damien Jackson and Marcus Temple are unheard of outside of Oxford, Mississippi. They don't care. Temple was the one who stuffed Tim Tebow on the fourth and one in the Swamp, forty thousand years ago. But he's done much more than that since then. So has Jackson, namely recording 44 solo tackles a year ago as a freshman in the secondary. Unfortunately, too many passes were caught to make that look impressive. We'll see how much that changes in 2011.

10) Georgia Bulldogs

Brandon Boykin might be one of the best cornerbacks in college football. He drew some big time receivers a year ago, and held his own. And now, Alec Ogletree seems ready to step up and play well as a safety to complement him. Shawn and Nick Williams will likely be behind him, along with Bacarri Rambo. But now the question must be asked: what will happen with Todd Grantham's new defensive scheme? The answer will determine Georgia's success.

11) South Carolina Gamecocks

It's weird to see a team picked by many to win its division so low in the rankings for anything. But the truth is, Carolina was bad defending the pass last year as well. It's just too bad that Florida didn't take advantage of that. Devonte Holloman and Stephon Gilmore aren't bad, but both have tendencies to jump too quickly and get beaten. That cannot happen if Carolina wants to repeat as East Champions. It happened too much last year, too bad Florida never threw or it would have been the Gators in ATL instead. But they can't hide it this year. Florida and maybe even Georgia will punish them if they jump too quickly.

12) Vanderbilt Commodores

And here lies the Vanderbilt Commodore pass defense, in it's rightful position of dead last. If you allowed a Steve Addazio offense to burn you, you lost your respect. And UF hung 55 on the Dores last year. That same defense returns, including defensive back Jay Fullam and linebacker Chris Marve. Neither is bad, but the whole defense is. Watch for the worst offenses to have a field day with this inept defense- much like Florida did last year.

Today, we take a look at the ground games of all 11 SEC teams (and Vanderbilt).

1) South Carolina

Marcus Lattimore on his own can get the Gamecocks the top slot here.  But it also has something to do with the fact that the Gamecocks can pass really well too, and so it's not like Lattimore is the only guy that can hurt a defense. Kenny Miles is a worthy backup and could probably start for some lower SEC teams. It's not really a one two punch, more like a hydrogen bomb followed by a grenade. Both have explosive power, but Lattimore has more. Anyway, if South Carolina is going to repeat as SEC East Champs, their running game will carry them.

2) Auburn Tigers

Mike Dyer is every bit as good as Lattimore, but nobody knew it because Cam Newton and Nick Fairley stole the limelight. Even with his spectacular BCS Championship performance, where he saved the Tigers with a pair of big fourth quarter runs, Wes Byrum, Newton and Fairley all got the praise. He'll share the load with fellow speedster Onterio McCalebb. Together, the pair will be the focal point of Auburn's offense. Whatever success Auburn has in 2011, it will be thanks to these ridiculously underrated two running backs.

3) Alabama Crimson Tide

With Mark Ingram dearly departed, it finally becomes Trent Richardson's show.  There's no doubt that Richardson is better. He's far more explosive than the Brandon Jacobs-esque Ingram and showed it against Penn State a year ago. Eddy Lacy and Dee Hart, two promising underclassmen, will back Richardson up. This is probably the deepest corps of great running backs, but neither Lacy nor Hart has proven anything, so they have to sit at #3 for now. I will say this- if both of them reach their full potential, this Alabama offense will be something to fear.

4) LSU Tigers

LSU has quietly established itself as running back university- RBU. First was Jacob Hester, then came Charles Scott, and then came Stevan Ridley- all very dependable, solid running backs that would always get the tough yards for you. Who's next in line? How about Michael Ford and Spencer Ware, two lightning quick tailbacks that can also pound it up the middle? Yeah, and there's also Reuben Randle and Russell Sheppard, who will play the Percy Harvin/Dexter McCluster position. If those two are used at running back at all, LSU's running game will be deadly.

5) Arkansas Razorbacks

Knile Davis is working with the gift of being the sideshow to the offense. That's just fine and dandy with him. He's an incredibly gifted running back who will likely be used early to ease Tyler Wilson into the offense. The problem for Arkansas is that he's the only proven threat at running back. Until the Hogs get another big time ball carrier, they'll just sit here in the middle of the pack in the running game. And they might not even care, given how deadly their passing game appears to be in the 2011 season.

6) Mississippi State Bulldogs

Dan Mullen loves running spread oriented offenses. His QB, Chris Relf, will be a huge part of it. Vick Ballard is the running back taking the pitches, and he's a major threat to break one and be gone. He's big with speed, a scary combo for any defense.  Sophomore LaDarius Perkins may get the next highest number of carries, and he has some speed as well despite a big frame. Next comes Robert Elliot, an agile running back who hasn't gotten a shot to do much yet with everyone ahead of him. In short, this is an extremely deep pool of good, but not great, running backs.

7) Mississippi Rebels

Brandon Bolden is a one man show. He can do it all: juke, power forward, run like hell, and block. He is a legitimate NFL running back playing on a bad team, which is why the Rebels are so low. There's nobody else nearly as good as Bolden to back him up. Enrique Davis figures to get the backup role, and though he's certainly not bad, he's no Bolden. The Rebels also have decent blocking to give these guys holes to run through. This will be Ole Miss's only offense for now, so they will rely heavily on Bolden to carry them.

8) Florida Gators

Many might be surprised to see the Gators this low. But with Jeff Demps' future up in the air, it's impossible to say how good the running game really is.  I'm assuming for now that Demps is NOT returning because it's only going to hurt if we assume we have him and then don't. The Gators do have some talent, with Mack Brown and Michael Gillislee returning. But it's never easy for running backs to get the hang of completely new offenses. All of this would be OK if Chris Rainey were a running back. But with Charlie Weis moving him out wide, there's no saying who Florida has at running back at their disposal.

9) Vanderbilt Commodores

The Commodores have a solid tandem of running backs in Warren Norman and Zac Stacy. Norman's season ended four weeks early and Stacy's ended against Florida. They had a combined 790 yards through 15 total games- about 53 yards a game each- not bad considering that they had horrible blocking. The offensive line should be a little better this year, freeing them up some. It should launch their names as running backs to keep an eye out for for the NFL Draft.

10) Tennessee Volunteers

Had Bryce Brown stayed at UT, this would have been a fearsome ground game. But Tauren Poole will have to do it all by himself, with a little help from David Oku. I'm not sure how much the Vols will run, though, with Justin Hunter being the most underrated receiver in the SEC. They'll probably throw a lot more, but Derek Dooley can get unpredictable at times with his play-calling (where have we heard that before?) so who knows?

11) Kentucky Wildcats

They've lost everything from Hurricane NFL Draft 2011. It came and swept away Randall Cobb, Derrick Locke and QB Mike Hartline. So who steps in and runs the ball? Donald Russell is the leading rusher returning, and he had a decent 2010, hidden behind the aforementioned Cobb/Locke. Raymond Sanders will back him up, but it's so hard to have success when you have no offensive line AND two new running backs. And Kentucky will struggle plenty.

12) Georgia Bulldogs

Everybody take a timeout and laugh at Georgia. Now you probably look idiotic laughing in public, so stop.

It seems like every day, another UGA runner runs away from the program. Isaiah Crowell is literally the only one left, and he very well may be the best running back in the country. But he better be, because if not, Georgia's football program will sink to depth previously only reached by German submarines and Cecil Newton's morals.

Onto Day 2 of SEC team rankings!!! Today we look at which teams should have the best passing offense in the SEC.

1) Arkansas Razorbacks

QB: Tyler Wilson

The Hogs have hands down the best looking passing offense in the SEC, and maybe the nation. Ryan Mallet departs, but his backup proved to be not only talented, but ready to step up under pressure. Tyler Wilson takes over full time in 2011, and just like Mallet, he'll have a dizzying array of weapons at his disposal. These include Joe Adams, Jairus Wright and Greg Childs. Gator fans may remember Childs for catching a bomb in the Swamp in 2009. Arkansas also has running back Knile Davis, who can catch some in the flat and go a long way. The offensive line should be stout again, giving Wilson all day to make a big play. This will be an offense for even the best defenses to watch out for.

2) Florida Gators

QB: John Brantley

It's very hard to do this, because it's exactly the type of talk that will lead to a collapse. The Gators have embraced the underdog role, and putting their passing offense at #2 undoes all that. But go look at the personnel. Charlie Weis, the mastermind behind New England's Super Bowls, a former High School Player of the Year at QB, and enough speed at wide receiver to form an Olympic relay team. If anybody can shake Brantley out of his slump, it's going to be Weis, who has made future Hall Of Famers out of nobodies. Or it will be Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, AC Leonard, Omarious Hines or Frankie Hammond with a big catch and run. Watch out for Quinton Dunbar, who had a monster spring. The big issue will be whether or not the new offensive line can block long enough.

3) South Carolina Gamecocks

QB: Stephen Garcia

Assuming Garcia stays sober the whole season, he'll have a field day picking apart defenses between Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffrey.  And of course Marcus Lattimore can do some damage on screen plays, which count as passing yards. Jeffrey will take Julio Jones' place as the SEC's top receiver, and Tori Gurley has a chance to take AJ Green's place at #2. Carolina probably won't run as much next year, since most teams will be playing the run more now that Marcus Lattimore is no longer a secret. So look for huge things out of Spurrier's airmail attack.

4) Tennessee Volunteers

QB: Tyler Bray

Lost in a woeful spring game for Bray was his outstanding performance in the entire spring. Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers are two of the most underrated players in the entire nation. If Bray can have a 2011 like he did a 2010 season, UT's passing game will be fearsome. The only major question mark is the offensive line. It was awful a year ago. Can Derek Dooley and company turn that around? They'd better because if they don't, one of the most fun offenses to watch to the neutral fan will be reduced to nothing.

5) Alabama Crimson Tide

QB: AJ McCarron/Philip Sims

Alabama probably won't pass a whole lot, but when they do, it's something to watch out for. Darius Hanks will take Julio Jones' spot, and Marquize Maze will help out some. Perhaps a bigger question is who plays QB? Will it be AJ McCarron or Philip Sims? Or a rotation? The two very well may rotate, but like Ryan said way back, rotating QB's usually do not work for long. The difference here is that Jim McElwain is not retarded like Stevio, and plus Alabama has dangerous receivers. Alabama has a pretty good offensive line, too. But inconsistency will plague this team with two different flavors at QB, dropping them to the middle of the pack.

6) Georgia Bulldogs

QB: Aaron Murray

AJ Green may be dearly departed, but UGA still has Murray, a highly underrated QB that can sling it with the best of them and can make plays with his feet if need be. That dual threat doesn't sit well with other SEC teams. To take Green's spot, Georgia will use Tavarres King, who is dangerous in one on one coverage more than people think. The other big option is Orson Charles, a tight end who played high school ball with Murray. The running game has been reduced to Isaiah Crowell and nothing else, so look for Mark Richt to lean heavily on this passing attack to keep his job another year.

7) Mississippi State Bulldogs

QB: Chris Relf

MSU passes even less than Alabama, but when they do, it can be deadly. Chris Relf is a running QB that can throw, not the other way around. Because of this, defenses always think run whenever he touches the ball. And because of this, when he throws, especially to Chad Bumphis, big things can happen. Bumphis is an explosive Percy Harvin/Dexter McCluster-esque player who can make guys miss. And Arceto Clark is a fearsome weapon, too. Look for MSU to pass a little bit more in Year 3 under Dan Mullen, now that his guys have things figured out. And look for it to work very well.

8) Auburn Tigers

QB: Kiehl Frazier/Barret Trotter

The Tigers lose more than anybody in the country, which is why their passing offense drops way down. They do have a little firepower returning on offense, with Emery Blake and Terrell Zachery. Those two, along with tailback Mike Dyer, will keep the offense above disgraceful. But the offensive line is a mess, and it will not be easy to replace Newton to say the least. This passing attack will be decent, but that's a steep dropoff from the touchdown machine it was a year ago.

9) LSU Tigers

QB: Jordan Jefferson

Can Steve Kragthorpe truly resurrect the abysmal offense that belonged to Louisiana State University in 2010? That's been one of the top questions since he was hired as offensive coordinator of the Tigers. He'll be working with a guy that can always take off when he needs to, which is a huge positive- when something goes wrong, just run away. He will have two receivers just waiting to explode into the top 5 in the country- Reuben Randle and Russell Sheppard. They are fast, can catch, and can break tackles. That's a terrifying trio of talents. If Kragthorpe can get something big out of Jefferson, this passing offense will shoot up the rankings.

10) Mississippi Rebels

QB: ???

So many question marks surround the Rebels passing offense. Who's playing QB? Who's going to step up out of nowhere and become Ole Miss' big receiver? Jeremiah Masoli tried, but failed to jump start the Rebels a year ago. Now he's gone and so is Nathan Stanley. Raymond Cotton figures to start at QB. Brandon Bolden may take some pressure off at running back, and he may take some screen passes in third and longs. Melvin Harris is the Rebs best returning receiver, and will probably be relied on heavily- maybe too heavily. This pass offense will suck, period.

11) Kentucky Wildcats

QB: Morgan Newton

The Wildcats lost all the pieces of an explosive 2010 offense. The QB, Mike Hartline, the running back Derrick Locke, and the multipurpose man, Randall Cobb all leave. With so many question marks surrounding the Cats, the passing offense will sputter. Newton isn't bad, but he desperately needs receivers to step up and make big plays for him. If this doesn't happen, it will be a miracle if UK can win 5 games the entire season.

12) Vanderbilt Commodores

QB: Larry Smith

Larry Smith returns with no weapons at his disposal under new head coach James Franklin. If you can get a 2400 on your SAT, and can catch passes, please call Mr. Franklin. If this fails to happen, Vanderbilt will have a Vanderbilt type season. Because the Dores have exactly no firepower returning in the passing game. Warren Norman and Zac Stacy are dependable runners, but watch defenses play the run and dare Smith to throw. Which he cannot do without receivers.

I've recently discovered that I have more time than I thought. I'm settled in well, and I have time for another big post.

So what I'm going to do is rank some things in the SEC.

I'll start with coaches' hot seats.

1) Mark Richt, Georgia

This should not come as a surprise. Richt's Bulldogs have gone 14-12 in the last two years. Despite the fact that we Gators know that that's about right for a Georgia team, the athletic office in Athens doesn't quite think that way. Even 2008 was a disaster. A preseason #1 ranking turned to ashes in a Cocktail Party ambush, a few short weeks after getting beaten at home by Alabama, and a few short weeks before being shocked at home by unranked Georgia Tech. 2009 and 2010 have been far worse, but the point is, it's been 3 consecutive underachieving seasons for Georgia. If it becomes 4, Mark Richt becomes unemployed. And the par level in Athens is pretty high now. Anything short of winning the SEC East and a win against either Florida or Boise State and he's probably gone.

2) Derek Dooley, Tennessee

There is a major dropoff from 1 to 2. But it's pretty clear to see why Dooley is #2. His first year was actually worse than Kiffin's. He has said, and Tennessee has backed him up, that his winning games would take time. OK, cool. But if it doesn't at least make a run at an SEC East title this year, he'll be in trouble. He needs to perform well this year. He's had a year to get settled in. He's no longer a rookie with big bright eyes. If UT doesn't win at least 8 games, he'll be in big trouble in 2012.

3) Gene Chizik, Auburn

Why is the guy who just took an unproven team to the BCS Championship #3 on the hotlist? Well, the NCAA has made it pretty clear that they're going to camp out in Auburn's backyard for a while. If anything is discovered involving Chizik that's a major violation, I'm not so sure his job is very safe. The Cam Newton story delivered a major blow to his job security right when it seemed like firing him would be dumber than trading a new Cadillac and an SUV to be named later for a rusty old Volkswagon. Even if he wins, if something we don't know about comes up, watch out Gene.

4) Houston Nutt, Mississippi

After back to back 9-4 seasons capped off with convincing Cotton Bowl wins with a team that won 3 SEC games the previous 3 years, you've got some job security for at least a year. Well, that year is over, and it's time for a new one. A disgusting 2010 season lowlighted by home losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt is not what you want to build on those 9-4 campaigns. Hell, 9-4 isn't what you want to follow 9-4 with. If 2011 doesn't see Ole Miss win a bowl game, this guy's in jeopardy.

5) Bobby Petrino, Arkansas

From here on out, it's pretty much by default. Petrino's Hogs were great in 2010, but with the same team minus Mallet remaining, 2011 should be even better. Guess what? It better be because if there's a dropoff, everybody says it's all because of Mallet that Arkansas did so well, and not because of Petrino's coaching. There's no excuse for Petrino's team to fall in 2011, and if there is, 2012 becomes a hot seat year for him.

6) James Franklin, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt's athletic office will never come out and say it, but they probably give coaches gold watches if they can last out two years. Nobody wants to be here but young hotshot coaches. This is a hotseat job for the former Maryland OC not because of pressure of being fired, but the frustration of getting pounded by teams that look horrible a week later against a real team. How long can Franklin hang on? Normally, Vandy coaches have the most job security, but Franklin deserves better. This is simply a transition job, nothing more, for Franklin.

7) Les Miles, LSU

Wait if... Tennessee used its brains and only sent out 11 players on the final play? What if the tight end reverse failed against Alabama? What if the fake field goal failed against Florida? That's 3 more losses, and suddenly that record reads 7-5. Yep, he's Lucky the Lesprechaun, and he'd better keep getting those breaks, because if not, he'll be beheaded by Tiger fans. Hell, Tiger fans wanted his head after the Tennessee game... the game that boosted his team's record to 5-0. And the same was true for the Florida game, which made LSU 6-0. If LSU doesn't win 10, he's in big trouble.

8) Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

A gigantic season looms for MSU and Mullen. How do they build off the tremendous success they enjoyed in 2010? By doing better of course. But Mullen has nothing to worry about since this is MSU and not Florida/Texas/Michigan/Alabama/Oklahoma where there are gigantic expectations. He's fine, even if the Bulldogs lose 7 games, because his breakthrough 2010 season gave him that security blanket. MSU would have to go 3-9 to put Mullen on the hot seat.

9) Joker Phillips, Kentucky

He's kept Rich Brooks' level of success through his first year, give him that. Give him this, too: if Kentucky was to go 0-12, he'd still have a job at UK. That's how low of a profile the Wildcats' football team has. It's below sea level. There's nothing Phillips can do to lose his job. He's got a decent team returning, too, although probably not good enough to contend for an SEC East title. And he doesn't have to.

10) Will Muschamp, Florida

If Jeremy Foley was not the AD, and somebody far more impulsive was, Muschamp would be way, way up high, because this is Florida. Foley is pretty quick with his trigger finger- for somebody in his third year at least, if not longer. However, Muschamp was the first and only guy Foley went after. So he's got a year or two to prove Foley right about the move. He does need to at least match last year's 8-5 record, but that shouldn't be a problem given that Florida has so much talent and that the Gators should start out 4-0. Go look at UF's schedule.

11) Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

Considering that SC has never had much football success at all, Spurrier would have to have a Vandy type season (2-10) in order to lose his job in year 7 of his tenure. Well, at least one, and probably two. After breaking over the hump (sort of) last year, his job is well secure for at least two, maybe three years.

12) Nick Saban, Alabama

Fresh off of winning the BCS Championship, Saban's Crimson Tide stumbled to a 10-3 season in 2010. The fact that Saban is loved by everybody associated with Alabama, combined with his 36-5 record the last 3 years, means he's not going anywhere. He'll probably be right back in the national title mix, too.

The day we've all been waiting for! Day 12...the last day in my segment which culminates with; The University of Florida Gators. Very appropriate that SEC Media Days opens in Hoover, Alabama today.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...the last six years for the Gator football program under the direction of head coach Urban Meyer have been mostly the first. Last season however saw his youngsters finish an uncharacteristic 8-5 campaign that left many wondering just where the direction of this team was headed. Coaches could not decide between one of three quarterbacks and the passing game was a struggle with every snap. This was the 10th best offense in the SEC. The times they are a changin'...and how. Urban Meyer resigned and an entirely new coaching staff has been hired.

So what exactly changes in The Swamp on Saturdays?

After the Spring Game there were alot of questions.

The Gators played a spring game, with little positives to talk about. It was kind of ugly. Quarterback John Brantley was 4-14 for just 45 yards and started the game with five straight incomplete passes.

Brantley threw a gorgeous deep ball early in the game that was dropped by Quinton Dunbar, in which after, Brantley dropped his head and walked back to the huddle. If Brantley wants to be successful he has to gain more of a leader's confidence.

Running back Chris Rainey had some explosive plays and freshman tight end A.C. Leonard had two nice catches. Redshirt freshman Tyler Murphy started the game for the orange team and went 7-11 for 68 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception that was tipped by a receiver.

I think I speak for most who were present like myself that the best part of the day was probably at halftime, when the Gators honored the three Heisman trophy winners Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow.

The blue team went on to defeat the orange team with a un-inspired score of 13-10.

For those following recruiting, clamoring how much top-tier talent resides on this roster is just stating the obvious. Florida will be better than last year talent wise but it's also still exceedingly young.

The offense has to improve.

Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis has installed a true pro-style offense. Senior John Brantley will line up under center while seniors Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps take the majority of the handoffs from deep in the backfield giving the running backs more time to read the gaps and plan cutback lanes. There will be plenty of play action, a concentration on throwing the ball deep and much more use out of tight end Jordan Reed, one of last year's rotating quarterbacks.

The new coaching staff will be implementing new schematics in an effort to overcome the shortcomings in the Gators passing attack. Consistency and dropped balls routinely handcuffed this offense last year. The new pro-style offense will call on bigger receivers. Five of the seniors in this unit are all 5'11 or shorter. In Meyer's spread offense these smaller types were often utilized. That won't be the case with Weis, at least on the outside, so look for a few of the younger guys to take advantage of this situation.

While sophomore Quinton Dunbar has been making a splash as a big playmaker, junior Frankie Hammond is proving to be the most consistent. Both possess great speed. Kick return specialist Andre Debose has talent to be a factor if he can stay healthy and absorb the playbook.

With key losses on the Offensive Line with the departure of All-American, Mike Pouncey and OT Marcus Gilbert. Guys like Xavier Nixon, Jonotthan Harrison, James Wilson, and Jon Halapio will have to step up and fill some big shoes.

Nixon was a part-time starter a year ago but supposedly has dropped about 30 pounds this off-season. He will need to gain that weight back before summer ends. Halapio and Harrison have the most secure staring jobs at this point. The rest could be anyone's guess.

This year's Gators defense is interesting.

With the loss of All-American cornerback Janoris Jenkins, there is only one senior on the defensive starting depth chart.

All the players in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's defense say he and Will Muschamp, who was previously the defensive coordinator at Texas, have been swapping back and forth between the 3-4 and 4-3 schemes early and often. The versatility of the Gators' personnel makes it easy for the defense to have its two faces. Essentially, the switch between a three-man front and a four-man front can be as simple as linebacker/defensive end Ronald Powell walking up to the line and putting his hand down. Fortunately for this Gator team, the defensive line is utterly stacked with future NFL Pro Bowl talent, yes a reach of a prediction but nonetheless quite logical given the accolades of these sophomore studs up front. Easley, Floyd and Powell...for those that have not heard these names yet, you soon will.

The defense is full of high school All-Americans who are young and have yet to prove they can dominate in college like they did on the prep level.

But the potential definitely is there. Remember, prior to the 2010 season, who really had heard of Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley?

Is there a Fairley or two (or three or four...) on the Florida roster? We will definitely find out.

The schedule doesn't set up well for the Gators, with that October stretch that includes Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia four times in a row with only the Alabama game being played at The Swamp. The non-conference schedule outside of normal rival Florida State is a breeze. But that's the Gator calling card when addressing the difficulty of the SEC grind stone and who can blame them? Considering that Florida failed to finish in the Top 25 a year ago makes it impossible to hand them their usual Top 5 or even Top 10 ranking to start.

If the Gators do in fact finish the season 10-2, there is no question they will be in the Georgia Dome playing for the SEC title. The hire of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was huge, and I think it will pay dividends not only this season but for years to come.

I don't think a BCS bowl game is expected this year but it could very well happen in a very sub-par SEC East. I believe in the end, that Florida goes 9-3 in the regular season and misses out on the SEC championship game to a very good South Carolina team.

Regardless of the final record, the Gators are a team that is moving in the right direction and should be a national championship contender once again in no time. "I say it's Great to Be a Florida Gator!"

Grade: B+

My SEC Championship predictions:

LSU vs. South Carolina

LSU wins 28-24

Day 11 of the "12 Teams in 12 Days" segment, takes us to the Bayou in Baton Rouge, where I am breaking down the Lousiana State University Tigers.

The LSU Tigers certainly overcame expectations last season and managed an 11-2 record in 2010. Their only losses were on the road to then-No. 5 Auburn 17-24 and then-No. 12 Arkansas 23-31. The Tigers would beat Texas A&M 41-24 in the Cotton Bowl. LSU now has a ton of momentum heading into 2011.

Head coach Les Miles owns a 90-38 record and a national championship in his six years at LSU. He is thought by most to be a very underrated coach, and may have his best team of his career at LSU heading into the fall. The Tigers welcome back 15 starters and 54 lettermen.

The only big questions surrounding LSU and the few things seperating them from a Natonal Championship this year is.....

Their offense.

Can new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe make that much of a difference? It was a complete and total miracle that LSU won 11 games with the nation’s 107th ranked passing game, 92nd in passing efficiency, and 11th in the SEC in total offense. The team might be good enough to challenge for the SEC title as is, but if it wants to play for the national title, and that’s a realistic expectation, the attack can’t stink. Kragthorpe isn’t looking to rebuild the machine, but he’s looking to simplify how it works by making the reads easier for the quarterbacks. The moves have worked so far as Jordan Jefferson has thrown well in early practices, while the coaching staff has said it likes what Jarrett Lee and Zach Mettenberger were doing. With eight starters returning, including the entire offensive line, the expectations are for the production to start to come.

The Tigers do lose RB Stevan Ridley, who carried the load with 1,147 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Jefferson was their second-leading rusher, and their No. 3 was Michael Ford. Ford is back, but he’ll likely have to watch from the bench as electric sophomore Spencer Ware gets the bulk of the carries.

LSU loses their top wideout Terrance Toliver, who had 41 catches for 579 yards and 5 touchdowns last season. They bring back their No. 2 and No. 3 receivers in juniors Ruben Randle and Russell Sheppard, respectively. Look for sophomore Kadron Boone to step in and take Toliver’s place. They also add in freshman WR Jarvis Landry, one of the top recruits in the country.

With the exception of second-team All-SEC LT Joseph Barksdale, who was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Raiders, the offensive line returns intact.  They have nine of their top ten linemen back in all.  Sophomore Chris Faulk will battle it out with redshirt freshman La’el Collins for the starting left tackle job.  Both were top ten recruits along the offensive line coming out of high school.

Their defense on the other hand is one of the best in the business.

Only one year since Miles has taken over have the Tigers allowed more than 19.9 points/game.  LSU is coming off a 2010 season in which they gave up just 18.2 points and 307 total yards per game.  They bring back seven starters on defense and should be just as dominant in 2011.

The defensive line is the biggest concern, where they lose two starters.  Second-team All-American DT Drake Nevis and DT Lazarius Levingston were each selected in the NFL Draft.  Senior DE Kendrick Adams and sophomore DE Sam Montgomery return.  The Tigers add in freshman DT Anthony Johnson, a top five recruit.

LSU welcomes back five of their top six linebackers from last season, but lose their best one.  MLB Kevin Sheppard has departed after earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2010.  Senior Linebackers Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois each return to their starting positions.

The secondary was a team strength a year ago as the Tigers surrendered only 170 passing yards per game and 57 percent completions. They lose CB Patrick Peterson, who earned the Jim Thorpe and Bednarik Awards.  He was also named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was drafted No. 5 overall by the Arizona Cardinals.  The Tigers bring back eight of their top 12 defensive backs, including seven very highly touted players. CB Morris Claiborne earned second-team All-SEC honors and is their top cover corner. This figures to be one of the best secondaries in the land despite the loss of Peterson.

LSU's schedule this season opens up with a huge game against the Oregon Ducks in Dallas. Then the Tigers travel to Mississippi State to face a very good Bulldog team, followed by an out-of-conference game in Morgantown against the West Virginia Mountaineers. But what is key for LSU, is, they get Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas at home in Tiger Stadium. But have to face Bama in Tuscaloosa for what will most likely be for the SEC West and a trip to Atlanta.

The Tigers have the makings of a National Contender this year. Their defense is better and their offense is better. The winner of the LSU/Alabama game will be going to Atlanta, and I have the Tigers winning that game in OT. LSU has not only the best team in the SEC this year; they hae one of the best teams in the nation. LSU and the "Lucky Les" squeak out some close wins and go 11-1 in the regular season and they give the SEC a chance to have 6 back-to-back champions.

Grade: A+

It's been six years since the Georgia Bulldogs have played in a SEC title game and it's been over two years since the Bulldogs have won 10 or more games in a season.

And if the Bulldogs win the SEC Championship, they could have a inside track on the national title.

It would be great for UGA fans to see the Bulldogs have a big year because it would be the dream season they have waited years for.

But what other scenarios would make this a dream season? What are some things that have to happen that would make the 2011 season a major success?

Well, you can count out Caleb King and Washaun Ealey to help the Dawgs. King was ruled academically ineligible for the season and Ealey transferred from UGA back in May.

In 2010, King rushed for 430 yards and Ealey rushed for 811 yards while the two combined for 13 touchdowns; 11 for Ealey and two for King. That means Georgia must find a way to replace 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns from a true freshman, In Isiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas who rushed for 272 yards in 2010.

Fair or not, all the attention for Georgia comes down to Isiah Crowell who was expected to compete for the starting job even with King and Ealey in the backfield. Now, Crowell has all the pressure in the world and will be expected by Georgia fans to come in and do what South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore did last year. Regardless of the hype, it is unfair to think that Crowell can replicate what Lattimore did in his true freshman year where he was third in the SEC in rushing with 1,197 and 17 touchdowns.

Also, the Georgia running game was to be a strength due to the loss of All-American wide receiver A.J. Green, so there will be more added pressure on quarterback Aaron Murray. Georgia must establish a running game of some sort just so that they do not become one-dimensional. Even without King and Ealey, Georgia will be tough to beat this season.

Grade: A-

After a few weeks on vacation, I'm back to finish my "12 Teams in 12 Days" segment. And today we travel to Oxford, Mississippi to break down the Ole Miss Rebels.

The Rebels are an interesting storyline in the SEC.

After back-to-back Cotton Bowl wins, the Ole Miss football program fell on hard times in 2010. A small senior class, a lack of leadership and some off-the-field issues, among other things, resulted in a 4-8 campaign and a rude awakening for all involved.

Last year's final game for the Ole Miss Rebels pretty much summed up their performance throughout the season. It wasn't the fact that they were lacking in talent because that was not the case. It just seemed as though they were flat, and couldn't make the plays when they needed to.

It clearly did not help things that transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli tried to do everything himself all the time. But even with Masoli trying to carry the Rebel squad on his shoulders throughout the season, the Rebs scored points.

The offseason was highly productive, physically and mentally, and the Rebs went into spring training with a different mindset, led by junior outside linebacker D.T. Shackelford.

But spring had its share of setbacks as well. Head Coach Houston Nutt promised a physical spring to bring back the toughness he felt his team lost in 2010. While completely necessary, the price paid was a rash of spring injuries to some key players, including Shackelford, who will most likely miss the 2011 season after tearing an ACL. Fortunately, D.T. is the only one of the wounded not expected back when fall camp rolls around in August, but some younger players who will be counted on missed valuable time and reps.

On offense, the coaches seem optimistic about the offensive line, led by senior left tackle Bradley Sowell and junior right tackle Bobby Massie. There’s a healthy mix of experience, leadership, depth and talent, albeit some of the players vying for quality time are on the young side. In spring, the run blocking was a plus while the pass protection improved.

Another “strength” area on offense is at running back. Look out for Brandon Bolden, who just missed 1,000 yards rushing as a junior; and senior power runner Enrique Davis, who had an impressive spring.

Although the staff is pleased with the quarterback candidates, nothing ironclad was settled in spring training among junior Randall Mackey, a dual-threat performer; transfer sophomore Barry Brunetti, cut from the same cloth as Mackey; and JUCO transfer Zack Stoudt, a taller, bigger pro style signal-caller. All three showed signs of being able to lead the team in spring, but none are finished products at this point in time.

On defense, where the Rebs struggled last season, the loss of Shackelford was a blow, but when all 11 starters are healthy, the Rebs should show improvement due to better chemistry, more athleticism, a more determined attitude and the return of sixth-year senior leader Kentrell Lockett at defensive end will anchor this seasons defensive line.

The linebackers, despite being young and most likely without Shackelford, will be faster, bigger and, from the looks of spring, hungrier. They were the most prolific playmakers in spring training.

The good news is the Rebels should be a “better” team than in 2010. The bad news is the schedule will be tougher. The Rebels open SEC play on September 17th in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The remainder of Mississippi’s conference schedule includes Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, at Auburn, at Kentucky, LSU and at Mississippi State.

Overall the Rebs improve. But not that much. Ole Miss goes 5-7 in the regular season and misses a bowl game for the second year in a row.

Grade: C

After a few days off, I return with my "12 Teams in 12 Days" segment. Today we travel to Columbia, where I will be breaking down the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

Pretty much known as "The most mediocre program" in college football history. The number one question mark when it comes to the 2011 Gamecocks is which Stephen Garcia will show up this season. It has been a tenure of ups and downs at South Carolina for Garcia. His play on the field is generally full of ups, but when he is away from the field, his life features many downs.

Earlier this year, Garcia received an indefinite suspension following an incident, where Garcia showed up intoxicated at a mandatory offseason event for the football team. But was reinstated just about a month or so ago.

Garcia is third all-time at South Carolina in passing yards (6,753), completions (528), attempts (903), and passing touchdowns (43). He has started 28 consecutive games and has made a team-high 30 career starts overall.

Garcia needs to show that he is capable of learning, maturing, growing and being part of something that has the potential to be very good this year. Because I believe the Cocks are not the same team without him.

The Gamecocks bring back one of the SEC’s best offensive duos in national Freshman-of-the-Year running back Marcus Lattimore and All-America wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award finalist Alshon Jeffrey.

These two gave defenses fits last season.

Lattimore and Jeffery will remain the focus of the offense this season. Last year as a freshman, Lattimore notched the third-best single-season rushing total in Carolina history when he rushed for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jeffery set single-season school records in both receptions (88) and receiving yards (1,517) while leading the SEC in receiving yards per game (108.4).

Both superstars should have more depth complementing them than a season ago. Junior running backs Kenny Miles and Eric Baker both had big springs and will be joined by highly-touted recruit Shon Carson in the backfield as the trio will be asked to take some pressure off of Lattimore.

The biggest loss on offense could prove to be Patrick DiMarco who served as both a fullback and tight end and was quietly one of the Gamecocks’ best players. Justice Cunningham will replace DiMarco at tight end this season.

Defensively, Carolina loses a leader in defensive end Cliff Matthews but adds the nation’s top-ranked prospect in the 2011 class in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney will receive much of the fan attention but Devin Taylor, Travian Robertson, and Melvin Ingram will all return from a defensive line that finished fifth in the county a season ago with 41 sacks.

This year, not only will South Carolina be the favorite to win the East, but they will be among the SEC's elite.

Bank on that.

While it remains to be seen how good they can be, it is clear that this isn't your average Gamecocks team that we remember. This is a new team, with a great recruiting class, a bit of swagger, which is something the Gamecocks have not had in a while. This years Gamecocks team will look to improve on a 9-5 record.

Let's look at the Gamecocks 2011 schedule. It sets up so favorably. The toughest matchups are at Georgia and Mississippi State, with Auburn and Florida coming to Columbia.

I see an 8-4 regular season record would be worst-case scenario.  Even though people still don't want to admit it, this team, on paper is one of the most talented in the conference.  As I said before, as long as the quarterback play is solid, they could be in the hunt for the SEC title again, and we all know what potentially comes with that........a possible chance at a national title.

It is all there, with the coaching and talent, it is more than a pipe dream. South Carolina has improved in every area, didn't lose a great deal of major talent and had another solid recruiting class.

I believe the Cocks and the Ole' Ball Coach go 9-3 in the regular season and are in the hunt for an SEC title shot.

Grade: A

Day 5 of my "12 Teams in 12 Days" segment takes us to the reigning National Champions, the Auburn University Tigers.

The best news that Auburn received this offseason is that they were able to keep their most valuable player around at least one more season. No, not Cam Newton or Nick Fairley but offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. While the expectation might be low for many outsiders, this team will be a threat to win any game they play in because of the offensive schemes of Malzahn.

Despite several key losses on both sides of the ball, the running game looks to be potent once again. The dynamic duo of Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are back for another season and expect them to terrorize SEC defenses once more.

In fact, I will go on record as saying, barring any injury to either Dyer or McCalebb; with Coach Malzahn calling the plays, these two backs will beat Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams' 2004 rushing totals by several hundred yards. This dynamic duo is good for a minimum of 2,000 yards this year.

I can't help but shake my head at people who think that Alabama has stockpiled all the talent in their respective state and Auburn is sitting on a one-deep roster. Auburn is as deep with talent and has as much potential as Alabama has at most positions. However, this talent has to gain experience, and this will be the case with Auburn this season. Talent is not an issue. You are looking at an offensive line that one day soon might be the very best in all of college football. However, they are going to miss some key blocks this season. They are going to get confused on different blitzing schemes. They are not going to be perfect but instead they are going to be growing on the job.

Make no mistake about it, there is plenty of offensive line talent to go around. What remains to be seen is how long will it take before their potential becomes a reality. Last season, all the focus was on Cam Newton's ability to run the football. However, most people fail to realize he was taking on more linebackers and safetys than he was defensive linemen..The line did a great job of holding up blockers and allowing the running backs and Newton to make plays.

This will not be Auburn's season to win the West, but with enough experience this year and a favorable schedule next season, contention is just around the corner for Auburn and Coach Chizik.

There are definitely harder schedules in the SEC than the one Auburn will play. However, those teams will not be breaking in the amount of new players that the Tigers will. The first tough game of the season is Week 2, against a potentially very good Mississippi State team. The next week they have to go to Clemson who will be playing for their head coach's job. I know historically Auburn has owned Clemson, but this is a new era and a new staff. After that, they have one of the toughest stretches in all of college football in October with games against South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Florida. What do they have waiting for them as their reward for making it through that stretch? Games against Georgia and Alabama.

This season will have its ups and downs for this young Tigers team. Regardless of their record, they will be competitive and tough for any team to beat. On paper, I don't think this team finishes better than 6-6. However, if there is one thing we have learned about this team, it's that the paper doesn't tell the whole story.

I think the Tigers start the season strong at 4-0. However, October will be a rough month. Right now I have them finishing 7-5 in the regular season. But in the SEC, who knows. A break here and a break there and a few really good games by the Auburn defense, and they could be right back in the SEC West title race.

Grade: B+