1. Florida Gators: Last season: 13-1 (7-1); Won Nat'l Championship.
The Gators were one missed extra point away from going undefeated last season, and there's no reason to think they can't do that again. They did lose a great weapon in Percy Harvin to the NFL, but they still have so many weapons that are returning. This team was so deep last year, and they'll be deep again in 2009.
Urban Meyer also has a solid draft class coming in, which really should be no surprise. The Gators also have a somewhat easier schedule than normal. Their non-conference sch
edule is basically a joke, with their toughest matchup being their annual Florida State game.The Gators definitely have the tools to go undefeated, but since that's so hard to do I think they'll slip up somewhere along the way in the SEC. Florida has to travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU and that will be the toughest test of the season. The home team has won the last four matchups between these two, and LSU will hand Florida their only loss of the season.
Predicted 2009 record: 11-1
Predicted finish: 1st
Players to watch: Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, Chris Rainey
2. Georgia Bulldogs: Last Season: 10-3 (6-2); 2nd (Won Capital One Bowl)
Georgia ended the 2008 season on a high note but still had to be disappointed with the overall result. Many had them winning the national championship going into 2008, but convincing losses to Alabama and Florida kept them from achieving that.
Now they have to fill the shoes of Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohammed Massaquoi. The offense definitely took a hard hit to the NFL draft, but this team will bounce back. They have a matured, fifth-year senior taking Stafford's place in Joe Cox. They also still have some great receivers, one being A.J. Green. Green caught eight touchdowns last season.
The big question isn't whether they can beat teams like Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The question is can they finally elevate to the next level and beat teams like Florida and LSU. They had a better chance last season than they will this season. Lucky for Georgia they're still second best thanks to what looks to be a down year for the SEC East overall. They start the season in pretty hostile territory as they take on Oklahoma State, which won't be easy. That result of that game could set the tone for the rest of the season.
Predicted 2009 record: 8-4
Predicted finish: 2nd
Players to watch: A.J. Green, Rennie Curran, Joe Cox
3. South Carolina Gamecocks: Last season: 7-6 (4-4); 4th (Lost in Outback Bowl)
One of toughest schedules in the SEC may end up holding the Gamecocks back this season. They have tough road games against Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. In this very weak eastern division they can still pull out four wins and finish third.
The Gamecock offense is what may end up keeping them from reaching a bowl game. Both quarterbacks struggled last season, but now one of those is gone, leaving sophomore Stephen Garcia to do the quarterback duties. He threw six touchdowns to eight interceptions last season. It doesn't help that he's playing against the best defenses in the country week in and week out.
South Carolina's defense shouldn't be taken lightly either. The defense will win some games for them and keep them out of the cellar. Not to mention having a coach like Steve Spurrier who always maximizes his team's potential.
Predicted 2009 record: 6-6
Predicted finish: 3rd
Players to watch: Stephen Garcia, Eric Norwood, Darian Stewart
4. Tennessee Volunteers: Last season: 5-7 (3-5); 5th
Last season was a season to forget as a UT football fan. Not only did they fail to reach a bowl game for the second time in recent years, but their long-time football coach Phillip Fulmer decided to step down after being the coach since 1992.
Now the Lane Kiffin experiment begins and despite violating numerous NCAA rules during this offseason this recruiting class has a lot of talent. The major recruit is running back Bryce Brown, who is regarded by many as one of the top prospects in the nation. Brown can beat you with his speed or his catching abilities. The secondary is also one of the strong points of the Vols. It might be one of the best in the SEC.
Something has to be figured out at the quarterback position, however. Neither Jonathan Crompton or Nick Stephens looked great last season. Crompton will probably end up being the starter thanks to his improved arm-strength, but another disastrous start to the season could end up being distaster once again on Rocky Top.
They will improve from last season, but not enough to make too big of a splash. Sorry UT fans, but these things take time. If the Vols can start the season of with two wins in non-conference action (Western Kentucky and UCLA) then that will give this team a ton of confidence going into the Swamp on September 19. We all know that anything can happen in college football. The Vols have a favorable non-conference schedule but will still struggle in the SEC.
Predicted 2009 Record: 7-5
Predicted finish: 4th
Players to watch: Jonathan Crompton, Eric Berry, Bryce Brown
5. Vanderbilt Commodores: Last season: 7-5 (4-4); 3rd (Won Music City Bowl)
What a great season for the Commodores in 2008, but can they repeat something that they hadn't done since 1984? The SEC still doesn't look as strong as it has in recent years and Vanderbilt has a lot of returning players from last season. The Dores did have two big losses on defense losing D.J. Moore and Reshard Langford.
The offense is still the weak spot for Vanderbilt, mostly due to the passing game that averaged only 112 yards a game in 2008. Coach Bobby Johnson has two choices at quarterback. He can either go with experience and take Mackenzi Adams, or raw talent with sophomore Larry Smith. Don't forget, Smith led the Commodores to a win in the Music City Bowl. They'll both battle it out for the starting job in training camp.
The linebacker position is the strongest part of the Dores defense and the rushing defense is expected to be solid. It's going to be hard for the Dores to reach their second-straight bowl game, but it's definitely not crazy to think it could happen. Bobby Johnson proved last season that he's turned out to be a great coach and that he's making the Vandy football program better and better. I like Vandy to sneak into another bowl game despite finishing towards the bottom in the SEC East.
Predicted 2009 record: 6-6
Predicted finish: 5th
Players to watch: Jared Hawkins, Chris Marve, Terence Jeffers
6. Kentucky Wildcats: Last season: 7-6 (2-6); 6th (Won Liberty Bowl)
The Wildcats have slowly improved over the past three seasons, almost like Vanderbilt. What held Kentucky back last season was their offense, again like Vanderbilt. Something has to give between these two teams in 2009. That something is coaching. I'm not sure if Rich Brooks is the right fit for a Kentucky team that has gotten a little better over the past few year, but still took a step back last season.
The offense has some promise but still has a lot to prove. The defense also has a lot to prove. They lost some great players on defense in the offseason, including linebacker Braxton Kelley and defensive end Ventrell Jenkins. It could have been worse if a few other players would've decided for the draft, but instead decided to stay in Lexington.
Kentucky's defense will keep them in a lot of games, but the schedule is so tough that I don't think the unproven offense will deliver in high-pressure SEC games. Kentucky will compete hard this season, but that won't be enough to break out of the cellar.
Predicted 2009 record: 5-7
Predicted finish: 6th
Players to watch: Randall Cobb, Micah Johnson, Trevard Lindley
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