SEC Football: Holes Teams Must Fill for 2012-13

The SEC had another dominant year in college football, which will be capped off by an all-SEC BCS Championship between Alabama and LSU.

However, there will be some areas in which each team will have to improve.

For some teams, it's as simple as finding a player who can step up and replace a graduating playmaker. For others, the problem may lie in finding leadership for next season.

Whatever it is, this offseason will be important for all SEC teams to evaluate their areas of need and figure out a solution to the problem.

Here are the biggest holes that each SEC team must fix for the 2012-13 college football season. 

Ole Miss: Offensive Point Production

Ole Miss went through a tumultuous season in 2011, which included firing Houston Nutt, going winless in the SEC and finishing with an abysmal 2-10 record.

The Rebels finished near the bottom of several major statistical categories, including 107th in passing yards per game, 116th in points scored per game and 95th in points allowed per game.

So, looking ahead to 2012 presents a lot of issues that need to be addressed for Ole Miss.

Their biggest area of need will be point production on offense.

In the Rebels' final four games of the season, they only scored a total of two touchdowns, which were in games against Kentucky and Louisiana Tech.

It may be even tougher for the Rebels to score in 2012.

They lose their senior running back Brandon Bolden and return two below-average quarterbacks in Randall Mackey and Zack Stoudt. Both of them combined for nine touchdowns throughout the whole season and Stoudt, who was the starting quarterback for the first three games, finished with a touchdown to interception ratio of 2:8. 

Mackey or Stoudt must make substantial improvements in their game for next season and Bolden's replacement at running back, Jeff Scott, will have to prove he can carry the majority of the team's carries for an entire season.

The offense needs to bounce back soon if the Rebels expect to have any kind of success in 2012.   

Tennessee: Running Back

The Tennessee Volunteers finished with an underwhelming 5-7 overall record, with all seven losses coming in the SEC. 

To make things worse, the Volunteers were the fourth-worst team in rushing yards per game in the nation with 90.1 ypg.

Tauren Poole was supposed to have a big 2011 season after rushing for more than 1,000 yards in 2010, but he only rushed for 693 yards and five touchdowns.

The lack of a rushing attack put a lot of pressure on Tyler Bray and Matt Simms in the passing game. With a ineffective running game, defenses were able to focus solely on the Tennessee quarterbacks, which made it tough for them to be effective themselves.

Tennessee must fix its running game if they want to have success in 2012.

Kentucky: Linebacker

Without a doubt, Kentucky's team leader this season was senior linebacker Danny Trevathan. 

He was an absolute force in the middle with 143 total tackles this season, which is actually two less than his total from last season. Trevathan's 143 tackles ranked him fifth in the nation.

Kentucky will have a hard time replacing him next season, and their linebacking corps could take a serious hit. Along with the departure of fellow senior linebacker Ronnie Snead, the Wildcats will be forced to play some players with much less experience next season.

With talented players like Trevathan and Snead leaving the program, it will be tough for Kentucky to maintain the same success at the linebacker position.

They need to fill this hole before next season rolls around and improve their backups or they could be very vulnerable on defense.

Mississippi State: Fix the Pass Defense

Mississippi State is going to a bowl game for the second straight year, which hasn't happen in over a decade.

In 2011, the offense struggled to find its identity because of a quarterback switch, but the defense remained the strong point of this Bulldogs' team.

The defense only gave up 19.9 points per game, which ranked them 19th in the nation. However, their pass defense was sub-par.

In the SEC alone, Mississippi State's ninth-ranked pass defense struggled and gave up nearly 200 yards per game. While the defense kept them competitive in many games, the lack of an effective pass defense hurt them throughout the season.

The defense gave up 252 passing yards to Louisiana Tech in a close six-point overtime win and also allowed an embarrassing 373 passing yards to Arkansas in a blowout loss late in the season.

The Bulldogs need to have more consistency in defending the pass, so the defense can be solid in all aspects and lead this team to more victories in 2012. 

Vanderbilt: Clutch Factor

Under new head coach James Franklin, Vanderbilt took a big step forward in becoming a formidable SEC football team.

The one thing that held them back was their inability to finish games.

Four of their six losses were by six points or less. The Commodores were able to keep it close in away games against Florida and Tennessee and home games against Georgia and Arkansas.

Against Tennessee, the Commodores had the first possession in overtime and put themselves in an excellent position to capture a rare win for them in Neyland Stadium, but an interception return for a touchdown gave them a crushing loss.

When they played Arkansas, who was ranked No. 10 at the time, Vanderbilt had a 14-point lead with 6:51 left in the fourth quarter. Quick turnovers on offense and a missed field goal at the end of regulation allowed Arkansas to get out of Vanderbilt with a close victory.

The Commodores need to be able to finish games in 2012 in order to become a more respected opponent by other schools in the SEC and around the country.

Florida: Running Back

This season didn't exactly go how new head coach Will Muschamp and the team thought it would.

After dropping four straight games in October, the Gators struggled to finish with a 6-6 record, including losses to rivals Georgia and Florida State.

Florida's struggles on offense were exploited much of the season, and they desperately needed better production from the quarterback and wide receiver positions. However, the Gators' biggest hole to fix in 2012 will be the running back position.

The Gators will have to replace the skill and speed of their two top running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. That leaves Florida with junior Mike Gillislee, sophomore athlete Trey Burton, freshman fullback Hunter Joyer and incoming recruit Matt Jones.

While Gator fans have been clamoring for Gillislee to receive more playing time, it is still unclear whether he can be a team's featured running back. This is the second coaching staff to keep Gillislee on the bench, so you have to wonder if this kid really has what it takes.

The Gators lack of depth at running back is a huge concern for the second straight year. If Gillislee struggles, you could very well see the Gators turning to sophomores and freshmen for production. 

If Florida can't run the ball next season, that could be a huge indicator of how the season will turn out for them in 2012.

Auburn: Quarterback

The absence of Cam Newton in the 2011 Auburn offense left a huge hole for the Auburn Tigers. 

All season long, Auburn struggled to find any consistency at the quarterback position as they cycled through three quarterbacks—Kiehl Frazier, Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley.

They combined for a measly 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and led them to the 106th ranked passing offense in the nation.

Auburn's inability to throw the ball could be contributed to an offensive line that started two freshmen and gave up 31 sacks, but I believe it was the overall talent level of the quarterbacks available.

Obviously, none of these three options can compare to a player like Newton. When someone of his caliber leaves, there will be an obvious drop off.

The concern lies in whether one of these three players can improve enough to take over the starting job, be an efficient quarterback and take some pressure off running back Michael Dyer.

With the defenses being so dominant in the SEC, Auburn needs to resolve their quarterback issue by 2012 or it could be another long season for Auburn fans.

South Carolina: Defensive Leadership

South Carolina's defense in 2011 was one of the best in school history.

They gave up only 268.9 yards per game, which ranked them as the fourth-best defense in the nation. The Gamecocks also only gave up an impressive 18.8 points per game and were ranked No. 13 nationally.

The substantial amount of success on defense can be attributed to the senior leadership.

South Carolina will be losing three key senior starters in Melvin Ingram, Rodney Paulk and C.C. Whitmore. These three players have played in a total of 133 games combined in their playing careers.

And with a team featuring a top-rated freshman Jadeveon Clowney, you cannot underestimate the impact that leadership can have on young players.

It will be interesting to see if players like Devin Taylor and Stephen Gilmore can step up into the leadership role for 2012. 

Georgia: Special Teams

The Georgia Bulldogs turned in a successful 10-3 season along with an appearance in the SEC Championship.

For the past couple seasons, the special teams of the Bulldogs have been consistently solid, despite some down years for the team.

And you can attribute the success on special teams to kicker Blair Walsh and punter Drew Butler.  

In the past three seasons Butler has been in the top 20 for punting average and won the Ray Guy award for best punter in 2009. This season was a down year for Butler, but he still averaged an impressive 44.3 yards per punt.

Butler has been considered by many as the best punter in the SEC, and his stats prove it.

Walsh struggled in 2011, making only 61 percent of his field goals. But he has been a premier kicker throughout his career.

Walsh has set several records, including an NCAA record for making a field goal in 44 consecutive games. He also holds school records in career PATs and consecutive PATs made as well as ranking second in school history and SEC history with 404 points scored.

The accolades show the amount of talent these two players had and their departure will leave a big hole in the Bulldogs' special teams for 2012. 

Arkansas: Stopping the Run

When you think about the Arkansas Razorbacks, you probably think about their high-powered offense and playmakers like Tyler Wilson and Joe Adams.

And you would be smart to think about that because the Razorbacks owe much of their success in 2011 to their offensive production and firepower.

Their defense was another story, especially against the run.

Both of Arkansas' losses this season came against tough, power running teams in LSU and Alabama.

Against Alabama the Razorbacks gave up 197 rushing yards and 286 rushing yards against LSU. The Razorback defense just couldn't matchup with the strength of their rushing attacks and were dismantled throughout both games. Arkansas, who had the ninth-best run defense in the SEC, gave up 174.3 rushing yards per game.

If they want to be considered with teams like LSU and Alabama at the top of their conference, they have to improve on that number in 2012.

Alabama: Kicker

The Alabama Crimson Tide need a kicker. And, they need one now.

Much like LSU, the Tide had virtually no holes in 2011. The defense was ranked first in the nation with 191.3 yards allowed per game and the offense leaned on their Heisman trophy finalist running back Trent Richardson.

However, the one glaring need for the Tide has been the kicker position. Since the departure of Leigh Tiffin in 2009, Alabama's special teams have struggled.

In 2010, Alabama was ranked 61st in field goal percentage, making only 76 percent of their field goals. It got worse in 2011 as they fell to 92nd in the nation with a field goal success rate of 62.1.

This is a far cry from their 83.3 field goal percentage in 2009.

The hole was most glaring in the LSU game as Cade Foster and Jeremy Shelley  went 2-for-6 and missed key field goals in both regulation and overtime that eventually lost the game for Alabama.

While Shelley has improved by making 80 percent of his field goals throughout the season, the kicker position is something that needs to be addressed by Alabama in 2012. 

LSU: Quarterback

LSU should be even stronger in 2012 and for a team that had virtually no holes in 2011.

That's a pretty scary thought.

Defensively, the Tigers will probably lose Morris Claiborne to the draft, but their defense will return seven starters. So you would imagine there would be hardly any drop off for the Tigers' defense.

If you look at the offense, their top four rushers will return in 2012, including Spencer Ware and Kenny Hilliard. At wide receiver, Odell Beckham, Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard all return as well.

Perhaps the biggest question mark will be at quarterback. Both Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson will be graduating after the season and that leaves an unproven player in Zach Mettenberger to take the reins. 

While neither Lee or Jefferson put up mind-blowing numbers this season—20 touchdowns combined—both of them were very efficient quarterbacks and game managers.

Mettenberger, who was the top-ranked ranked JUCO quarterback in 2010, has the skills to be effective. But, does he have the leadership and efficiency that Lee and Jefferson have?

Fortunately, he will have an experienced offense to lean on in 2012.