SEC: Looking Ahead To 2009

It isn’t too hard to figure out where to start talking when it comes to the SEC.

It seems like it only takes a minute before there is a new sound bite or headline featuring the new head coach at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin.

If it isn’t about his recruiting violations, it is about something he has said, or the way he has responded to something said about him.

I think he has rubbed at least three different SEC coaches in a bad way.

Each and every game for Tennessee next season will be more interesting, just to see what will come out of his mouth in the pre- and post-game press conferences.

I think the college football nation is in a pretty solid agreement that the team to beat next season will be the Florida Gators. The defending national champions are returning arguably the best quarterback in the game today, Tim Tebow.

Tebow has two SEC titles, two national championships, and was the first ever sophomore to win the Heisman trophy. He has also brought home such trophies as the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the James E. Sullivan Award.

Florida will be the early favorite to take the SEC, and a place in the national championship game. Their biggest threat in the East is likely to be Georgia again.

Usually these two, along with Tennessee, are the constant contenders for the East. With Tennessee coming off a very down year, along with a new coaching staff, I have to believe they will not be a factor in 2009.

Coming off of a 12-2 season Alabama will be favored to win the West division in 2009. The Tide have brought in a top 10 ranked recruiting classes for several years now, and have a coach that knows how to win.

Ole Miss has emerged as a contender after a break out year in 2008. The Rebels jumped from an 0-8 conference record in 2007, to a 5-3 record in 2008.

It is hard to count out LSU as well. They do have some questions and had some what of a down year on defense in 2008. Their dominating performance in their bowl game against Georgia Tech, on the other hand, would suggest that the Tigers are a team to be taken very seriously.

There are of course a few other things going on around the conference.

Auburn made headlines with the controversial hire of Gene Chizik as the new head coach. Chizik was hired over coaches who have had more recent success.

Chizik went 5-19 in his two seasons at Iowa State, and yet somehow, was deemed the best candidate for this job?

I will give him credit for the staff he put together, including Ted Roof for his defensive coordinator, and Gus Malzahn for the offense.

Vanderbilt made their first bowl in 26 years, and they won it. Now the question arises, can they maintain this level of play, or was 2008 a one hit wonder?

To be honest, I don’t know who they have returning or who they are losing, so I don’t have much of an opinion on Vanderbilt or what kind of success they may have.

I don’t want to get into the ever popular conference debate. I think every conference has it’s up sides and down sides.

The SEC has, undoubtedly been one of the strongest conferences in recent years. Even in 2008, which most consider a down year for the conference, they still had a 6-2 bowl record, including Florida winning the national championship.

I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see an SEC team in a position to play for the national championship at the end of the season.