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| 2005 SEC FOOTBALL PREVIEW | |
| powered by GREATSEATS.COM | |
| August 22, 2005 | |
| Jonathan, SCS.com Editor | Contact Jonathan |
| NCAA Football Tickets | 2006 ACC Tournament Tickets | Final Four Tickets |
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| PREVIEW HOME | PREVIEW FAQ |
| PROJECTED STANDINGS | TEAM PREVIEWS |
| CAN'T MISS GAMES | ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM |
| TEAM | SEC | OVERALL |
| EAST | ||
| Florida | 6-2 | 9-2 |
| Georgia | 6-2 | 9-2 |
| Tennessee | 6-2 | 9-2 |
| South Carolina | 3-5 | 6-5 |
| Vanderbilt | 1-7 | 3-8 |
| Kentucky | 1-7 | 2-9 |
| WEST | ||
| LSU | 6-2 | 9-2 |
| Alabama | 5-3 | 8-3 |
| Auburn | 5-3 | 7-4 |
| Arkansas | 4-4 | 6-5 |
| Mississippi | 3-5 | 5-6 |
| Mississippi State | 2-6 | 4-7 |
| TITLE GAME: Florida over LSU | ||
FLORIDA
Last Season: 7-5 / 4-4
Starters Returning: 6 offense, 8 defense
Projected wins: WYO, LT, at KY, MSU, VAN, at SC
Projected losses: (none)
Toss-Ups: TN, at ALA, at LSU, GA, FSU
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-2 / 6-2
BOTTOM LINE: New coach Urban Meyer has plenty of talent to work with in his first year in Gainesville, including the SEC's best QB in Chris Leak. The schedule is no breeze, but Meyer has won everywhere he has been so far.
LSU
Last Season: 9-3 / 6-2
Starters Returning: 9 offense, 7 defense
Projected wins: NTX, at MSU, at VAN, AUB, APPST, at MISS, ARK
Projected losses: (none)
Toss-Ups: AZST, TN, FLA, at ALA
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-2 / 6-2
BOTTOM LINE: Sixteen starters return for new head man Les Miles. The Tigers have the best RB corp in the SEC, even with the recent injury to Alley Broussard. Three of LSU's four toughest league games are at home.
TENNESSEE
Last Season: 10-3 / 7-1
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 8 defense
Projected wins: UAB, MISS, at ALA, SC, MEM, VAN, at KY
Projected losses: (none)
Toss-Ups: at FLA, at LSU, GA, at ND
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-2 / 6-2
BOTTOM LINE: With fellow conference powers like UF and LSU welcoming in new coaches, the Vols have somewhat slid under the radar this fall. Though fifteen starters are back, a 1-2 start is possible with tough road trips early.
GEORGIA
Last Season: 10-2 / 6-2
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 7 defense
Projected wins: Boise, SC, ULM, at MSU, at VAN, ARK, AUB, KY
Projected losses: (none)
Toss-Ups: at TN, FLA, at GT
PROJECTED RECORD: 9-2 / 6-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Bulldogs have had a tough offseason but still remain one of the most talented teams in the league. QB D.J. Shockley steps into the spotlight as the starter, and the defense should still be stingy.
ALABAMA
Last Season: 6-6 / 3-5
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 9 defense
Projected wins: MTSU, USM, at SC, ARK, at MISS, USU, at MSU
Projected losses: FLA, TN
Toss-Ups: LSU, at AUB
PROJECTED RECORD: 8-3 / 5-3
BOTTOM LINE: UA returns nine starters from one of the best defenses in the country a season ago. QB Brodie Croyle is also back after his season-ending injury in 2004. This team could be one of the league's best.
AUBURN
Last Season: 13-0 / 8-0
Starters Returning: 6 offense, 6 defense
Projected wins: MSU, Ball St, WKY, MISS, at KY
Projected losses: at LSU, at GA
Toss-Ups: GT, SC, at ARK, ALA
PROJECTED RECORD: 7-4 / 5-3
BOTTOM LINE: Last year's undefeated season won't be matched by this team that returns just a dozen total starters. The entire backfield has left the Plains, and while the Tigers will go bowling, it won't be BCS-style.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Last Season: 6-5 / 4-4
Starters Returning: 5 offense, 4 defense
Projected wins: UCF, Troy, KY, VAN
Projected losses: at GA, at TN, FLA
Toss-Ups: ALA, at AUB, at ARK, CLEM
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-5 / 3-5
BOTTOM LINE: Steve Spurrier returns to the SEC and finds a program that, while it hasn't been bad, could use the spark he has provided. The first year won't bring miracles but could bring six wins if things go right.
ARKANSAS
Last Season: 5-6 / 3-5
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 8 defense
Projected wins: SWMO, VAN, ULM, MSU
Projected losses: at USC, at ALA, at GA, at LSU
Toss-Ups: AUB, SC, at MISS
PROJECTED RECORD: 6-5 / 4-4
BOTTOM LINE: The Hogs seem to rarely have a team that is top notch or bottom of the barrel. In fact, UA has won somewhere between five and nine games each of the last seven years. That trend should hold in 2005.
MISSISSIPPI
Last Season: 4-7 / 3-5
Starters Returning: 5 offense, 7 defense
Projected wins: at VAN, CIT, KY
Projected losses: at TN, at AUB, LSU
Toss-Ups: at MEM, WYO, ALA, ARK, at MSU
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-6 / 3-5
BOTTOM LINE: Ed Orgeron is the new man in charge for the Rebels. He has a history of success at USC but not nearly the Trojan's talent to work with in Oxford. A six-win season would get his tenure started off in style.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Last Season: 3-8 / 2-6
Starters Returning: 8 offense, 8 defense
Projected wins: Murray, at Tulane
Projected losses: at AUB, GA, LSU, at FLA, ALA, at ARK
Toss-Ups: HOU, at KY, MISS
PROJECTED RECORD: 4-7 / 2-6
BOTTOM LINE: Coach Sylvester Croom's first year in Starkville was full of ups and downs, though admittedly more of the latter. The team is better overall in 2005, but this year's schedule is not bowl game friendly.
VANDERBILT
Last Season: 2-9 / 1-7
Starters Returning: 6 offense, 5 defense
Projected wins: RICH, MTSU
Projected losses: at ARK, LSU, GA, at SC, at FLA, at TN
Toss-Ups: at WF, MISS, KY
PROJECTED RECORD: 3-8 / 1-7
BOTTOM LINE: QB Jay Cutler is one of the league's top signal callers and will try to take the 'Dores bowling for the first time in over 20 years. With just ten fellow starters returning, don't look for that streak to end this fall.
KENTUCKY
Last Season: 2-9 / 1-7
Starters Returning: 7 offense, 6 defense
Projected wins: Idaho St
Projected losses: LOU, FLA, at SC, at MISS, AUB, at GA, TN
Toss-Ups: at IND, MSU, at VAN
PROJECTED RECORD: 2-9 / 1-7
BOTTOM LINE: UK, like Vandy, won just two games a season ago. Both the Wildcats' offense and defense were ranked in the triple digits nationally a year ago, not something you can recover from in one offseason.
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| October 29 | Florida vs Georgia |
| October 8 | Georgia at Tennessee |
| October 15 | Florida at LSU |
| October 22 | Tennessee at Alabama |
| September 17 | Tennessee at Florida |
| OFFENSE | |||
| OL | Marcus McNeil | SR | Auburn |
| OL | Max Jean-Giles | SR | Georgia |
| OL | Andrew Whitworth | SR | LSU |
| OL | Aaron Sears | JR | Tennessee |
| OL | Mike Degory | SR | Florida |
| RB | Jerious Norwood | SR | Mississippi State |
| RB | Gerald Riggs Jr. | SR | Tennessee |
| WR | Courtney Taylor | JR | Auburn |
| WR | Chad Jackson | JR | Florida |
| TE | Leonard Pope | JR | Georgia |
| QB | Chris Leak | JR | Florida |
| DEFENSE | |||
| DL | Jesse Mahelona | SR | Tennessee |
| DL | Claude Wroten | SR | LSU |
| DL | Parys Haralson | SR | Tennessee |
| DL | Stanley McClover | SO | Auburn |
| LB | Freddie Roach | SR | Alabama |
| LB | Travis Williams | SR | Auburn |
| LB | DeMeco Ryans | SR | Alabama |
| DB | Jason Allen | SR | Tennessee |
| DB | Roman Harper | SR | Alabama |
| DB | Ko Simpson | SO | South Carolina |
| DB | LaRon Landry | JR | LSU |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| K | John Vaughn | JR | Auburn |
| P | Eric Wilbur | JR | Florida |
| AP | Skyler Green | SR | LSU |
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Photos Courtesy: nationalchamps.net, utsports.com, fansonly.com, cnnsi.com, auburntigers.com, alabama.scout.com, uscsports.com, hogwired.com, mississippi.scout.com, vucommodores.com, ukathletics.com
