Tennessee's defensive priorities for Auburn haven't changed since the first week of October. It has to slow down star tailbacks Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown.

But the Vols' concerns don't end there. Even if they are effective against Williams and Brown, they still have to deal with quarterback Jason Campbell in Saturday's SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome.

Before his senior season, Campbell was best known as the person who handed the football to Williams and Brown. Auburn fans didn't expect him to win the game for them. They just hoped he wouldn't lose it.

All Campbell does now is win. He is a caretaker turned playmaker, a former middle-of-the-road SEC quarterback who has become the All-SEC quarterback on an unbeaten team. The votes have yet to be taken, but they shouldn't be close.

Never mind all the preseason hype for Florida's Chris Leak. Or the career record of Georgia's David Greene. Campbell has been the most efficient and consistent quarterback in the conference.

No one on UT's defense would argue with that. Not after what happened on the first Saturday of October.

While the Vols did their best to thwart Williams and Brown, Campbell completed 12 of 15 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns as Auburn took a 28-3 first-half lead en route to a 34-10 victory.

"We played the run pretty well for the most part," UT coach Phillip Fulmer said afterward. "(Campbell) made us pay."

Campbell threw a 31-yard touchdown pass and connected on a 46-yard pass in a third-and-25 situation in the first half.

"He looked good against us last year," Fulmer said after UT's 37-31 victory over Kentucky on Saturday. "I don't know if he played that well all year along. But this year, he has played very consistent. He's handling a lot at the line of scrimmage. He's really running the offense.

"And the thing he did against us, that he really hadn't done that well, is throw the deep ball. Jason has become an all-around quarterback."

Auburn first-year offensive coordinator Al Borges could see it coming.

When Borges interviewed for his job, he noticed Campbell throwing on the sideline. He was impressed with his size and arm strength.

"Then when I got here, I watched him on tape and could see that he was a good athlete," Borges said. "You don't have many guys who are 6-foot-5 with an arm like that who can move. It was my job to program him.

"People still don't appreciate what he does on the line of scrimmage. His management of the offense, getting us into good plays and out of bad ones, he helps our running game a lot."

He does more for the running game than make decisions. He complements it with one accurate pass after another.

Campbell has been at his best when it has mattered most - in the last-minute, game-winning drive against LSU; in the first-half blowout against a then-unbeaten UT team; in a top-10 showdown game with Georgia two weeks ago; and in the second half of a come-from-behind victory against Alabama in Auburn's last game.

"In watching him, he has made great strides since we played," UT defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "He's really operating well.

"I expect him to be even better this time because he's grown each week with the new offense."

That's a scary thought for a UT defense that has given up 33 points to Vanderbilt and 31 to Kentucky in its past two games.

Top 25: My AP ballot: 1. Auburn, 2. Southern Cal, 3. Oklahoma, 4. California, 5. Utah, 6. Texas, 7. Louisville, 8. Boise State, 9. Miami, 10. Virginia Tech, 11. Tennessee, 12. Georgia, 13. Michigan, 14. LSU, 15. Iowa, 16. Florida State, 17. Wisconsin, 18. Arizona State, 19. Texas A&M, 20. Virginia, 21. Pittsburgh, 22. Boston College, 23. West Virginia, 24. Florida, 25. Fresno State.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.