A couple of things are really noticeable about the SEC football hierarchy this preseason.

The SEC rarely has been so clearly divided. And I'm not talking East and West.

This is about talent, not geography.

You have six SEC teams ranked in the top 25 in most preseason polls and publications. You won't find any mention of the SEC's other six teams in preseason top 25s.

It's clearly a case of haves and have-nots.

The top six teams - Tennessee, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama - share more than preseason recognition. Most of them have some uncertainty at one or both of the two high-profile positions, running back and quarterback.

There's no doubt that Gerald Riggs is UT's No. 1 tailback and also a leading candidate to win the SEC rushing title. But the coaches didn't decide until Saturday that Erik Ainge, not Rick Clausen, would be their starting quarterback.

Florida is the only one of the ranked SEC teams with a quarterback (Chris Leak) who started every game last season. But the Gators are in a quandary as to who will replace last year's leading rusher, Ciatrick Fason.

Georgia has three proven running backs, but it's breaking in a new quarterback in D.J. Shockley. Auburn has a totally new backfield.

LSU sophomore quarterback JaMarcus Russell shared playing time with Marcus Randall last year but only started four games. The Tigers have Georgia-like depth at running back but already have lost last year's leading rusher, Alley Broussard, to a season-ending injury.

Alabama has a proven quarterback in Brodie Croyle and a proven running back in Ken Darby. But both are trying to come back from injuries.

Of these six teams, not one of them will open the season with the same quarterback and tailback they started in the 2004 opener.

UT, which is the consensus favorite to win the SEC, doesn't have a quarterback or running back with more than six career starts. Georgia doesn't have a quarterback or running back with more than eight career starts. Auburn doesn't have a quarterback or running back with more than three career starts.

Aside from Leak, the quarterbacks for the league's upper-division teams totaled only 13 starts last season.

At a position where experience matters so much, you might wonder if some of the league's best teams will be sabotaged by inexperienced quarterbacks. History doesn't support that. Nor does it indicate you must have a proven running back.

LSU won the national championship in 2003 with quarterback Matt Mauck in his first season as a starter. And Justin Vincent, the team's leading rusher, was a freshman.

In 1998, UT went 13-0 and won the national title with first-year starting quarterback Tee Martin. When star tailback Jamal Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game, UT had to break in new running backs Travis Henry and Travis Stephens.

Alabama won the 1992 national championship with Jay Barker in his first full season as a starting quarterback. The Tide also had a new leading rusher in Derrick Lassic.

Alabama won national championships in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978 and 1979. Half of those teams had first-year starters at quarterback; four of them didn't return their leading running back from the previous season.

Georgia's 1980 national championship team is another great example.

It won the national title with quarterback Buck Belue, who had shared the position with Jeff Pyburn the previous season. Tailback was an even bigger question mark.

The Bulldogs finally decided on a freshman named Herschel Walker.

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