EAST

Georgia



Starters returning: Five on offense, five on defense.

Offense: Quarterback D.J. Shockley and three starters in the offensive line, including All-American offensive guard Max Jean-Gilles will have to be replaced. So will tight end Leonard Pope, who is turning pro early.

Kregg Lumpkin leads a strong threesome at tailback, which includes Danny Ware and Thomas Brown. Also back are offensive linemen Daniel Inman and Nick Jones. Former backups Michael Turner and Fernando Velasco are expected to become dependable starters in the line.

Incoming freshman Matthew Stafford, who already has enrolled at Georgia, could win the quarterbacking job if he’s as good as billed. Freshman wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi could be a future star.

Defense: End Quentin Moses, who considered turning pro, returns to lead the defense. Thomas Flowers, who already has excelled as a punt returner, and Paul Oliver should team with returning starter Tra Battle to solidify a secondary that loses three starters. The linebacking corps is talented and experienced.

Schedule: Drawing Mississippi State and Ole Miss from the West is a plus. So is getting UT at home. The toughest road games are at Auburn and South Carolina. It again plays Florida in Jacksonville.

Tennessee



Starters returning: Seven on offense, five on defense.

Offense: Tackle Arron Sears returns to anchor the offensive line, which lost Albert Toeaina, Rob Smith and Cody Douglas. Running back Arian Foster finished strong in 2005, but he and his top two backups (Montario Hardesty and LaMarcus Coker) all have injury concerns.

Questions abound at quarterback. Quarterback Erik Ainge regressed last season, and Jonathan Crompton was redshirted as a freshman after undergoing shoulder surgery. Both could benefit from having new offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe as their quarterbacks coach.

One more question: Will at least one of UT’s much-heralded wide receivers ever become a big-time player?

Defense: Although the defensive front lost six of seven starters, coordinator John Chavis still has plenty of talent with which to work. Linemen Justin Harrell, and Turk McBride provide a strong starting point, and the secondary returns intact.

Schedule: A season opener against Cal will let the Vols know where they stand. They will play two of their toughest East Division opponents, Georgia and South Carolina, on the road. They won’t get any breaks outside their division with games against Alabama, LSU and Arkansas.

Florida



Starters returning: Five on offense, seven on defense.

Offense: Chris Leak will be the league’s most experienced quarterback and should be more effective from the outset now that Meyer has shelved his spread-option attack for a more conventional offense.

Even with a veteran offensive line, Florida struggled in the running game. Now, what happens with the same running backs and four new starters in the offensive line?

The return of injured receiver Andre Caldwell will help make up for Chad Jackson’s early departure to the NFL.

Defense: Linebackers Brandon Siler and Earl Everett will head up what should be another solid defensive front, but you have to wonder about a secondary that loses Dee Webb and Vernell Brown.

Schedule: It’s brutal. The Gators will play LSU, Alabama and Auburn from the West; four of their six toughest games overall will be away from The Swamp —UT, Auburn, Florida State and Georgia (in Jacksonville).

South Carolina



Starters returning: Eight on offense, three on defense.

Offense: Sidney Rice is arguably the SEC’s best player, and coach Steve Spurrier is adept at maximizing a wide receiver’s talent. Cory Boyd, who was suspended from the team for a year, will help the Gamecocks at running back. It’s not certain whether quarterback/wide receiver Syvelle Newton will be ready after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Vanderbilt game. The Gamecocks must replace tackles Jabari Levey and Na’Shan Goddard, who were three-year starters.

Don’t be surprised if Maryville’s Cade Thompson beats out returning starter Blake Mitchell at quarterback.

Defense: South Carolina will have to replace more starters than any other team in the conference. Stanley Doughty, a 320-pound tackle, and cornerback Fred Bennett are its best returning defenders.

Schedule: Four of its five toughest SEC games — Georgia, Auburn, Arkansas and UT — are at home; its conference road games are Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida. The Gamecocks will have two weeks to prepare for their finale with arch-rival Clemson.

Kentucky



Starters returning: Eight on offense, eight on defense.

Offense: Curtis Pulley will challenge returning starter Andre Woodson for the quarterback job. While Woodson lacks mobility, Pulley has a long way to go as a passer.

Tony Dixon, who missed the 2005 season with a leg injury, will help an offense which returns its best player, running back/kick returner Rafael Little. Kentucky might experiment with Little and Dixon in a two-back set. The Wildcats are still hurting for playmakers at receiver.

Defense: It will be more experienced, but that’s not all good. Kentucky’s lack of speed last season was glaring in a league known for defensive speed. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard was the league’s fourth-leading tackler as a sophomore.

Schedule: Aside from Louisville, the non-conference schedule is light. The Wildcats will play Texas State, Central Michigan and Louisiana-Monroe — all at home. Also, Kentucky will play the weakest teams in the West, Ole Miss (at home) and Mississippi State (away). Its other winnable SEC game, against Vanderbilt, is at home, too.

Vanderbilt



Starters returning: Six on offense, five on defense.

Offense: Wide receiver Earl Bennett ranked second in the SEC in pass receiving as a freshman, and tackle Brian Stamper will be back for his fourth season as a starter. But how will Vanderbilt replace All-SEC quarterback Jay Cutler? His likely replacement is Chris Nickson, a former all-stater from Alabama.

Defense: The Commodores must replace linebacker Moses Osemwegie, who ranked second in the conference in tackles, and five other starters from the SEC’s second-worst defense. Safety Reshard Langford had three interceptions as a redshirt freshman.

Schedule: The non-conference schedule was a breeze by the Commodores’ standards until they replaced MTSU with Michigan in the season opener. Their other non-conference games are against Tennessee State, Kent State and Duke. They will play Ole Miss from the West.

WEST

Auburn



Starters returning: Five on offense, six on defense.

Offense: All-American tackle Marcus McNeill and three wide receivers must be replaced on offense. Transfer Kenny Irons blossomed into the SEC’s leading rusher after beginning the season on the bench, and first-year starting quarterback Brandon Cox improved throughout the course of his sophomore season. If Courtney Taylor bounces back from an injury-plagued season, that will bolster the receiving corps.

Defense: Auburn must solidify its defensive middle, which loses underrated nose guard T.J. Jackson and tackle Wayne Dickens. All-SEC linebacker Travis Williams is gone but the Tigers expect redshirt freshman Tray Blackmon to be an impact player next season. The Tigers lose pass-rush specialist Stanley McClover but still have ends Quentin Groves and Marquies Gunn to lead their pass rush. If the NCAA grants cornerback David Irons’ appeal for another year of eligibility, that will be a plus for the secondary.

Schedule: The Tigers will have to play three of the top four teams from the East — South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. In divisional play, they will have LSU and Arkansas at home, and Alabama on the road.

Arkansas



Starters returning: Ten on offense, nine on defense.

Offense: Darren McFadden, who lived up to his recruiting hype as a freshman, will be the star of an experienced offense. Felix Jones, another freshman running back, ranked second in the nation in average yards per kickoff return. So what else is new? The Razorbacks always seem to have good running backs. And they often have a question mark at quarterback, where freshman Casey Dick became the starter in the second half of the season.

Defense: Linebacker Sam Olajubutu, who ranked third in the SEC in tackles, and tackle Keith Jackson will head up an experienced defense, which struggled in the first half of the year but didn’t give up more than 23 points in its last five games.

Schedule: Its toughest road games are against South Carolina and Auburn, but it plays Alabama, LSU and Tennessee at home. It won’t have to wait for conference play to be challenged. Its second game is against Southern Cal, which defeated the Razorbacks 70-17 in 2005.

LSU



Starters returning: Six on offense, five on defense.

Offense: Fallout from LSU’s rout of Miami in the Peach Bowl included a quarterback controversy. Matt Flynn, who started in place of injured JaMarcus Russell, demonstrated more poise, running ability and passing accuracy than Russell. If Flynn doesn’t win the job in the spring, you would expect him to transfer.

The return of injured running back Alley Broussard will help make up for the loss of Joseph Addai, but Justin Vincent has been a big disappointment since his freshman season. The Tigers are deep in wide receivers but must rebuild their offensive line.

Defense: Five of the defensive front seven, including star tackles Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams, have departed. Free safety LaRon Landry and linebacker Ali Highsmith are the likely stars on a revamped defense.

Schedule: Like Alabama, it won’t have an easy SEC road game. The Tigers will play at Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas.

Alabama



Starters returning: Nine on offense, four on defense.

Offense: A healthy Tyrone Prothro at wide receiver could work wonders for an offense that dropped off dramatically after his injury. Ken Darby is an experienced, productive running back and four starters return from a mediocre offensive line. But if quarterback John Parker Wilson doesn’t come through as Brodie Croyle’s replacement, the offense will be in big trouble.

Defense: Defensive coordinator Joe Kines will face a huge challenge in replacing seven starters, including All-American linebacker DeMeco Ryans, from the SEC’s No. 1 defense.

Schedule: The Tide has one of the conference’s toughest road schedules. It must travel to Arkansas, LSU, Florida and Tennessee. The non-conference schedule is a breeze: Hawaii, Louisiana-Monroe, Duke and Florida International — all at home.

Mississippi State



Starters returning: Seven on offense, eight on defense.

Offense: Another team with quarterback concerns. Veteran starter Omarr Conner lost the job to Michael Henig in the second half of the season, but neither one gives the Bulldogs much cause for optimism.

Defense: Defensive end Willie Evans, who led the SEC in sacks, must be replaced, but five of the front seven and three starters return in the secondary. Junior linebacker Quinton Culberson ranked seventh in the conference in tackles.

Schedule: The Bulldogs will play South Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia from the East. They’ve added Big East champion West Virginia to their non-conference schedule.

Ole Miss



Starters returning: Six on offense, five on defense.

Offense: Three starters return in the offensive line, including promising guard Michael Oher, who started as a freshman. Mico McSwain, who rushed for 612 yards as a freshman, offers promise at running back. But quarterback is a mess.

Quarterbacks Micheal Spurlock and Ethan Flatt are both departing. That leaves Bob Lane as the only experienced quarterback, and most of his experiences have been bad. So it’s no wonder the Rebels are recruiting former UT quarterback Brent Schaeffer, who will be eligible in 2006 after playing junior college football this past season.

Defense: It got a big boost when linebacker Patrick Willis decided not to leave for the NFL. The Rebels also have three starters returning in the NFL, but they must replace their entire front four.

Schedule: The Rebels have the advantage of playing both Kentucky and Vanderbilt from the West, but their non-conference schedule — which includes Memphis, Missouri and Wake Forest — has only one sure thing, Northwestern State.

— JOHN ADAMS