Adams: SEC East refrain: If only ...

When Tennessee takes the field for the SEC championship game Saturday, imagine how the rest of the coaches in the East Division will feel. They're probably saying something like this:

Georgia coach Mark Richt: "We're fourth in the country, and Tennessee is in the SEC championship game?"

Florida coach Urban Meyer: "We beat them 59-20, and they're in the SEC championship game."

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier: "We gained over 500 yards against them, and they're in the SEC championship game."

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson and Kentucky coach Rich Brooks in unison: "If we had only made the field goal …"

I can appreciate their frustration. And I won't argue if anyone says UT is the worst team ever to represent the East in the SEC championship game.

But what does that say about the competition? It says they didn't take advantage of their opportunities.

This was Vanderbilt's chance to be bowl eligible. It was Kentucky's chance to end UT's 22-game winning streak in the series.

Both blew it.

The window of opportunity is about to close on the Least of the East. Kentucky will lose its top skill players on offense. Vanderbilt will lose its starting offensive line. And UT, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina should all be improved next season.

Back to this year: The Gators and Bulldogs should be kicking themselves for not winning the East. The Bulldogs should be kicking themselves the hardest.

Florida had more to overcome than either Georgia or UT. The Gators lost nine defensive starters, including four juniors who left early for the NFL. In the spring, they lost running back Mon Williams to a season-ending knee injury. In preseason, they lost their best offensive lineman to another season-ending injury. An inexperienced secondary was hampered by injuries throughout the season, and the Gators also had to play big games without two of their best offensive players, wide receiver Andre Caldwell and running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin.

Florida had another disadvantage. It had to play the two best teams in the West, LSU and Auburn. UT didn't have to play either one, and Georgia only played Auburn.

Nonetheless, the Gators still could have won the East with more thorough recruiting.

Meyer probably has recruited as many outstanding players as anyone in the country the last couple of years. But he hasn't recruited enough good running backs, which are a necessity in a conference as demanding as this one, even in Meyer's receiver-oriented offense.

The Gators had to rely too much on quarterback Tim Tebow to make the tough yards between the tackles. He filled that role as a backup quarterback on the 2006 national championship game but was asked to do too much this season. Although the workload enabled him to prove he was the best player in the country, it took a toll. Playing with an injured non-throwing shoulder against Georgia, Tebow couldn't run. And Florida couldn't win.

Georgia didn't have as many injuries as either Florida or UT. Apparently, its problem was more mental than physical.

The Bulldogs appeared to be going through the motions in the first half of the season. When the normally even-keel Richt became more emotional in the second half of the season, the team followed his lead.

You can credit Richt for finding a way to motivate his team through the last six games. You can fault him for not doing it sooner.

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer had a different challenge. He had to hold his team together after suffering embarrassing losses to Florida and Alabama in the first seven games.

This obviously isn't one of Fulmer's more talented teams. But it might be his most responsive.

When the Vols were at their worst, their coach helped convince them they were still good enough to win the division title. Now, they have a chance to win the conference championship as well.

If they pull it off, the East's other five teams will be kicking themselves even harder.

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

© 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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