Familiar faces top SEC East forecast for 2008 season

Georgia's Knowshon Moreno, left, Florida Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow, center, and Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry are reasons the Bulldogs, Gators and Vols will be in the hunt for the East Division championship with South Carolina in 2008.

The SEC East won't be as balanced as it was in 2007. But it will be better.

The top four teams - Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina - have the large majority of their starters returning. Kentucky and Vanderbilt, the weakest programs in the division, suffered the most losses.

Georgia

2007 record: 11-2

Starters returning: eight on offense and nine on defense.

Offense: The Bulldogs have to replace wide receiver Sean Bailey and two senior offensive linemen. But good, young players return in the offensive line to block for dynamic tailback Knowshon Moreno, who made All-SEC as a redshirt freshman. Georgia still needs more playmakers at wide receiver to complement strong-armed quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Defense: The Bulldogs have a strong three-man rotation at defensive tackle with Kade Weston, Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins. Five of their top six linebackers return, as do six of their best eight defensive backs in a deep secondary.

Strengths: The Bulldogs are experienced and talented on both sides of the ball. Moreno has the ability to take over a game, and hard-hitting Reshad Jones could be ready for a breakout season at strong safety.

Weaknesses: Wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi bounced back from an off year in 2006, but the Bulldogs still don't have any game breakers at that position. There's no proven depth behind Moreno, although redshirt freshman Caleb King has great potential.

Schedule: Georgia is the only East team that must play the two best teams from the West - LSU and Auburn. Moreover, the Bulldogs will have to play them on the road.

Outlook: The Bulldogs look like a national championship contender based on all the prominent starters returning. But they will have to negotiate one of the nation's toughest schedules.

Florida

2007 record: 9-4

Starters returning: eight on offense, nine on defense.

Offense: For starters, you have Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow throwing to All-SEC wide receiver Percy Harvin. Injured tackle Phillip Trautwein, who missed the 2007 season, will be back, giving the Gators four players with starting experience in the offensive line. Running back Emmanuel Moody, a transfer from Southern Cal, and Mon Williams, who was injured in 2007, should ease the running load for Tebow.

Defense: Linebacker Brandon Spikes, the SEC's second-leading tackler, will anchor the defense, which returns all its linebackers, and three starters from a young secondary that struggled throughout the season.

Strengths: No offense in the country has two better players than Tebow and Harvin, the running game should be improved, and the offensive line is solid.

Weaknesses: The secondary played dreadfully in the bowl loss to Michigan, and the pass rush wasn't much better. Florida must improve in both areas to win the division.

Schedule: The Gators will open with high-scoring Hawaii and play Miami and Florida State in non-conference games. They play LSU at home and Tennessee on the road.

Outlook: If the Gators can keep frequently injured Harvin healthy for their biggest games and improve their pass defense, they could win the SEC and make a run at the national title.

Tennessee

2007 record: 10-4

Starters returning: Nine on offense and six on defense.

Offense: Two-year backup Jonathan Crompton flashed promise when subbing for an injured Erik Ainge two years ago. He will be surrounded by experienced players - tailback Arian Foster, five returning starters in the offensive line and a veteran corps of wide receivers.

Defense: The loss of junior linebacker Jerod Mayo to the pros was significant. Rico McCoy now will anchor the linebacking corps. All-American candidate Eric Berry heads up an experienced secondary that should be much improved. Tackles Dan Williams and Demonte Bolden will make the line stronger in the middle than on the flanks, where both starters must be replaced.

Strengths: An experienced offensive line led by Anthony Parker, and a Berry-led secondary.

Weaknesses: The Vols will have a new quarterback and no proven deep threat at wide receiver. Defensive end remains a concern.

Schedule: Challenging conference road games against Auburn, Georgia and South Carolina, who should all be improved. The non-conference schedule will be easier with UCLA replacing Cal.

Outlook: The Vols should be better than in 2007, but repeating as East champions will be more difficult in a division loaded with talent.

South Carolina

2007 record: 6-6

Starters returning: Seven on offense, 10 on defense.

Offense: Chris Smelley, who shared quarterback duties with Blake Mitchell in 2007, is next in line at the position but could be challenged by talented Stephen Garcia, who was redshirted. Tight end Jared Cook, who has wide receiver speed, had more of an impact as the season went along, but All-SEC pick Kenny McKinley will still be the go-to guy.

Defense: The Gamecocks return 10 starters, but they faded badly in the second half of the season, particularly against the run. If injured middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley is granted another year of eligibility, that would help shore up the run defense. The secondary, led by cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, could be outstanding.

Strengths: A versatile secondary and a big-play defensive end in Eric Norwood, who made first-team All-SEC in 2007.

Weaknesses: Run defense is a big concern after this past season, there's no proven depth behind running back Mike Davis, and the offensive line always seems to be in flux.

Schedule: The most difficult conference road game will be at Florida, but the Gamecocks will get UT, Georgia and LSU at home.

Outlook: Coach Steve Spurrier's fourth team should be his best, but that doesn't mean it's good enough to beat Florida, Georgia and UT in the East.

Kentucky

2007 record: 8-5

Starters returning: Five on offense and eight on defense.

Offense: The Wildcats lose four big-time players in quarterback Andre Woodson, running back Rafael Little, wide receiver Keenan Burton, and tight end Jacob Tamme. They will return three starters in the offensive line, including second-team All-SEC tackle Garry Williams. Curtis Pulley, who redshirted this season, could give the Wildcats a more athletic quarterback. He will have to beat out this year's backup, Mike Hartline, a 6-foot-6 pocket passer.

Defense: Jeremy Jarmon returns to give the Wildcats a proven pass rusher. So do veteran tackles Myron Pryor and Corey Peters, and three of four starters in the secondary, which should be coach Rich Brooks' best at Kentucky.

Strengths: The defense will be more experienced and deeper. Despite the loss of Little, there's depth at running back, where Tony Dixon will be the favorite to start.

Weaknesses: There's bound to be a big drop-off at quarterback, where Woodson gave the Wildcats a big-time passer the last two years. There's also no apparent deep threat to take the place of Burton.

Schedule: The Wildcats will have the advantage of not playing Auburn or LSU from the West. But they have to play both UT and Florida on the road.

Outlook: If they can beat in-state rival Louisville again, they will have a shot at a third consecutive bowl bid. But don't expect them to knock off any of the top four teams in the East.

Vanderbilt

2007 record: 5-7

Starters returning: five on offense and six on defense.

Offense: The Commodores will have to replace Earl Bennett, the league's all-time leading receiver, and their offensive line. Quarterback Mackenzi Adams returns to run the offense, and he has familiar targets in wide receivers Sean Walker and George Smith.

Defense: Strong safety Reshard Langford and cornerback D.J. Moore are the strengths of the secondary, but the Commodores must find a replacement for Jonathan Goff, a tackling machine at middle linebacker. They also will lose both starting tackles.

Strengths: The secondary should be solid, and three of the top four defensive ends return.

Weaknesses: Start with an all-new offensive line, followed by no playmaker at running back and a big void left by Bennett at wide receiver.

Schedule: A home game against Ole Miss will be Vanderbilt's best chance for a conference victory. The Commodores will struggle at mid-season with consecutive games against Auburn, Mississippi State and Georgia.

Outlook: In a stronger division, the Commodores suffered too many losses to be competitive.