Interesting placement for the Vols. 10th??? Looks like this blogger from ESPN also looks at this year as a rebuild as well.
Chris if you could just remove your blinders your opinions would get more respect and you could be more of an asset to the forum. Otherwise you staunch homerism will just continue to get ridiculed.
SEC post-spring power rankings
May 15, 2009 9:00 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
Now that we have a little better idea of everybody's strengths and weaknesses, let's take a look at our post-spring power rankings in the SEC.
Truthfully, there's not a lot of movement from the
pre-spring power rankings. Two notable changes are Ole Miss moving past Alabama into the second spot and Tennessee falling a couple of spots to 10th.
The Western Division race figures to be the most compelling of the two next fall. Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss should all three have terrific football teams, and Arkansas is good enough to make some noise.
<TABLE cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=0 width=200 align=right border=0> <TBODY><TR> <TD></TD> <TD>
</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD></TD> <TD align=left>
Rhona Wise/Icon SMI</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD></TD> <TD align=left>
Tim Tebow and the Gators have their sights set on a repeat.</TD> </TR></TBODY></TABLE>
1. Florida: The Gators look even more imposing after the spring. Backup quarterback
John Brantley threw the football like a champ and would be a starter at a lot of schools. The defense is even deeper than it was at the end of last season with safety Dorian Munroe and tackle Omar Hunter both back and healthy, and all the key pieces are back in the kicking game.
2. Ole Miss: The Rebels move up to No. 2 because
Jevan Snead demonstrated in the spring what a lot of people around Oxford already knew. He's the kind of quarterback you build championship teams around and is primed for a huge year. Defensive tackle Jerrell Powe looks like he's going to be a force after shedding some pounds and becoming a disrupter in the middle.
3. Alabama: Nick Saban feels a lot better about his team after seeing junior
Greg McElroy run away with the quarterback job and play with the savvy and poise of a guy who'd been starting for a couple of years. The Crimson Tide will be even better on defense than they were a year ago, but there are still some pretty major holes to fill on the offensive line.
4. LSU: The defense was dominant for the Tigers in the spring, a good sign that they've got their edge back defensively under first-year defensive coordinator John Chavis. Sophomore Jordan Jefferson all but nailed down the starting quarterback job, and true freshman Russell Shepard showed that he needs to be on the field somewhere.
5. Georgia: The Bulldogs had so many guys hurt in the spring that it's impossible to get a read on where they really are at this point. The running game needs some work, and
A.J. Green needs some help at receiver. Help is on the way in the form of talented freshman Marlon Brown. It doesn't help any that defensive end Justin Houston is suspended for the first two games of the season. He was Georgia's best pass-rusher in the spring.
6. Arkansas: There are still too many unknowns on defense to slide the Hogs past the Bulldogs into the No. 5 spot. Conveniently, those two teams meet on the third weekend of the season in Fayetteville. Arkansas put up some dizzying offensive numbers in scrimmages. Receivers
Joe Adams and
Jarius Wright are outstanding after the catch, and quarterback
Ryan Mallett is a great fit for Bobby Petrino's offense. Now, if only the Hogs can improve on 'D.'
7. South Carolina: Stephen Garcia looked like he was finally starting to get it this spring -- as a quarterback and as a leader. He better get it, because the Gamecocks don't have anybody behind him. Some of the best news for South Carolina was how well the freshmen played. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a future star. But the Gamecocks are dangerously thin in the secondary, especially if C.C. Whitlock doesn't make it academically.
8. Kentucky: The Wildcats lost some good defensive players from last year's team, but the guys who jumped into those spots this spring didn't miss a beat. This is the most talent and most depth the Wildcats have had on defense under Rich Brooks. Cornerback Trevard Lindley, linebacker Micah Johnson and end Jeremy Jarmon are all SEC-caliber players. If
Mike Hartline comes around at quarterback, eight wins isn't out of the question.
9. Auburn: The Tigers exited the spring without an answer at quarterback. That's because nobody won the position, and coach Gene Chizik is now saying that freshmen Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley will be given a shot once they arrive. The defense will be good enough to keep Auburn in most games. But running the spread offense without a quarterback is not a pretty sight. See last season on the Plains.
10. Tennessee: Similar to Auburn, Tennessee doesn't have a lot of answers right now at quarterback. It sounds like
Jonathan Crompton will get first shot, but nobody really separated himself this spring. Take
B.J. Coleman's name out of the equation. He packed up and left earlier this month. The Vols are also one injury away from really being in trouble at offensive tackle. Touted signee Bryce Brown offers hope at tailback.
11. Vanderbilt: It's hard to say with conviction that Vanderbilt's passing game will be appreciably better in 2009 than it was a year ago, and the Commodores were pretty woeful throwing the football last season. Losing receiver
Justin Wheeler to a serious knee injury in the spring was a big blow, making it more critical than ever that Terence Jeffers is eligible in the fall.
12. Mississippi State: Once all the freshmen arrive this summer, the Bulldogs will look a lot different than they did in the spring. Chad Bumphis has a chance to help right away at receiver, and Tyler Russell will take his shot at the quarterback job. The Bulldogs may have to tweak things offensively until they find something that works. Junior college newcomer Pernell McPhee is a man at defensive tackle. That much was established this spring in Starkville.
