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By Jordan Martin
SouthernPigskin Columnist
SouthernPigskin Columnist Jordan Martin debuts his "Nickel Package" column on the SEC East. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin. Become a fan of us on Facebook at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page
I'm sure any coach or university appreciates a "quiet" offseason. Fans? Not so much. The need, the passion...the DESIRE to have football in their lives is insatiable. Well, thank goodness there isn't a lot of off-the-field issues distracting anyone from what I really care about and what really matters...the game. With that being said, I've come up with 5 points entering spring football sessions and the spring games.
Without much pomp and circumstance for its inaugural posting, "The Nickel Package" will be a weekly column where I take 5 subjects in the college football world that interest or concern me, and eventually I'd like to welcome suggestions or questions from any of my readers where I will answer them here.
This week's column is themed around happenings and potential developments in the SEC East.
1) What team is primed to make a run at the SEC East title?
If you would have asked me at this time in December, I would have still said Florida. As shortsighted and ignorant as that may sound, I don't see another team as steady, coordinated and talented as them. Forget the Urban Meyer issue, I waved that off the moment I heard it (Not to downplay the health issues Meyer may have had, I just didn't see any firm basis for him to leave.)
That doesn't mean the East is won, however. If Georgia's defensive transition to the 3-4 is as successful as they hope under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, and the offense clicks with a new QB under center, they'll have a shot. I think the media hyped bad blood between Florida and Georgia has burned out and I don't think the Gators have the firepower to run over the Bulldogs this year.
For the first time ever, I'll put my lips to the cup for the Gamecocks kool-aid...but I'm not going to drink it, yet. The biggest questions I have surround the offensive line, the defense and the depth of this squad.
Eric Wolford was making progress with the squad, but they were wildly inconsistent. As a matter of fact, they have finished last in the SEC in rushing the past three seasons. Ouch. There's no question freshman running back Marcus Lattimore will have to be as good as advertised, if not better, and the line will have to become much more aggressive for this team to even think about overcoming their trend of mediocrity. If they can find a running game it may lead to a very productive season for Stephen Garcia, who says the talent and potential necessary to be successful, but has also been wildly erratic.
Defensively, six starters have to be replaced, including linebacker and undisputed anchor, Eric Norwood. It will be paramount to keep this defense off the field as much as possible in the early going, to keep them fresh and allow time for them to develop as they begin the majority of their conference play. Reputations seem to have longer lives than they should, without reprise or diminishing returns. Spurrier's reputation continues to precede him, for reasons unknown to me. The game has changed, and Spurrier has shown that while he can still adapt his scheme, he can't adapt who he is and by extension his philosophy. The success of the Gamecocks relies on the offense, and that starts with Spurrier finding magic in the visor again.
2) How will Tennessee fare in the wake of a tumultuous offseason?
I know most fans are going to look at Dooley's record at La. Tech and his last name and say, "He had a losing record at a second-rate program, and the only reason he was hired here is because of his name!"
Well all of that may be true, but I think the Vols got lucky in this case. I've stated before in a previous article Dooley being a potential successor below Al Golden and Mike London for the Virginia vacancy. He's the son of SEC coaching legend Vince Dooley and is a southern bred man. If nothing else, that is an upgrade over Lane Kiffin, who was not familiar with southern football tradition or culture and especially wasn't familiar with the tradition in Knoxville. That isn't an inherent ingredient for success, but if you're trying to give your program back some stability it's a good place to start.
It's a low risk investment that has caused short term grief among fans and boosters wanting to play catch-up with the rest of the SEC. Most people, including myself, expected Tennessee to take a major hit in recruiting following the Kiffin exodus. Despite that, they managed to finish with a top 10 recruiting class and I think that's a bold statement considering the events leading up to NSD.
There are still a lot of missing pieces on both sides of the ball, but with a younger group heading into the season, it will help their development being taught under the current system than most older players subjected to the stylings of Kiffin. Ultimately, it is going to be a trying year for the team, but I expect them to be competitive and bowl eligible, which would be an accomplishment whether anyone wants to acknowledge that fact or not.
3) Is Mark Richt really sitting on the hot seat?
Les Miles won a national championship in 2008. Some say he is sitting in the frying pan. What does that tell you? The hot seat is a misnomer in most cases. I don't think Richt's in any immediate danger of losing his job. That doesn't mean he isn't on the "hot seat" however.
After seeing for two seasons now that Urban Meyer and Nick Saban are the cream of the SEC coaching crop, some executive with a camera and a microphone at one time decided to pose the question, "Well...now what are YOU gonna do?" to the rest of the SEC. As competitive as the division is, and with the progressive movement of disposable coaching, it doesn't surprise me that this would become a lingering idea in a lot of peoples' minds. Granted, if you're getting paid millions of dollars a year, and you aren't performing like a million dollar coach, at least to your employers' standards, then they have all the reason in the world to hand you your walking papers. Fair or not, that's the current state of this profession, and the expectations that come with those dollar signs, and any coach who sees it otherwise is a naive fool.
With much ado, I don't think Richt has anything to worry about as long as the team shows progress heading into the 2011 season. They won't have to be in a BCS game this year to do that, nor do I think they're expected to be in one outside the locker room. They are, however, expected to show signs of life again, especially on defense, against the rest of the SEC East. The old saying goes, "You have to beat the teams you're expected to beat." They have to beat Vandy, Kentucky and Tennessee. That leaves Florida and South Carolina. They play Florida on neutral ground and play the Gamecocks in Columbia. By beating one, they put themselves in position to win the SEC East, by beating both they will take it outright, and will likely have a BCS bowl berth regardless of the SEC title game outcome.
Richt's whole controversy surrounds the high expectations his team had in the 2008-2009 season, with Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, and failing to meet those expectations. The defense seemed divided and confused all last season, but Richt did the right thing and waited to find the defensive coordinator that he felt fit right with his staff. That kind of patience should buy the defense at least a year of transitional acceptance. The offense should be more potent than last year, considering even a new quarterback at the helm.
Regardless, Richt is secure in his position and will be even after this season has closed.
4) What team will be the biggest surprise?
That's a bit of a general question, isn't it? Surprise in what terms? I'll define it as the team that achieves more this season than they are expected to.
Under those standards, I have to go with Kentucky. Call me crazy or call it a hunch, but I have a very good feeling about this year's Wildcats. Does that mean I think they'll win the SEC East? No...but they certainly have an outside shot to do so. Defensively they've lost a great deal in Corey Peters, Micah Johnson and Trevard Lindley. They still have a solid linebacking corps an experienced secondary and a defensive front that should be improved. Offensively they have one of the most explosive tandems in college football with Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb. They'll have to find a passing game to have any hopes of pulling off more than "upsets" this year.
I think I'm creating a lot of hype within myself for Joker Phillips. As a fan that happens to analyze football and its intricacies, I see the absolute benefit of Joker Phillips taking over the program this season. In person, the man is very humble and soft spoken. Yet he exudes a natural charisma that allows you to trust in him openly, and want to trust in him, for that matter. That's a characteristic not a lot of coaches have or can develop, and it's something parents, recruits and players are very keen to. Following the Music City Bowl, he was quietly emotional, knowing Rich would be stepping down. Rich Brooks, who had made Kentucky competitive again, taught Joker his honest and honorable method of coaching and administrating, and now one of the most unique offensive minds in college football is ready to take the helm. The question is, will Joker let Joker loose?
5) What can we expect from the Florida Gators?
Let's fast forward past losing Charlie Strong and co. and the Urban Meyer issues and look at what Florida lost. Obviously they lost the leader and icon and even-now legend of Florida football in Tim Tebow. They've lost the core of the offense and defense, and nine of those players (Tebow included) were present at the NFL Combine preparing for the draft. That's a lot of firepower taken away from their arsenal. They have four starters returning on the offensive line, with the possibility of Mike Pouncey moving to the Center position his brother vacating, leaving the guard position open for Maurice Hurt, former 5-star prospect James Wilson or even Sam Robey. The running back position is deep enough with enough versatility and experience in the system that they should (if only because they have to) take over Florida's offense. The complexion will be different if only because the TE position will need to either be severely bolstered or supplanted and John Brantley simply isn't cut from the same mold as Tebow. Nobody is hiding or denying that fact, and there's not enough film to digest at the moment, but Brantley will only suffer the fate of a looming shadow if placed on himself. He has a bit of game experience, but he at least has the time practiced and reps at his side of the Meyer terminology and strategy.
Defensively, they replace the highly heralded defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, both defensive ends and their top players in each position going back to the secondary. Incoming freshmen Ronald Powell and Matt Elam will most likely forgo redshirting and see immediate playing time, if not becoming the starters at defensive end and safety, respectively, if not win the starting job outright by the start of the season. Justin Trattou should be one of the starters with Earl Okine, Duke Lemmens and William Green will all be in the mix as starters as well, maybe even through rotation. Don't be surprised to see Jaye Howard line up at end occasionally, as deep as the Gators defensive interior is.
The point is the Gators lost a great majority of their top tier talent and experience that left with it. However, with the recruiting classes they've put together the past three years, and given the amount of talent on the team subduing blossoming and learning talent below, I'd say there isn't going to be much of a drop off.
In other words, the Gators may not be dominant, but they're still going to be real good.
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Stories written by SouthernPigskin.com columnists are done independently. Views do not always coincide with those of the remainder of the staff or the ownership of SouthernPigskin.com.
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