2009 SEC East Preview Blog | The Ramblings of a Crazed Louisianian

The SEC is looking like it's gonna play out to be a tale of two divisions. The SEC east seems to be a one horse race with Florida while the SEC west is a wide open race between Ole Miss, Alabama, LSU, and maybe even dark horse Arkansas. Without anymore further delay here is my 2009 SEC East preview.

Here are my Top 3 SEC East teams

1. Florida Gators- 2009 record- 13-1- Defending National & SEC Champions

Returning starters- Offense- 7. Defensive- 11.

Florida is without a doubt the most talented team in the SEC and the country. Tebow is the best Leader at QB in the history of the SEC and possibly the entire history of football. What will tell the story of Florida season is the October 10th match up at LSU. even Tebow has came out and acknowledged that LSU is the hardest place to play at in the country and this game will either seperate Tebow from the pack as the greatest college football player of all-time or this florida may fall in the same death valley trap that the 1997 Florida team did coming off their 1996 national championship. The 1997 team was just as good as the team that won the championship, but they will always be known as the#1 team in the nation that choked in the valley.

2009 Schedule/Results

DATE OPPONENT Prediction
9/05 Charleston Southern W
9/12 Troy W
9/19 Tennessee W
9/26 @ Kentucky W
10/10 @ No. 11 LSU *
10/17 Arkansas W
10/24 @ Mississippi State W
10/31 vs. No. 13 Georgia W
11/07 Vanderbilt W
11/14 @ South Carolina W
11/21 Florida International W
11/28 No. 18 Florida State W

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (15) celebrates with wide receiver Percy Harvin (1) and other teammates after Tebow scored a running touchdown in the fourth quarter of a college football game against Tennessee in Gainesville, Fla. Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007. Florida defeated Tennessee 59-20.

2. Georiga- 2009 record- 10-3

Starters Returning- Offense- 7. Defense- 6.

Georiga's season is riding on single factor and his name is Joe Cox. Cox is a 5th year senior QB who has patiently waited half a decade for his chance to be the guy at Georiga. Cox has only thrown 58 passes in his career at Georiga but has been studyig under guy like David Greene, D.J. Shockly, and Matthew Stafford. 3 NFL QB's he's been tutored by in his time at Georiga. Cox has a chance to come in and prove himself early with a difficult non-coference schedule that includes a week 1 trip to Oki State. Georiga will stuggle this season if Joe Cox doesn't show up big and the Oline can't stay healthy. Georiga has arguably the toughest schedule in the SEC this season so it would quite a stretch for Georiga to compete with Florida in the west.

2009 Schedule/Results

DATE OPPONENT Prediction
9/05 @ No. 9 Oklahoma State *
9/12 South Carolina W
9/19 @ Arkansas *
9/26 Arizona State W
10/03 No. 11 LSU *
10/10 @ Tennessee *
10/17 @ Vanderbilt W
10/31 vs. No. 1 Florida L
11/07 Tennessee Tech W
11/14 Auburn W
11/21 Kentucky W
11/28 @ No. 15 Georgia Tech *

3. Tennessee- 2009 record- 5-7

The story of Tenessee's season last season can be told by stats. Tennessee ranked under 100th in the nation in every offensive statistic except rushing yards per game in which they still ranked 88th. However defensivly Tennessee ranked in the top 15 in every single category. Talk about a tale of two teams. 1st year coach Lane Kiffin's missio for this season is very simple yet so difficult. Get the offense some rythem!!! It all starts with 2nd year starter Johnathan Cromptem. If he plays well then it will open up the freshmen powered running game and give the defense a chance to actually rest a little.