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Florida Gators (+241 to win SEC championship)
Chris Leak was the top recruit coming out of high school and has been a starter in Gainesville since the second game of his true freshman season.
Why, then, are there rumors that the senior quarterback could end up as second string at some point this season?
Head coach Urban Meyer dismissed such claims, but when you’re dealing with the second favorite to win the SEC title and uncertainty at quarterback, rumors are always worth discussing. Especially when there’s some method to the madness.
A traditional dropback passer, Leak was recruited by then head coach Ron Zook to run a short pass-oriented system. That all changed when Meyer took the helm last season and implemented the spread-option offense he used to lead Utah to a BCS bowl game – a system much more suited to true freshman Tim Tebow than Leak.
The jewel of the Gators’ 2006 recruiting class, Tebow is bigger, faster and stronger than Leak; the only thing he lacks is experience.
What does that mean for Leak? All we know is that he’s the starter for now.
Prediction: 10-2 straight up, 5-7 against the spread
Georgia Bulldogs (+754)
Joe Tereshinski’s father played at Georgia. So did his grandfather and his uncle. Now, after four years of waiting he will finally get his chance.
Tereshinski’s time in Athens has seen him play long snapper, on the punt coverage team and, yes, at quarterback, where he’ll start for the Bulldogs on opening day. Four years behind standout quarterbacks David Greene and D.J. Shockley forced the Georgia native to be patient in his quest to start for his hometown team.
He got the chance last season, though it wasn’t the way he wanted it. Tereshinski filled in for an injured Shockley against Florida in Georgia’s biggest rivalry game of the season. He completed 8-of-21 passes for 100 yards and an interception in a 14-10 Gators win.
His toughness and willingness to do anything to get on the field has earned him the respect of both his teammates and coaches. He’s also among the most intelligent quarterbacks around having received an academic scholarship to Harvard apart from his football scholarship offers.
The only question is if he can play on Saturdays.
Prediction: 8-4 straight up, 6-6 against the spread
Kentucky Wildcats (+20000)
There isn’t a hotter seat in the country the one occupied by Wildcats’ head coach Rich Brooks. Expectation in Lexington will never reach basketball-like levels, but 9-25 over the last three seasons just isn’t going to cut it in Kentucky.
What’s interesting is that the Wildcats are actually a great bet during Brooks’ tenure, going 18-14 against the spread.
He will have as a good a chance as any to turn things around this season with a team that returns seven starters on both sides of the ball. Though it must be noted that Kentucky also returned seven starters on both sides last season and only improved by one win to 3-8.
Would 4-8 be enough to save Brooks’ job? Probably not, but looking at Kentucky’s schedule, it looks to be about right. The Wildcats open up with a road game against state rival Louisville and will also have to travel to play Florida, LSU and Tennessee.
Though you always have to be wary of a desperate team, and seven home games will help pad the win total.
Prediction: 5-7 straight up, 6-6 against the spread
South Carolina Gamecocks (+1610)
Spurrier, Spurrier, Spurrier.
No coach can send a shockwave through a team quite like Steve Spurrier. His arrival in Columbia immediately gave the Gamecocks creditability and transformed their games into Must See TV. So much so that SC will be kicking off ESPN’s college football coverage for the second straight season and is expected to do so again in 2007 and 2008.
This year’s version of the team may be worth the hype. After a 7-5 record last season that included a national ranking of 75 in scoring offense and 100 in total offense, the Gamecocks return one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combinations in the SEC.
Spurrier’s renowned Fun ‘n Gun offense will be in full force this season with junior quarterback Blake Powers and sophomore wide receiver Sidney Rice. Mitchell was spotty in his first year as the Gamecocks’ starter competing 186-of-315 passes for 2,370 yards, 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Thirteen of those touchdown passes went to Rice, a second team preseason All-American by most publications and a first team All-SEC and first team Freshman All-American last season. He is expected to only get better in his second season and will draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses.
SC’s offensive weapons will have to overcome four new starters on the offensive line. Luckily the only player left is a good one in senior Chris White, who has 28 starts as a Gamecock and is a preseason Rimington Award candidate for most outstanding center in college football.
Prediction: 9-3 straight up, 9-3 against the spread
Tennessee Volunteers (+1243)
Tennessee went 5-6 last season, but somehow scraped out a 5-4-1 record against the spread. If you bet the Volunteers every game last season, congratulations. If not, you’ll agree that it’s as disappointing a season as Tennessee has had in a long time
Since 1988 to be exact, when the Volunteers limped to a 5-6 season. They rebounded the next year to go 11-1 and win the SEC Championship- a feat oddsmakers are putting little stock in this year.
The focus in Knoxville this season is on the things like special teams, where the Volunteers were admittedly horrible last season. Special team struggles have been a common theme of head coach Phillip Fulmer’s tenure, but last year’s results were enough to make some changes.
Fulmer had put so little stock in special teams in the past that defensive end coach Steve Caldwell doubled as the special-teams coordinator the last four seasons.
Now, it’s special teams by committee with defensive coordinator John Chavis overseeing punt return and punt block, defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks heading up field goal and extra point block, and Caldwell taking care of kickoff coverage.
Offensive line coach Greg Adkins is in charge of placekicking, running backs coach Kurt Roper on the punt team, and punt coverage and receivers’ coach Trooper Taylor will head up kickoff return.
Prediction: 8-4 straight up, 7-5 against the spread
Vanderbilt Commodores (+20000)
The Commodores couldn’t get to a bowl game with Jay Cutler, and now have an even higher hill to climb without him.
The loss of one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, and 11th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, means sophomore Chris Nickson, much more of a runner than Cutler, will likely be starter.
Though head coach Bobby Johnson hasn’t ruled out Arizona transfer Richard Kovalcheck, who started 11 games in two seasons with the Wildcats, throwing for 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He was Arizona’s starting quarterback last season, but was forced out by freshman phenom Willie Tuitama.
A junior, Kovalcheck was allowed to transfer without sitting out a year because he already has an undergraduate degree. NCAA rules allow transfers with undergraduate degrees and remaining eligibility to seek out graduate programs elsewhere.
Whoever the quarterback is, he’s going to have a rude awakening. Vanderbilt opens up with trips to Michigan and Alabama.
Prediction: 3-9 straight up, 5-7 against the spread
Chris Leak was the top recruit coming out of high school and has been a starter in Gainesville since the second game of his true freshman season.
Why, then, are there rumors that the senior quarterback could end up as second string at some point this season?
Head coach Urban Meyer dismissed such claims, but when you’re dealing with the second favorite to win the SEC title and uncertainty at quarterback, rumors are always worth discussing. Especially when there’s some method to the madness.
A traditional dropback passer, Leak was recruited by then head coach Ron Zook to run a short pass-oriented system. That all changed when Meyer took the helm last season and implemented the spread-option offense he used to lead Utah to a BCS bowl game – a system much more suited to true freshman Tim Tebow than Leak.
The jewel of the Gators’ 2006 recruiting class, Tebow is bigger, faster and stronger than Leak; the only thing he lacks is experience.
What does that mean for Leak? All we know is that he’s the starter for now.
Prediction: 10-2 straight up, 5-7 against the spread
Georgia Bulldogs (+754)
Joe Tereshinski’s father played at Georgia. So did his grandfather and his uncle. Now, after four years of waiting he will finally get his chance.
Tereshinski’s time in Athens has seen him play long snapper, on the punt coverage team and, yes, at quarterback, where he’ll start for the Bulldogs on opening day. Four years behind standout quarterbacks David Greene and D.J. Shockley forced the Georgia native to be patient in his quest to start for his hometown team.
He got the chance last season, though it wasn’t the way he wanted it. Tereshinski filled in for an injured Shockley against Florida in Georgia’s biggest rivalry game of the season. He completed 8-of-21 passes for 100 yards and an interception in a 14-10 Gators win.
His toughness and willingness to do anything to get on the field has earned him the respect of both his teammates and coaches. He’s also among the most intelligent quarterbacks around having received an academic scholarship to Harvard apart from his football scholarship offers.
The only question is if he can play on Saturdays.
Prediction: 8-4 straight up, 6-6 against the spread
Kentucky Wildcats (+20000)
There isn’t a hotter seat in the country the one occupied by Wildcats’ head coach Rich Brooks. Expectation in Lexington will never reach basketball-like levels, but 9-25 over the last three seasons just isn’t going to cut it in Kentucky.
What’s interesting is that the Wildcats are actually a great bet during Brooks’ tenure, going 18-14 against the spread.
He will have as a good a chance as any to turn things around this season with a team that returns seven starters on both sides of the ball. Though it must be noted that Kentucky also returned seven starters on both sides last season and only improved by one win to 3-8.
Would 4-8 be enough to save Brooks’ job? Probably not, but looking at Kentucky’s schedule, it looks to be about right. The Wildcats open up with a road game against state rival Louisville and will also have to travel to play Florida, LSU and Tennessee.
Though you always have to be wary of a desperate team, and seven home games will help pad the win total.
Prediction: 5-7 straight up, 6-6 against the spread
South Carolina Gamecocks (+1610)
Spurrier, Spurrier, Spurrier.
No coach can send a shockwave through a team quite like Steve Spurrier. His arrival in Columbia immediately gave the Gamecocks creditability and transformed their games into Must See TV. So much so that SC will be kicking off ESPN’s college football coverage for the second straight season and is expected to do so again in 2007 and 2008.
This year’s version of the team may be worth the hype. After a 7-5 record last season that included a national ranking of 75 in scoring offense and 100 in total offense, the Gamecocks return one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combinations in the SEC.
Spurrier’s renowned Fun ‘n Gun offense will be in full force this season with junior quarterback Blake Powers and sophomore wide receiver Sidney Rice. Mitchell was spotty in his first year as the Gamecocks’ starter competing 186-of-315 passes for 2,370 yards, 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Thirteen of those touchdown passes went to Rice, a second team preseason All-American by most publications and a first team All-SEC and first team Freshman All-American last season. He is expected to only get better in his second season and will draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses.
SC’s offensive weapons will have to overcome four new starters on the offensive line. Luckily the only player left is a good one in senior Chris White, who has 28 starts as a Gamecock and is a preseason Rimington Award candidate for most outstanding center in college football.
Prediction: 9-3 straight up, 9-3 against the spread
Tennessee Volunteers (+1243)
Tennessee went 5-6 last season, but somehow scraped out a 5-4-1 record against the spread. If you bet the Volunteers every game last season, congratulations. If not, you’ll agree that it’s as disappointing a season as Tennessee has had in a long time
Since 1988 to be exact, when the Volunteers limped to a 5-6 season. They rebounded the next year to go 11-1 and win the SEC Championship- a feat oddsmakers are putting little stock in this year.
The focus in Knoxville this season is on the things like special teams, where the Volunteers were admittedly horrible last season. Special team struggles have been a common theme of head coach Phillip Fulmer’s tenure, but last year’s results were enough to make some changes.
Fulmer had put so little stock in special teams in the past that defensive end coach Steve Caldwell doubled as the special-teams coordinator the last four seasons.
Now, it’s special teams by committee with defensive coordinator John Chavis overseeing punt return and punt block, defensive tackles coach Dan Brooks heading up field goal and extra point block, and Caldwell taking care of kickoff coverage.
Offensive line coach Greg Adkins is in charge of placekicking, running backs coach Kurt Roper on the punt team, and punt coverage and receivers’ coach Trooper Taylor will head up kickoff return.
Prediction: 8-4 straight up, 7-5 against the spread
Vanderbilt Commodores (+20000)
The Commodores couldn’t get to a bowl game with Jay Cutler, and now have an even higher hill to climb without him.
The loss of one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, and 11th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, means sophomore Chris Nickson, much more of a runner than Cutler, will likely be starter.
Though head coach Bobby Johnson hasn’t ruled out Arizona transfer Richard Kovalcheck, who started 11 games in two seasons with the Wildcats, throwing for 16 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He was Arizona’s starting quarterback last season, but was forced out by freshman phenom Willie Tuitama.
A junior, Kovalcheck was allowed to transfer without sitting out a year because he already has an undergraduate degree. NCAA rules allow transfers with undergraduate degrees and remaining eligibility to seek out graduate programs elsewhere.
Whoever the quarterback is, he’s going to have a rude awakening. Vanderbilt opens up with trips to Michigan and Alabama.
Prediction: 3-9 straight up, 5-7 against the spread