SEC: Five storylines to watch

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

You call it tabloid fodder. I call it just another week in the Southeastern Conference.

Week after week, there is no football drama from top to bottom quite as consistent as the SEC. Only in the SEC can you hold a Media Day that lasts 72 hours, and the two top stories coming out are whether its top quarterback is a virgin, and that somebody had the galls not to vote said quarterback as first team All-Conference.

This stuff just doesn't happen anywhere else. Mr. Brady, are you a virgin? "Next question. Get this a-hole outta here." In what other league do you have mid-season firings of coordinators? How outrageous do you think your recruiting stories are? How many supporters fall on your every word?

Some call it trivial gossip, of Us Weekly proportions. You probably call it obnoxious.

I call it a modern-day Othello.

And I love it.

Anyways, here are the top storylines to watch for the 2009 season...

Kiffin vs. Meyer I: Badd Blood!
Sold Out at The Swamp, 9-19-09!

In about as much time as it takes to bake a potato, Lane Kiffin made himself the most polarizing figure in the south upon his hiring at Tennessee, dethroning even Jimmy Hart as the new Mouth Of The South (OK, let's be fair, the throne was vacated after he died). You've probably heard the stories a million times by now -- Kiffin said this, Kiffin said that, Kiffin accused Urban Meyer of recruiting violations that were nonexistent -- and some of you probably think he's been acting a wee bit childish.

Don't be fooled, it's all very deliberate and calculated. Kiffin knows exactly what he's doing. The Vols had grown stagnant under Phil Fulmer, to the point where his national championship could no longer give him a buffer. Two losing seasons in four years is unacceptable to the people of Knoxville; even worse, the Vols were losing in-state recruits to Vanderbilt and Memphis.

The Vols are going to be very competitive. They have the top freshman running back, and Eric Berry is arguably one of the two best safeties in the country (along with USC's Taylor Mays). When they enter The Swamp on Sept. 19, they're going to be scorned relentlessly. But that's just what Kiffin wants. Rivalries are always so much better when one guy is playing the villain role.

I think Florida has too much speed for the Vols to box up; should be a win for the Gators along the lines of a 28-17, something in that range. But a point will be made -- Tennessee is back, baby, and here to stay.

Gator bait if you're not a Gator? In Kiffin's book, anyone who's not a Volunteer is Public Enemy No. 1.

Jevan Snead: trendy hype or the real deal?

We've seen many a college quarterback who ends the season on a high note get puffed up with praise and prose from all around (see: Stafford, Matthew). The tricky part comes in separating the hype from the substance.

This year's case study will be Ole Miss's Jevan Snead, who has thrived in the starting role for the Rebels since his transfer from Texas. Many of the national pundits put focus on the Heisman hype behind Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, with Snead and Cal running back Jahvid Best the two most common dark horses.

Of the four quarterbacks mentioned, Snead might honestly have the highest ceiling for NFL potential. He has tremendous throwing mechanics, a quick release and that certain cool swagger under pressure. You can go ahead and say he's the best quarterbacking prospect since Eli Manning, but can you honestly name one quarterback they've had since?

The question lies in whether the Rebels live up to the hype. Houston Nutt-coached teams always have skilled backfields -- this goes back to his days as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State (Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, Hart Lee Dykes). With the loss of Michael Oher to the Draft, can the Rebels fill some big holes in the trenches?

Sputtering Spurrier

Much like Arkansas, Missouri, or Texas A&M, it's very tough bringing South Carolina to the top of its division. Steve Spurrier has tried taking on the task nobly, and while he's has spurts of success, it hasn't been nearly consistent enough to warrant national attention.

This could be the year the Gamecocks bottom out. Other than linebacker Eric Norwood, there isn't really any other dynamic playmaker on the field. Couple that with the resurgence of Tennessee and two programs on the rise in Vanderbilt and Kentucky, and you could have the Gamecocks sitting at the dead bottom of the SEC East.

Does it warrant a hot seat for the Ol Ball Coach? Jury's still out. Before Lou Holtz took over over, the Gamecocks hadn't had a winning season since the 1980's, and they're historically a team that teeters around the .500 mark -- this goes back to their ACC days.

Expectations, with that in mind, ought to be lower. But this is the SEC, after all. The only thing low in this conference is your pad level.

Don't sleep on Agent Twenty-Eight

Is Javier Arenas related to Gilbert or not? Wikipedia seems to think so, but the Alabama official website mentions nothing of the sort. Either way, he may not be a tenth as quirky as the Halo-loving Washington Wizards point guard, but the athletic ability does not fall far from the tree.

With all the talk about Tim Tebow this, Tim Tebow that, oh-my-he's-got-another-Percy-Harvin-with-him, don't overlook the skill set of this electric Crimson Tide return man. He is the school's all-time leading punt returner, has six career return touchdowns, and even plays a little cornerback, too.

Pencil him in for an All-America selection. Playboy already has.

Mark Richt...on the hot seat?

If you take Paul Finebaum's hackjobs for gospel, then yes. Or maybe. Well, he could be, you never know. Nothing is ever made clear with Finebaum.

Hard to believe that a coach who has gone 82-22 in eight seasons, including a 6-2 mark in bowls, in one of the nation's toughest divisions, is on the hot seat. But the grumblings have begun. Look, just because you don't win a national title does not mean you are a terrible coach. The Dawgs have lost more than three games just once, in 2006, which was supposed to be a down year.

Let's quash this drivel before it starts. But if the Dawgs lose to Tennessee, expect more grumblings.

Predicted Order of Finish

East
Florida (12-0, 8-0)
Georgia (10-2, 6-2)
Tennessee (7-5, 5-3)
Kentucky (6-6, 2-6)
Vanderbilt (5-7, 2-6)
South Carolina (4-8, 1-7)

West
Alabama (11-1, 7-1)
Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1)
LSU (9-3, 5-3)
Arkansas (7-5, 4-4)
Mississippi St. (6-6, 4-4)
Auburn (6-6, 2-6)

SEC Championship Game: Florida 17, Alabama 10