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SEC at a glance

Ranked in order of predicted finish.

EAST

1. Georgia

COACH: Mark Richt (32-8, fourth season).

2003 RECORD: 11-3 (6-2, tied for first in East). Beat Purdue 34-27 in overtime of the Capital One Bowl and finished No. 7 in the AP poll.

NOTABLE: Eight preseason publications have the Bulldogs ranked in the Top 5, and Georgia received its highest ever preseason ranking in the AP poll at No. 3. ... The Bulldogs are a heavy favorite to win the SEC East. ... Georgia's roster includes 19 returning starters, including quarterback David Greene (3,307 yards and 13 TDs) and All-America defensive end David Pollack (92 tackles, 7.5 sacks). ... But the Bulldogs have their share of issues: Their offensive line needs to find cohesiveness, it must replace All-SEC kicker Billy Bennett and it will now be without tailback Kregg Lumpkin, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee Aug. 9 and is out for the season. Its biggest hurdle may be its schedule, which is considered one of the toughest in the nation and includes Florida, which has won 13 of the past 14 meetings between the two.

COACH: Ron Zook (16-10, third season).

2003 RECORD: 8-5 (6-2, tied for first in East). Lost 37-13 to Iowa in the Outback Bowl. Finished No. 24 in the AP poll.

NOTABLE: In his third season after taking over for the beloved Steve Spurrier and posting back-to-back 8-5 years, Zook begins with a proven quarterback, a solid running game but many questions in his secondary, which lost all four starters. ... New offensive coordinator Larry Fedora is expected to speed up the offense and become more aggressive. ... Florida needs to find a big-play receiver for Leak and hope its offensive line can stay healthy and become a cohesive unit. ... The schedule includes road games in Knoxville and Tallahassee, and in Jacksonville against Georgia, but otherwise sets up very much in Florida's favor. Fans unaccustomed to losing at the Swamp will point to early October when the Gators host Arkansas and LSU back-to-back: those are key opportunities for Zook's Gators to prove they can defend the home turf against somebody other than the directional schools.

COACH: Phil Fulmer (113-28, 13th season).

2003 RECORD: 10-3 (6-2, tied for first in East). Lost 27-14 to Clemson in the Peach Bowl and finished No. 15 in the AP poll.

NOTABLE: The Vols won 10 games last season and the fans considered it a bad year. The embarrassing bowl game loss didn't help matters. ... Now they return without a proven quarterback and having lost 13 starters. ... The two battling for the quarterback position are C.J. Leak and Rick Clausen, brother of former QB Casey Clausen. With an inexperienced quarterback, the Vols need backs Cedric Houston and Jabari Davis to have big seasons. If they can't perform and take the pressure off the quarterback, Vols fans may be longing for last year.

COACH: Lou Holtz (27-32, sixth season; 243-127-73, 33rd overall).

2003 RECORD: 5-7 (2-6, fourth in SEC East).

NOTABLE: After a bitter 2003 season that ended with a 63-17 loss to rival Clemson, Holtz spent the offseason rededicating himself to coaching. He fired four assistants, removed the title of offensive coordinator from son Skip and took over the duties himself. Holtz said he's more involved than ever and feels rejuvenated. Many believe that if the Gamecocks don't turn things around this season, Holtz may step aside. ... Focus this season will be on the running game and sophomore Demetris Summers, while Holtz is hoping quarterback Dondrial Pinkins can be more consistent. . Holtz, the master of overstatement, says his team has more question marks than any other team in the league. He may not be far off.

COACH: Rich Brooks (4-8, second season; 95-117-4, 20th overall).

2003 RECORD: 4-8. (1-7, sixth in SEC East).

NOTABLE: Quarterback Jared Lorenzen is gone, but his backup and sometimes starter Shane Boyd will take over full time. ... He brings versatility with the ability to run and throw, which makes him tough for opposing defenses to defend. ... Defensive end Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns and nose guard Lamar Mills are among the best in the SEC, which is one of the few bright spots for Kentucky this season.

COACH: Bobby Johnson (4-20, third season; 64-56, 11th overall).

2003 RECORD: 2-10. (1-7, fifth in SEC East).

NOTABLE: Johnson said the job hasn't been more difficult than he expected, which makes you wonder just what he thought of the program when he took over. The good news is Vanderbilt lost just three starters from last season's team that played many SEC teams tough before falling short at the end. All-SEC quarterback Jay Cutler returns (2,347 yards and 18 TDs in 2003) and Tampa native Kwame Doster is hoping to have a more prominent role in the rushing game.

1. LSU

COACH: Nick Saban (39-13, fifth season; 82-39-1, 11th overall).

2003 RECORD: 13-1. (7-1, first in SEC West). Defeated Georgia 34-13 to win the SEC championship, then beat Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl. Finished No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll.

NOTABLE: The Tigers lost 11 starters from last season's national championship team, including quarterback Matt Mauck and big-time receiver Michael Clayton. ... The defense, even without All-American tackle Chad Lavalais, will remain the key to this team. LSU also picked up arguably the best recruiting class in the nation and Saban isn't afraid to play youngsters who show they can compete right away, particularly on the defensive front where they need help. Saban said one of his biggest challenges will be trying to create new challenges for this season's team and not compete against what last season's team accomplished. Repeating, especially without a proven quarterback, will be tough.

COACH: Tommy Tuberville (38-24, sixth season; 63-44, 10th overall).

2003 RECORD: 8-5. (5-3, third in SEC West).

NOTABLE: A late season coup attempt by former Auburn administrators nearly sent Tuberville packing, but with a new school president and a renewed commitment from the current regime, Tuberville said he's ready to move on. ... Last season the Tigers were a preseason favorite to win it all but struggled badly. Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams return in the backfield after combining for more than 1,700 yards last season. Jason Campbell isn't spectacular, but is solid and experienced at quarterback. The loss of several big-time players on defense means serious rebuilding.

COACH: Mike Shula (4-9, second season).

2003 RECORD: 4-9. (2-6, sixth in SEC West).

NOTABLE: A tumultuous first season in which he barely knew his players when fall practice began now gives way to a calmer second year with players and coaches much more familiar with each other and the system. Alabama lost 11 starters, but Brodie Croyle returns at quarterback after playing hurt most of last season. Ray Hudson will try to fill the shoes of the departed Shuad Williams (1,367 yards), although Shula said it could be running back by committee. Expect several freshmen to see significant playing time, maybe even start, including wide receiver where the Tide is most lacking in experience. Several players who missed last season due to injuries return and some have moved from defense to shore up the offensive line. The Tide is bowl-eligible this season, eligible to play for the SEC title and will be aided by a very favorable non-SEC schedule.

COACH: Houston Nutt (48-27, seventh season; 84-49, 12th overall).

2003 RECORD: 9-4. (4-4, fourth in SEC West).

NOTABLE: Arkansas is looking for its seventh consecutive bowl game under Nutt, who briefly considered a job at Nebraska at the end of last season before deciding to remain with the Razorbacks. His task this season won't be easy; Arkansas lost 18 starters - eight from the secondary. Senior quarterback Matt Jones is the only experienced player returning on offense and he lost his entire offensive line to graduation. Cedric Cobbs is gone, but DeCori Birmingham is poised to take over, aided by tailback De'Arrius Howard. On the bright side, 10 of its 13 defensive linemen return. Even if everything falls into place with its personnel, the Razorbacks have a brutal schedule: Texas, Florida, Auburn, Georgia and LSU are among their foes. Even Nutt concedes it'll be interesting to see how it all turns out.

COACH: David Cutcliffe (40-22, seventh season).

2003 RECORD: 10-3. (7-1, tied for 1st in SEC West).

NOTABLE: Here's the most important thing you need to know about the Rebels this season: Eli Manning is gone. His replacement, Michael Spurlock, has played in just three games, but Cutcliffe believes the strength of his veteran offensive line will help in the transition. Lou Groza award winner Jonathan Nichols (25-of-29 FG attempts) returns and the Rebels are solid in the punting game with Cody Ridgeway (44.2 avg.). Vashon Pearson is the top returning rusher. With Spurlock, look for the Rebels to move out of the pocket more, run the option and play more misdirection - things that play to his strengths. Blitzing will be a key part of the defense.

COACH: Sylvester Croom (first season).

2003 RECORD: 2-10. (1-7, fifth in SEC West).

NOTABLE: After 17 seasons in the NFL, Croom begins his first collegiate season under historic circumstances - as the first black coach in the SEC. He's hoping to move beyond that quickly. He'll bring the West Coast offense to Starkville, although he doesn't like to call it that. So far, he has spent the spring and summer instituting a new style of discipline for the Bulldogs and trying to get them to buy into his way of living and playing ball. He's also trying to get them to think of themselves as winners, rather than perennial losers. Whether it works remains to be seen. Former quarterback turned receiver, Omarr Conner, returns to the QB position and he has some capable receivers. The defense is expected to play a pressure style.Special teams has some question marks, including a new kicker. Croom said he won't put a specific number on how many games the team should win this year, which is probably a good idea.