Auburn got a commitment Saturday from athlete C.J. Uzomah of Suwanee, Ga.

AuburnUndercover.com, AuburnSports.com and Inside the Auburn Tigers reported the news first.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Uzomah plays quarterback at North Gwinnett High but is expected to play tight end/H-back at Auburn.

Uzomah picked Auburn after narrowing a long list of choices down to Auburn and LSU.

Scout.com ranks him as a four-star recruit, while Rivals ranks him as a three-star.

He threw for 1,750 yards and 15 touchdowns for North Gwinnett last year, adding 800 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Uzomah is Auburn's 13th commitment for 2011.

Here's an updated commit list:

• Angelo Blackson, DL, 6-5, 289, 3-star, Bear, Del. (Red Lion Christian Academy)
• Sammie Coates, WR, 6-3, 170, 2-star, Leroy, Ala. (Leroy High)
• Jaylon Denson, WR, 6-3, 190, NR, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover High)
  
• Reese Dismukes, C, 6-3, 272, 4-star, Spanish Fort, Ala. (Spanish Fort High)
• Kiehl Frazier, QB, 6-3, 215, 4-star, Springdale, Ark. (Shiloh Christian)
• Justin Garrett, OLB, 6-2, 185, 3-star, Tucker, Ga. (Tucker High)
  
• Devin Gaulden, CB, 5-10, 175, NR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (University School)
  
• Chris Landrum, LB, 6-2, 215, 3-star, Sweet Water, Ala. (Sweet Water High)
• Izauea Lanier, DB, 6-1, 190, NR, Gordo, Ala. (East Mississippi CC)
• JaBrian Niles, DE, 6-2, 270, 3-star, Mobile, Ala. (Davidson High)
• Thomas O'Reilly, OL, 6-3, 315, 3-star, Marietta, Ga. (Pope High)
• Anthony Swain, S, 6-3, 215, 3-star, Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden City High)
• C.J. Uzomah, TE/HB, 6-5, 230, 3-star, Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett High)
  

The previews keep coming. If you've missed any of the first four, you can access them by clicking on the links on the top right of the blog's page.

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Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

• Head coach: Todd Berry (1st season at ULM; 9th overall, 29-60 at Illinois State and Army)
  
• 2009 record: 6-6 (5-3 Sun Belt, t-3rd)
  
• Returning starters: 10 (6 offense, 4 defense)
• Total offense: 392.3 ypg (5th Sun Belt, 48th nationally)
• Total defense: 340.5 ypg (2nd Sun Belt, 44th nationally)
• Series: Auburn leads 7-0
• Last meeting: Auburn won 34-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2008
  
• Consensus prediction: Fifth in the Sun Belt
  

Five-week schedule glimpse

• Sept. 18: at Arkansas State
• Sept. 25: Southeastern Louisiana
• Oct. 2: at Auburn
• Oct. 9: Florida Atlantic
• Oct. 16: at Western Kentucky

After a tough stretch that includes a game in Starkville against Mississippi State and home games against Palmetto State foes Clemson and South Carolina, the Tigers get a relative break against Louisiana-Monroe, a team they've never lost to. Although ULM tied a school FBS high with six wins last year, it wasn't enough fro seven-year coach Charlie Weatherbie to keep his job. Enter Todd Berry, who will try to get the Warhawks over the hump and in a position where they can compete with Troy, the conference's current marquee team.

Admittedly, I don't know much about Louisiana-Monroe. Here's a little knowledge: the school is named after the city, which is named after fifth president James Monroe, who was one of the negotiators of the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803. Football-wise, though, I don't know anything about this team. So I contacted Tabby Soignier, ULM beat writer for The News-Star in Monroe, La. You can read her articles here or visit her blog here. Here's what she had to say in a short Q&A:

AB: After seven years and a 31-51 record, Charlie Weatherbie is out as the Warhawks' head coach. What kind of change to the program does new coach Todd Berry bring after successful stints as an offensive coordinator at Monroe and UNLV? Is there hope that he can do better than his first FBS coaching gig, when he went 5-36 in four years at Army from 2000-03?

TS: It is unfair to assess Berry’s success by his stint at Army. It is difficult to win there for any coach, but there is still some skepticism about what he can do now that he is back in a head coaching role. In the short time, however, you can see a vast increase in intensity with the players and a sense of urgency that did not happen with Weatherbie at the helm.

AB: Berry made a surprising move in the spring by handing the No. 1 quarterback spot to redshirt freshman quarterback Kolton Browning instead of incumbent Trey Revell, who threw for 1,739 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. What's been the team's reaction to the move and what can be reasonably expected of Browning if he indeed holds on to the starting spot this fall?

TS: The spread offense that Berry brings in is the type of offense that Kolton thrives in. He is a left-handed slinger that is smart with the football. Do not count out Revell, though. He has experience and proved he can play under pressure with his first official start at Texas. Kolton is definitely the future, but I think the depth chart is a mind game for Revell to prove himself to the coaching staff. He has yet to do that.

AB: Frank Goodin, who ran for 1,126 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, returns at running back, but who else could be a threat on offense? Does Berry have enough offensive weapons at his disposal to make an impact in his first year?

TS: The receiving corps is just as impressive. Junior Luther Ambrose, who finished third in the nation in the 100-meter, will be the prime target to get the ball to. Anthony McCall put up some big numbers as a freshman when he stepped in for the academically ineligible LaGregory Sapp. Sapp returned last year for his senior season limiting McCall’s touches, but he is already taking advantage of getting back into the starting role with an impressive spring.

AB: The defense lost a number of starters, including linebacker Cardia Jackson, the Sun Belt's career tackles leader, and safety Greg James, a first-team all-conference pick who had 17 career interceptions. What's left on defense and will it be enough that the Warhawks won't have to try to simply out-score everyone they play this season?

TS: It will be difficult to rebuild right off the bat, especially with depth being an issue. However, the players that are returning have taken the responsibility of leading the newcomers. Cornerback Nate Brown is a very smart player as well as Theo Smith, the only returning linebacker that started last season. The most intriguing part of the defense, however, is the line. Troy Evans was the only player chosen as a preseason all-conference player and will take over where All-Sun Belt and current Jacksonville Jaguar Aaron Morgan left off. Ken Dorsey has been moved to hold down the other side of the line after spending most of his career at linebacker.

AB: Louisiana-Monroe has not played in a bowl game since transitioning from I-AA to I-A in 1994. Is there hope this year hat the Warhawks can finish as one of the top two teams in the Sun Belt and perhaps earn a bowl bid?

TS: Middle Tennessee and Troy are very impressive and have a history of success. ULM has to learn how to play with that same swagger before it can climb the standings and make history.

There you have it. I can't imagine this game being close for Auburn, but crazier things have happened. As it stands, the game serves as a nice break of what would have otherwise been seven straight games against BCS-conference schools.

Up next: Back to the SEC for a road game against Kentucky, a team the Tigers no doubt would like to serve with some payback after last year's disappointing loss at Jordan-Hare.

Auburn released its early August practice schedule. These are closed to the public, but most of them are closed to the media too, so you shouldn't feel too bad about it. All times are Central.

Some important dates: Players report Aug. 3. The first two-a-days is Aug. 10. The first scrimmage is Aug. 11. Fan Day is Aug. 15.

• Tue., Aug. 3 — 4 p.m. (REPORTING DAY)
• Wed., Aug. 4 — 4:30 p.m. practice
• Thur., Aug. 5 — 4:30 p.m. practice
• Fri., Aug. 6 — 4:30 p.m. practice
• Sat., Aug. 7 — 5 p.m. practice
• Sun., Aug. 8 — OFF
• Mon., Aug. 9 — 5 p.m. practice
• Tue., Aug. 10 — 9:55 a.m. practice #1, 7:10 p.m. practice #2 (FIRST TWO-A-DAYS)
• Wed., Aug. 11 — 6 p.m. (FIRST SCRIMMAGE)
• Thur., Aug. 12 — 9:55 a.m. practice #1, 7:10 p.m. practice #2
• Fri., Aug. 13 — OFF
• Sat., Aug. 14 — 9:50 a.m. practice #1, 5:10 p.m. practice #2
• Sun., Aug. 15 — 2-4 p.m. Fan Day at the Auburn Arena, 7:50 p.m. practice
• Mon., Aug. 16 — 5 p.m. practice
• Tue., Aug. 17 — 9:55 a.m. practice #1, 6 p.m. practice #2
• Wed., Aug. 18 — OFF (FIRST DAY OF FALL SEMESTER)

It's the fourth installment of our "Ask an Opposing Team's Bear Writer" series. We're back to SEC play with a team Auburn hasn't played since 2006: South Carolina.

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South Carolina Gamecocks

• Head coach: Steve Spurrier (6th season at South Carolina, 35-28; 20th overall, 177-68-2 at Duke, Florida and South Carolina)
• 2009 record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC East, t-4th), lost to UConn 20-7 in PapaJohns.com Bowl
  
• Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense)
• Total offense: 347.4 ypg (9th SEC, 82nd nationally)
• Total defense: 300.7 ypg (3rd SEC, 15th nationally)
• Series: Auburn leads 6-1-1
  
• Last meeting: Auburn won 24-17 in Columbia in 2006
  
• Consensus prediction: Third in the SEC East

Five-week schedule glimpse

• Sept. 11: Georgia
• Sept. 18: Furman
• Sept. 25: at Auburn
  
• Oct. 2: Off
• Oct. 9: Alabama

The Gamecocks have been in no-man's land ever since Spurrier left his permanent residence on the golf course to be on the sidelines again. It was assumed the ol' ballcoach would create Gainesville North, a close replica to what he did during his time at Florida, where he reached double digits in wins nine times and won a national championship. But he's won between six and eight games every year in Columbia, hardly the championship-level people were expecting. But this year might be different. Spurrier has a top-notch defense to rely on, a quarterback who's been around long enough that maybe he'll start figuring things out and a set of skill players — led by running back phenom Marcus Lattimore — that could make the offense dangerous, something that hasn't been said of Spurrier's teams in a while.

To find out more about the Gamecocks, I went to Joe Person, the excellent South Carolina beat writer for The State. You can read his blog by clicking here or follow him on Twitter by clicking here. Here are five questions he answered about the Gamecocks:

AB: Quarterback Stephen Garcia has been the subject of intense scrutiny his entire career, both by fans and his own head coach. With plenty of receiving weapons at his disposal, is this the year he finally puts it all together or will Spurrier, always the quarterback perfectionist, be tempted to start breaking in true freshman Connor Shaw as a long-term solution?

JP: I’m in the camp, perhaps the minority camp, that believes Garcia is going to have a big year. He’s never going to be the Danny Wuerffel-type leader that Spurrier wants him to be. But the guy is a good athlete with a strong arm and a will to win. Does he make bad decisions at times? Sure he does. Does he one-hop the occasional throw? Yep. And with Spurrier more confident in Shaw than last year’s backups, I doubt Garcia will make it through the year without spending at least some time on the bench. But if the Gamecocks are going to seriously threaten Florida in the East, Garcia has to be their guy.

AB: Former Appalachian State assistant Shawn Elliott returned home to try to fix an offensive line that allowed 37 sacks last season, tied for most in the SEC with LSU. Does he have any hope in turning around a unit that has been one of the Gamecocks' biggest shortcomings the last few seasons?

JP: Elliott is an enthusiastic coach with a sound, zone-blocking scheme. And I think the zone technique will help keep the linemen, particularly the tackles, from being out on an island as much as previous years. But Elliott is working with the same group that has underachieved the last couple of seasons. The linemen are all a year older, and should be better. But until they prove it in a game, a lot of Gamecock fans will be anxious about the line.

AB: South Carolina and Auburn went to the wire trying to lure top running back prospect Marcus Lattimore, who chose his home-state Gamecocks. What kind of expectations are there for the Duncan, S.C., product and what can he reasonably achieve as a true freshman?

JP: Huge expectations. I think most fans believe Lattimore will earn the starting spot and be the answer to the Gamecocks’ rushing game woes. We’ll see. The early reports have been good: Teammates who have lined up alongside him in 7-on-7 passing drills said Lattimore is a big, strong back — but still fast and elusive. He’s not setting the bar low: Lattimore said he wants to rush for 1,000 yards as a freshman. If he does, that should spell success for the USC offense.

AB: The defense lost All-America linebacker Eric Norwood but returns a host of strong defenders, including what some consider the best secondary in the SEC. How good can Ellis Johnson's crew be this year and who are some players who might stand out?

JP: Spurrier seems to be hanging his hat on the defense, which returns eight starters. Norwood is a big loss, but senior DE Cliff Matthews has added 15 pounds and should be able to supply the pass rush that Norwood was known for. The secondary is solid. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore started every game as a freshman, and should come into his own this season with more pass breakups and interceptions. The key will be whether anyone besides Matthews can become a disruptive force in the blitz package, a la Norwood.

AB: Spurrier turned 65 last April. How many more years does the ol' ballcoach have in him and, after maxing out at eight wins in his first five years in Columbia, how much more patience will fans have for the man that was supposed to lead South Carolina to the top of the SEC?

JP: Spurrier is in great shape for his age — or just about any age. He still works out almost every day, and keeps an active golf schedule in the offseason to avoid burnout or fatigue. That said, I don’t know how many more 7-6 seasons he’ll be willing to endure. Spurrier collects a $1 million longevity bonus if he coaches through the end of the 2011 season. And I would expect him to be back in 2011, when Garcia would be a fifth-year senior and Lattimore could be coming off a breakout season. But if things turn south, Spurrier might be headed South himself — for his beach house in Florida.

This one appears to be another one of those under-the-radar games that could be pretty good. Auburn's offense vs. South Carolina's defense. The head-to-head running back talents of Michael Dyer vs. Lattimore. The clever and entertaining press conference quips of Spurrier and Gene Chiz.... OK, maybe not that last one. But this should be a good game, one that Auburn can't overlook, even if it is against a team that rarely pops up on the schedule.

Up next: We go out of conference again with the Tigers' game against Louisiana-Monroe.

We here at the blog like to think we're forward thinking when it comes to disseminating information. That's why we started a Twitter feed last year. It's been a great success, with 758 followers and counting. (Hey, why not follow the blog on Twitter if you're not already?)

Now we're expanding to Facebook (yes, only six and a half years after it was founded). I've created a War Eagle Extra fan page to make it easier to see when new blog posts and videos are up. I'm also going to use the page to directly link to articles that I run in the newspaper. Basically, I'm trying to make it a one-stop shop for readers to find my Auburn work.

Admittedly, I'm still in the tinkering phase, so I might switch things around in comings days and weeks as I see stuff that works and stuff that doesn't. Regardless, you can become a fan of the page by logging into your Facebook account and going to www.facebook.com/wareagleextra. From there you click the "like" button and you'll receive updates every time I post something.

I urge you to recommend the blog's fan page to anybody who you think might be interested. And I encourage you to provide feedback. Easier reader interaction is one of the best things Facebook has going for it.

I'm sure people use Facebook a lot more during their day than I do, although I'm adept enough not to call it "Face mask" like Bobby Petrino. What would you like to see or not like to see? How can the site improve my coverage for the newspaper? What applications would work best? I'll consider any recommendations people might have and we'll see how this experiment works.

Auburn and Clemson's football game Sept. 18 will be the fourth college football game to air on ESPN 3D.

Fans interested in viewing the game in 3D must have ESPN 3D service and a 3D television. The game will also be broadcast on regular ESPN. Kickoff is 7 p.m. ET.

ESPN began 3D programming last January after three years of testing. The Auburn-Clemson game will be the third college football game to air on ESPN 3D this year and the fourth ever.

ESPN 3D is available in the United States to approximately 45 million households and has carriage agreements with DirecTV, Comcast and AT&T. For more info about what you need, click here.

We're up to Week 3 of the season in our opponent previews. If you missed the first two, you can click on the links at the top right of the page.

Now let's talk about Clemson ...

(After you follow the blog on Twitter, of course.)

Clemson Tigers

• Head coach: Dabo Swinney (3rd season at Clemson, 13-8; 3rd season overall as head coach; assistant at Alabama and Clemson)
  
• 2009 record: 9-5 (6-2 ACC Atlantic, 1st), beat Kentucky 21-13 in Music City Bowl
  
• Returning starters: 12 (6 offense, 6 defense)
• Total offense: 362.3 ypg (8th ACC, 74th nationally)
• Total defense: 314.3 ypg (3rd ACC, 20th nationally)
• Series: Auburn leads 33-11-2
• Last meeting: Auburn won 23-20 in the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta
• Consensus prediction: Tied for second in ACC Atlantic
  

Five-week schedule glimpse

• Sept. 4: North Texas
  
• Sept. 11: Presbyterian
• Sept. 18: at Auburn
• Sept. 25: Off
  
• Oct. 2: Miami (Fla.)

In his first full season as coach, Swinney did what Tommy Bowden never could at Clemson — he got the Tigers over the hump and won the ACC's Atlantic Division title. Swinney's crew did that, thanks to the all-around talents of running back/return man extraordinaire C.J. Spiller and an underrated defense. The Tigers lost to Georgia Tech in the ACC title game 39-34 but took a major step forward as a program nonetheless. They hadn't won a title of any kind since 1991. Now that Spiller is gone, they'll have a tough task in maintaining that level of play, although Clemson got a boost when two-sport star Kyle Parker said he'll return to play football this year instead of pursuing a professional baseball career.

To find out more about Clemson, I turned to Greg Wallace, who does great work as the Tigers' beat writer for the Anderson Independent Mail. You can find his blog by clicking here and you can follow him on Twitter here. Here's what he had to say:

AB: Now that Parker announced he won't be giving up football for a professional baseball career (or at least a baseball-exclusive career), how much of a lift will that be for a Clemson offense that doesn't have many options behind him? Also, is his decision set in stone? Can the Rockies still pony up enough cash to lure him away before the Aug. 16 deadline?

GW: It is a gigantic boost for Clemson’s offense. Behind Parker, only two scholarship quarterbacks remained on the roster: redshirt freshman Tajh Boyd and fifth-year senior Michael Wade. Boyd is an extremely talented, athletic playmaker, but looked raw while receiving an extended look in spring practice and struggled with decision-making. Wade has seen little playing time and actually spent much of the spring cross-training as a safety. So to get back a freshman All-American who threw for 2,526 yards and 20 touchdowns (both Clemson freshman records) is gigantic for an offense which is already replacing its top tailback, wideout and tight end in Spiller, Jacoby Ford and Michael Palmer, respectively.

Parker told us reporters that he’ll be at Clemson this fall, and I believe him. He has moved on to a football frame of mind — at least for this year — and he’s not the kind of person to go back on a commitment. He expects to sign with the Rockies, but it’ll likely be for a smaller bonus than if he went baseball-only, or at least have his bonus spread out over four or five years in case of injury (incidentally, he is taking out disability insurance in case such an injury happens).

AB: What is the running back situation like now that Spiller is gone? Are Andre Ellington, Jamie Harper and an offensive line that returns four starters capable of coming close to replacing the production Spiller had last season? And even if they do, can they replicate Spiller's leadership?

GW: Losing Spiller — one of the nation’s most dangerous backs — is a big blow, but the coaching staff is confident that junior Harper and Ellington, a sophomore, can pick up the slack. Harper is a bruising back who still has plenty of speed, and Ellington is a shiftier, quicker back who can catch passes and cause mayhem out of the backfield, although perhaps not on Spiller’s level. Behind them, redshirt freshman Roderick McDowell, another shifty, quick type, will serve as the No.3 back. The offensive line should be solid, although it has little depth; senior left tackle Chris Hairston and center Dalton Freeman are All-ACC candidates. Leadership will be an issue in the backfield. Spiller was this team’s unquestioned leader in ’09, and you just can’t replace that right away, no matter how talented the backs behind him are.

AB: Spiller was also a special teams standout. Do the Tigers have anybody waiting in the wings who can pick up the slack in the return game? And, independent of that, do they have anyone who can stop Georgia Tech from successfully pulling off a trick play on special teams?

GW: Spiller'’s special-teams success was an integral part of Clemson’s offensive success last year; he was so dangerous returning kicks that teams would kick away from him or just kick out of bounds, giving the Tigers consistent starts at the 30 to 40 yard line. That won’t happen this year. Cornerback Marcus Gilchrist and Ellington are the two most talked-about candidates to return kicks, but I’d be stunned if either had the impact that Spiller provided every week. As for the trick plays, Andre Powell is an outstanding special teams coordinator. And I bet the Yellow Jackets weighed heavily on his mind this summer — and he’ll be extra-wary when Tech comes to Death Valley Oct. 23.

AB: With the offensive firepower the Tigers have, the defense often gets overlooked, but this group was 20th nationally in yards allowed last season. With a strong defensive front and All-American safety DeAndre McDaniel in the secondary, how good can Kevin Steele's group be this year?

GW: The Tigers’ defense was salty last year, save its two meetings with Georgia Tech and an inexplicable gouging in a 34-17 rivalry loss at South Carolina. Save defensive end and Philadelphia Eagles draft pick Ricky Sapp, the entire front returns, and coaches are very excited about Sapp’s replacement, Andre Branch. The biggest issues are at linebacker; USC and Georgia Tech blasted through the middle late last year. 103-tackle junior Brandon Maye was moved from the middle into a position battle at Will ‘backer with Jonathan Willard, with sophomore Corico Hawkins inheriting the middle. Redshirt freshman Quandon Christian impressed at Sam 'backer in spring and is the clear starter. Freshman Justin Parker must also contribute early, but where is unclear.

Four-year starting cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor are gone, but the coaches seem pleased with senior Byron Maxwell and Gilchrist. McDaniel and sophomore Rashard Hall are both ball-hawking, hard-hitting safeties. The questions will be in the middle — and they won’t likely begin being answered until Sept. 18 at Auburn.

AB: Swinney guided Clemson to the Atlantic Division title in his first full year with the program, the school's first title of any kind since 1991, albeit with players that Tommy Bowden recruited. Now that the honeymoon period is over — and he doesn't have the all-everything services of Spiller — is Swinney capable of sustaining long-term success at Clemson?

GW: I think he is capable of being a big success at Clemson, yes. Don’t forget that he is a masterful recruiter himself. He recruited Spiller, Parker and Harper out of the Jacksonville area, and put together a top-20 class last year in his first full recruiting cycle as head coach. The Tigers currently have 16 commitments, including six four-star players according to Rivals.com, in late July. That includes Mike Bellamy, considered the top tailback prospect in talent-rich Florida.

Swinney won’t have as long as Clemson gave Bowden to make an ultimate breakthrough (an ACC title), but his intense yet personable attitude has definitely grabbed the attention of his team and assistant coaches. It was a big statement that both Steele and Charlie Harbison turned down offers/interest to become SEC defensive coordinators at Tennessee and Florida to stay with Swinney, albeit for more cash. Last year’s ACC Atlantic Division title will buy some cache while Clemson attempts the next step.

There you have it. Sounds like this should be a pretty good game. I can imagine Auburn being favored but with Parker under center, I don't think it will be by too much. Also, if Auburn is ever looking for a permanent non-conference rivalry game, this seems like it would be a good fit. It's not too far away. The teams seem pretty even competitively of late. They seem to share the same Southern temperament for football. And each game seems like it's a battle for the right to use the nickname "Tigers." Sounds perfect.

Up next: An SEC team Auburn hasn't seen for a while: Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks.

Auburn put its new roster up online today. Here are a few thoughts and observations to get you through Wednesday ...

• Freshman numbers: 1 Trovon Reed; 3 Chris Davis; 4 Shaun Kitchens; 5 Michael Dyer; 5 Jake Holland; 6 Jonathan Mincy; 6 Antonio Goodwin; 10 LaDarius Owens; 12 Demetruce McNeal; 13 Craig Sanders; 24 Ryan Smith; 28 Ryan White; 30 Steven Clark; 30 Twun Bonner; 31 Trent Fisher; 33 Jessel Curry; 36 Cody Parkey; 37 Ladarious Phillips; 38 Jawara White; 48 Dakota Mosley; 52 Justin Delaine; 54 Jeffrey Whitaker; 55 Corey Lemonier; 60 Eric Mack; 62 Chad Slade; 64 Forrest Hill; 65 Tunde Fariyike; 68 Ed Christian; 91 Joel Bonomolo; 92 Kenneth Carter.

• Didn't see OT Shon Coleman on the roster, which is not surprising considering the medical treatments he's received for leukemia in the last few months.
  

• Of the freshmen, Whitaker is a big boy, officially listed at 308 pounds. So is Fariyike at 330. But Mack, who is 361 pounds, is by far the heaviest in the class and on the team.
  

• DB Rodney Cofield, a walk-on redshirt freshman, isn't on the roster. Nor is spring game star WR Nathan Taylor, another walk-on. I'm not sure if this is a case where these guys are added later in August or not.

• Trent Fisher, a defensive back, is the son of Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher. He's a walk-on.

• OG Mike Berry is listed at 316 pounds. He was 323 last spring. That makes Lee Ziemba (319 pounds) the heaviest starter on the offensive line. Never thought I'd see Berry not have that title.
  

• DL Nosa Eguae is up to 258 pounds. He was 249 last spring and 244 last season. Fellow lineman Dee Ford is up to 240. He was listed at 214 last fall.

• TE Philip Lutzenkrichen is bigger, listed at 258 pounds. He was 246 in the spring.

• RB Onterio McCalebb is at 171 pounds. That's considerably bigger than last fall but not quite the mound of twisted steel he and Curtis Luper made it sound like he'd be this year.

• DB Anthony Gulley-Morgan (the former Anthony Gulley) looks like he's just going by Anthony Morgan now.

• QB Cam Newton is still big. 6-6, 250 according to the roster.

• OG John Sullen is listed at a svelte 312. He was 323 in the spring and 346 last fall.

You readers are usually a lot more eagle-eyed than I. Notice any other things of note on the roster?

OK, we've got the ball rolling on these opponents previews. Yesterday was Arkansas State. Today is the conference opener against Mississippi State, a Thursday night game in Starkville that isn't going to be easy for Auburn.

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

• Head coach: Dan Mullen (2nd season at Mississippi State, 5-7; 2nd overall, assistant at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida)
  
• 2009 record: 5-7 (3-5 SEC East t-4th)
  
• Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)
• Total offense: 371.9 ypg (7th SEC, 65th nationally)
• Total defense: 366.0 ypg (10th SEC, 58th nationally)
• Series: Auburn leads 58-23-2
• Last meeting: Auburn won 49-24 last year at Jordan-Hare Stadium
• Consensus prediction: Sixth place in the SEC West
  

Five-week schedule glimpse

• Sept. 4: Memphis
• Sept. 9: Auburn
• Sept. 18: at LSU
• Sept. 25: Georgia
• Oct. 2: Alcorn State

Mullen made major strides in his first year at Mississippi State, bringing life to an offense that was long dormant under Sylvester Croom's watch and giving the program a jolt in the process. Although they didn't make a bowl game, the Bulldogs finished the season on a high note, beating rival Ole Miss handily at home.

Now for the hard part: taking that next step. MSU leaned heavily on running back Anthony Dixon, who ran for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he's graduated. The quarterback situation remains fluid. The defense has some issues. And the Bulldogs play a brutal schedule. What will it mean in Year 2 of the Mullen era? I'm not exactly sure.

So I've enlisted the help of Kyle Veazey of The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. You can read him on his blog (one of the better looking blogs on the market, by the way) or on Twitter, where it appears the entire state of Mississippi is following him. Here are my questions and his answers:

AB: Quarterback Chris Relf proved himself as a capable runner last year, but his passing left a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, Mississippi State fans are no doubt enamored by redshirt freshman Tyler Russell, a former Mississippi Player of the Year. How will the quarterback situation shake out now that Tyson Lee is gone? Is it possible there could be a platoon situation?

KV: Possible and probable. Mullen showed us last year that he certainly doesn't mind playing two. Relf ended spring clearly ahead of Russell, but the context wasn't that it was an all-or-nothing situation. (Relf has, by all accounts, become a better passer.) Look out for another name in the QB race, and at least the last name is familiar: Favre. As in Dylan Favre, last year's record-setting QB at St. Stanislaus on the Coast. [edit: he's Brett's nephew] He doesn't have the height of Relf or Russell, and he's inexperienced, but he'll be given a shot in preseason practice to see what he can do.

AB: Mullen's offenses at Florida has plenty of weapons across the board. With Dixon, who set a school record with 3,994 career rushing yards, now in the NFL, what kind of skill players are expected to carry the offense in his absence?

KV: At tailback, I'd expect a committee between juco transfer Vick Ballard, junior Robert Elliott and freshmen LaDarius Perkins and Montrell Conner, at least until one of them breaks out. I don't know that State will absolutely replace Dixon. Look for WRs Chad Bumphis and Leon Berry to touch the ball a lot. And watch out for TE Marcus Green, too.

AB: Mississippi State replaced defensive coordinator Carl Torbush with former Middle Tennessee coordinator Manny Diaz, who emphasizes an attacking style that puts up big numbers in sacks and tackles for a loss. What chance does he have to find immediate success with the group he inherited, one that finished 10th in the SEC in total defense last year and 11th in passing defense?

KV: Quite a bit, actually. The unit returns quite a few players, many of them talented. DE Pernell McPhee is an all-SEC, play-on-Sunday DE. DTs Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd were both two of the top freshmen in the league last year, and juco transfer DT James Carmon is intriguing because of his size (6-7, 340 or so). LBs K.J. Wright and Chris White are seniors and respected. SS Charles Mitchell, a junior, is solid. And while the secondary struggled early, some personnel switches eventually helped make it somewhat shored-up and produced two freshman all-SEC players.

AB: Mullen hasn't hesitated to take a shot or two at state rival Ole Miss in his brief time in Starkville, backing up that talk with a 41-27 win in the Egg Bowl. Is there a sense that the tide is turning in the rivalry more toward Mississippi State?

KV: I don't know if anyone can diagnose that exactly, but I do know this: The rivalry has gotten more intense in the past year and a half or so. It's fun for the people who do what I do -- don't pick a side and just report and analyze what happened. And it's fun for the fans, too.

AB: The Bulldogs appear to be better this year, but they face a killer schedule, one that includes a stacked SEC West and cross-division games against Florida and Georgia. They also travel to Houston for a non-conference matchup in October. Is it possible for MSU take a step forward as a program but not improve its total of five wins from last year? And if so, and the Bulldogs fail to get to the six wins necessary for a bowl game, will that turn off a fan base that has rallied behind Mullen so far?

KV: Yeah, that's sort of the big question around here. The program has improved, it seems, and the play on the field looks poised to be pretty good. But will it show up, given that schedule? Oddly enough, the schedule is probably a lot better than last year, when State easily played the nation's toughest schedule. The best way to look at this is by looking at the swing games: Yes, Auburn on Sept. 9 is one of them. Comes early enough in the schedule that who knows what'll happen. I also look at Georgia, in Starkville, on Sept. 26 and Houston, in Houston, on Oct. 9. Go 2-1 in that group, and six wins is more reasonable.

There you have it. I'm guessing this year's game will be infinitely more interesting than the 3-2 slugfest two years ago. I'm not sure what the NCAA Football '11 simulation would look like. I'll ask again if there's anybody out there who wants to simulate it, to put the result in the comment section.

Next up: A tough non-conference home game against Clemson and quarterback Kyle Parker.

Justin Garrett, an outside linebacker from Tucker, Ga., said Tuesday that he'll sign with Auburn in 2011.

AuburnUndercover.com, AuburnSports.com and Inside the Auburn Tigers reported the news first.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Garrett is the Tigers' 12th commitment for 2011 and their second linebacker, joining Chris Landrum of Sweet Water, Ala.

Garrett had offers from more than a dozen schools, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Clemson and Florida State.

Rivals and Scout both rank him as a three-star recruit. Scout lists him as the No. 21 outside linebacker in the country.

Garrett is Auburn's fourth commitment since it hosted its final summer camp July 17. Here's an updated commit list:

• Angelo Blackson, DL, 6-5, 289, 3-star, Bear, Del. (Red Lion Christian Academy)
• Sammie Coates, WR, 6-3, 170, 2-star, Leroy, Ala. (Leroy High)
• Jaylon Denson, WR, 6-3, 190, NR, Hoover, Ala. (Hoover High)
  
• Reese Dismukes, C, 6-3, 272, 4-star, Spanish Fort, Ala. (Spanish Fort High)
• Kiehl Frazier, QB, 6-3, 215, 4-star, Springdale, Ark. (Shiloh Christian)
• Justin Garrett, OLB, 6-2, 185, 3-star, Tucker, Ga. (Tucker High)
  
• Devin Gaulden, CB, 5-10, 175, NR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (University School)
  
• Chris Landrum, LB, 6-2, 215, 3-star, Sweet Water, Ala. (Sweet Water High)
• Izauea Lanier, DB, 6-1, 190, NR, Gordo, Ala. (East Mississippi CC)
• JaBrian Niles, DE, 6-2, 270, 3-star, Mobile, Ala. (Davidson High)
• Thomas O'Reilly, OL, 6-3, 315, 3-star, Marietta, Ga. (Pope High)
• Anthony Swain, S, 6-3, 215, 3-star, Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden City High)

Guard Frankie Sullivan, one of the only returning players who made a major contribution last season, underwent successful surgery on his left knee Tuesday, Auburn announced in a release.

Sullivan, a rising junior, had the procedure done by Dr. James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham.

There is no timetable for a return and the severity of the injury is not known. An Auburn spokesman said the injury occurred recently.

"I feel for Frankie and the Auburn family," said head coach Tony Barbee, who left the recruiting trail to be with Sullivan for the surgery. "We were all looking forward to him having a big year.

"I'm a big believer in things happening for a reason even though we don't always understand why. We know Frankie will use his toughness and work ethic to come back 100 percent and will rejoin the team when he is fully healthy."

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Sullivan averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season as the Tigers went 15-17. Of the team's top-five scorers last year, he is the only returner.

Sullivan scored a career-high 27 points in last year's SEC Tournament first round loss to Florida.

We're in the no man's land between SEC Media Days and when players report on Aug. 3, so to fill the time, the blog has brought back our "Ask an Opposing Team's Beat Writer" segment.

We'll go through the schedule, starting today with Arkansas State. I hope to get one a day during the next week and a half, but I'm not sure how well I'll stick to the schedule. An easy solution would be to follow the blog on Twitter so you know exactly when the post goes up.

Without further adieu, here's Arkansas State:

Arkansas State Red Wolves

• Head coach: Steve Roberts (9th season at Arkansas State, 41-55; 17th overall, 88-90-1 at Southern Arkansas State, Northwestern State and Arkansas State)
  
• 2009 record: 4-8 (3-5 Sun Belt, t-6th)
  
• Returning starters: 8 (4 offense, 4 defense)
• Total offense: 328.8 ypg (6th Sun Belt, 95th nationally)
• Total defense: 340.5 ypg (1st Sun Belt, 41st nationally)
• Series: Auburn leads 1-0
• Last meeting: Auburn won 27-0 in 2006 at Jordan-Hare Stadium
• Consensus prediction: Third place in the Sun Belt
  

Five-week schedule glimpse

• Sept. 4: at Auburn
  
• Sept. 11: at Louisiana-Lafayette
  
• Sept. 18: Louisisana-Monroe
  
• Sept. 25: at Troy
  
• Oct. 2: Louisville

Even if you're not from Arkansas, you might have heard of the Red Wolves before. They were the team that gave No. 13 Iowa everything it could handle last year in Iowa City, losing 24-21 after a furious 14-point fourth quarter rally. Arkansas State had a strong defense led by defensive end Alex Carrington, an NFL draft pick and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. But this year's team is a young group. And while the Red Wolves showed some grit against Iowa, they underachieved, winning only four games, the second lowest total of Roberts' run in Jonesboro.

To find out more about this year's team, I got the help of Matt Roberson, the Arkansas State beat writer for the Jonesboro Sun. Read all about the Red Wolves at www.jonesborosun.com. That's the only paper with a full-time beat writer, so you're sure to get the Red Wolves scoop by going there.

AB: Eight years into the Roberts era, how do Red Wolves fans view the coach? Is he revered for making a program that struggled so mightily once it joined the I-A ranks competitive? Or are fans growing weary of five- to six-win seasons that fall just short of bowl eligibility, especially after one of the more talented teams in school history struggled to a 4-8 mark last year?

MR: It seems Arkansas State’s fan base has become somewhat fractured over coach Roberts in recent years. There are many people who support coach Roberts and understand that he’s turned a program that was once at the very bottom of college football when he took over into a competitive Sun Belt team. However, there is also a strong amount of criticism directed toward Roberts for failing to get over the hump and make it to seven wins or more. Last year’s team and its final record was a major disappointment to all fans, and that disappointment led to greater vocal opposition for Roberts. It’s hard to say whether coach Roberts is on the hot seat or not, but it’s clearly important that he have some success this season and bring back to the fold those who have lost their fondness for him.

AB: New offensive coordinator Hugh Freeze is well-known in SEC circles for being Ed Orgeron's recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss when the Rebels struggled on the field but amassed a haul of talented recruits. What kind of impact do you think he'll have on Arkansas State's recruiting efforts? Might he be able to snag some players that slip through the SEC cracks? And how well will his no-huddle spread offense work?

MR: I expect Freeze to have an immediate impact on Arkansas State’s recruiting efforts and success offensively. Freeze has several qualities that make him an excellent hire for ASU. He has a great offensive mind, has experience on numerous levels and he’s both professional and very personable. I expect him to accomplish a lot of things while he’s here. One of Arkansas State’s biggest weaknesses during the past decade has been at wide receiver, but with Freeze’s inroads to high school and junior college programs across the country, I’m sure ASU will bring in plenty capable receivers to fit this new style. There’s always a player or two who slip through the cracks, and I’m sure Freeze will find a couple. As far as his offense, I expect some growing pains this year, maybe some flashes of potential, but I do believe it will be a work in progress that will take two or three years to transition to.

AB: The Red Wolves bid farewell to four-year starting quarterback Corey Leonard. Between Ryan Aplin, who played some near the end of last year, or redshirt freshman Phillip Butterfield, who had a strong spring, who will emerge as the guy to replace him?

MR: Arkansas State had the same situation four years ago when Leonard was a redshirt freshman and Travis Hewitt was a sophomore. This time Butterfield is the redshirt freshman and Aplin is the sophomore. Going into preseason practice, no starter has been set and a battle for the position will definitely generate a lot of interest and speculation. Aplin knows the offense, has real game experience and seems to be a smart decision maker that won’t hurt his team. Butterfield has the stronger arm and is better equipped physically, but he missed all of last fall with a knee injury and only began practicing in the spring. Butterfield appears to have the better skills but he’s still behind as far as the speed of the game. I suspect Aplin will be named the starter for the opener but the battle will continue into the season and that Butterfield will share some of the playing time. By the fourth or fifth game, look for Butterfield to probably take over as the full-time starter.

MR: Last year's defense was built around a line that featured Carrington, who's now with the Buffalo Bills. What is the strength of this year's unit and how effective can this group be after losing seven starters from a year ago?

MR: Arkansas State’s defensive line returns only one starter in all-conference tackle Bryan Hall, but the team picked up a big transfer in Texas defensive tackle Derek Johnson. It appears Johnson will be cleared to play immediately. While the line took some hits to its starting core, this has typically been the deepest unit on the team. At times, they rotated up to 10 linemen during a game last year. Many of the backups were practically starters so the dropoff won’t be as steep as some might think. The linebackers are clearly the strength of the defense and may be the best group Steve Roberts has ever assembled. Demario Davis led the team in tackles (80) last year and showed an instinct and explosive ability like the unit hadn’t seen in years. He’ll be joined by returning starter Darius Glover and Javon McKinnon, an all-conference pick, while the depth is solid. Cornerback is the biggest question mark on defense with the loss of both starters. Both safeties return but passing teams could take advantage of the inexperience out on the islands. I expect this defense to be just as strong as last year. Defense has been a staple at ASU for some time now.

AB: Beating Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the opener would be a tall task, but what about the rest of the Red Wolves' schedule? Is this a team that is capable of getting over the six-win ceiling that's hovered over the school? What's a best-case and worst-case scenario?

MR: Arkansas State will be a young football team that is breaking in new starters at the skill positions on offense and throughout its defensive unit. The team is also switching to a new offense and lost one of its better assistant coaches during the offseason to another school. I’m not sure if the Red Wolves are capable of breaking through the 6-win ceiling they’ve been unable to break through. This is a team in transition and the season could get pretty rough before things smooth out. A best-case finish would be 8-4 with losses coming to Auburn, Navy, Middle Tennessee and Troy. The worst-case scenario would be 3-9 with their only wins coming against Louisiana-Monroe, Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky. Either could happen, but I suspect Arkansas State to finish 4-8 or 5-7.

Alas, I did not buy the NCAA Football '11 game this year, so I won't be able to do the game simulations. But if there's any kind soul out there who does have the game and would like to post the result in the comments section below, I would definitely appreciate it.

Up next: Auburn opens conference play with what could be a tough one on a Thursday night in Starkville.

Tigers fans might still have a shred of hope for claiming the 2004 national title.

The SEC Media Days are in our rearview. Thank goodness. While it's fun to gather every one of the league's coaches in one spot with considerable pomp and circumstance, the yield is ... well, a whole lot of fluff.

What did we learn from this year's version?

1. Some NFL agents are pimps ... except when they're predators. We know this because everyone who stood in front of a microphone basically said as much.
   
2. Interim Vandrebilt coach Robbie Caldwell can entertain a group of sportswriters with the best of them.
3. Aairon Savage is a snazzy dresser.

But actual, football-related news was in short supply. It's all coachspeak, and blindingly optimistic coachspeak at that. If you believed every word the coaches said at the podium, everybody in the league would win 10 games this year.

We know that won't be the case. Despite the optimism bursting from media days, football has winners and losers. And what better way to start off the week than a preseason power rankings of the teams in the SEC.

(As a quick programming notes, I plan to start daily opponent previews to fill time in this last week before players report. If all goes to plan, Arkansas State will be up on Tuesday.)

Back to the power rankings. Let's get to it. And yes, the worst-case scenarios are meant to be hyperbolic ...

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide may have to re-tool its entire defense, but Nick Saban has a wealth of talent to choose from thanks to a series of top-flight recruiting classes. Oh yeah, it also has a returning Heisman Trophy winner, an All-SEC receiver and a heady quarterback who's perfect for Saban's pro-style offense.

• Best-case scenario: Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson are unstoppable behind a strong offensive line and new faces step up on defense, leading to another national title. Funds for a second Saban statue immediately go into the Alabama athletic budget.

• Worst-case scenario: The Tide's defense is slow to jell, leaving it vulnerable in early-season matchups to Penn State, Arkansas and Florida. It ends up losing more games this season than the previous two combined. The Apocalypse soon begins.
  

2. Florida

The post-Tim Tebow era gets underway, and while the Gators have to break in a new quarterback in John Brantley, they're still talented up and down the roster. Don't underestimate a defense that finished No. 4 nationally in total yardage last year.

• Best-case scenario: Brantley gives Florida the "real" quarterback it needs to completely utilize its stable of offensive weapons and the defense holds strong even without Charlie Strong.

• Worst-case scenario: They miss Tebow's leadership more than they think and drift back to the pack, opening up a chance for another team to steal the Eastern Division crown. Bummed out, Urban Meyer calls it quits for real this time, leading to another Ron Zook-like situation in Gainesville with his replacement.
  

3. Auburn

No matter who I put third on this list, I didn't feel completely comfortable. The Tigers won out because of their favorable schedule and potentially explosive offense, especially if Cam Newton is as good as advertised.

• Best-case scenario: Newton is the real deal, the offense takes off and the defense does enough to keep opponents under 25 points a game. If all goes right, the Iron Bowl will be a winner-take-all showdown for the SEC West.

• Worst-case scenario: Gene Chizik suffers a sophomore slump. Newton isn't quite ready, the defense is still a sieve and, with the prospect of having to re-tool the offense in 2011, Gus Malzahn strikes while he can and takes a head coaching job.
  

4. Arkansas

The Razorbacks have one of the best offenses in the country with Ryan Mallett under center but they also have one of the worst defenses, one that gave up over 400 yards a game last year. Defense usually wins out in the SEC, but Mallett and Co. are really good.

• Best-case scenario: The Hogs catch Alabama at the right time early in the season, using the win as a springboard to a surprise run to the SEC West title. Mallett's 40 touchdown passes earn him the Heisman.

• Worst-case scenario: Despite averaging 40 points a game, the defense allows 42 points a game, setting a new bar for the most entertaining yet frustrating team to be a fan of. Bobby Petrino stays true to form by leaving for another job after the season.

5. Georgia

The Bulldogs can be looked at two ways: they're a team with a re-energized coach, a new defensive scheme and a fresh outlook. Or they're one that's been passed up by other league powers, with a fan base that has grown weary of coach Mark Richt after 10 years.

• Best-case scenario: Todd Grantham's 3-4 scheme does wonders for the defense, allowing Richt to more easily break in redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray. The Dawgs knock off Florida and steal the East.

• Worst-case scenario: The new defensive scheme merely rearranges the deck chairs of the Titanic and the Bulldogs plummet under .500. Richt gets got, following Phil Fulmer and Tommy Tuberville in the pantheon of precipitous falls from SEC grace.

6. LSU

Les Miles is at a crossroads in Baton Rouge. The shine from his 2007 national title has long rubbed off and his botched clock management at the end of games isn't helping. LSU still has a load of talent. It'll be interesting to see if the Tigers can put all the pieces together.

• Best-case scenario: Jordan Jefferson realizes his potential at quarterback, leading an offensive revival. The defense returns to its dominant self. And every win the Tigers have is by a wide margin, making Miles' handling of the end game less important.

• Worst-case scenario: The offense can't put it together, leaving the defense to get overwhelmed. Miles gets canned after taking a knee to run out the clock of a game that LSU was losing at the time.

7. South Carolina

Time is running out for Steve Spurrier to finally make the Gamecocks a winner. They haven't been able to get over the seven- and eight-win hump under the ol' ballcoach, but with Florida breaking in a new quarterback, now's the time for South Carolina to make a move in the East.

• Best-case scenario: Stephen Garcia finally gets on Spurrier's good side after years of headaches. That's enough for a dominant defense to take over, putting the Gamecocks in contention in a very even East.

• Worst-case scenario: Disappointed by Garcia's slow start, Spurrier benches him, pushing back the team's competitive window another couple years. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Spurrier hangs up his whistle and pursues a leisure life of golf.

8. Kentucky

Meet the new boss, kind of the same as the old boss. Joker Phillips is younger and more energetic than Rich Brooks, but he was the man who has been in charge of the Wildcats' offense for the last several years. This might be his first year in charge, but he's already put his stamp on the program.

• Best-case scenario: Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb are so good that it makes the quarterback situation moot. The Wildcats get up to nine wins and get past the Music City Bowl, happily accepting a Chick-fil-A Bowl bid.

• Worst-case scenario: An inexperienced group struggles in John Calipari's second year. Oh ... football? Joker's not quite ready for primetime, the quarterback situation never gets resolved and the Wildcats slip up in a non-conference game, failing to get to the six wins required for bowl eligibility.

9. Ole Miss

Having missed out on a prime opportunity to compete for the SEC West last season, Houston Nutt's crew has to start over offensively, replacing all but one starter. The defense is still strong and Nutt usually performs well when expectations are low, but this might be too much to overcome.

• Best-case scenario: Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli finds a safe landing spot, makes an otherwise bad offense better than average and allows a strong defense to carry the day, right back to the Cotton Bowl for an attempted three-peat.

• Worst-case scenario: The offense is terrible, leaving the defense overworked and ultimately ineffective. Things bottom out and Nutt, always on the lookout for a better deal, begins to have wandering eyes once again. Also, Hotty and Toddy win the mascot competition and two Muppets end up cheering on the team.
  

10. Tennessee

Vols fans love that Derek Dooley isn't Lane Kiffin, but do they love that he's only 17-20 as a head coach (hey, it's better than 5-19). Tennessee will need some time for things to settle down after the damage Hurricane Kiffin caused in Knoxville. It might take some time to purge the bad element from the roster and move forward.

• Best-case scenario: Things aren't as bad as they first seem. Dooley gets rid of the troublemakers on the roster and still has enough talent to get the ball moving. The Vols maintain their 2009 record and make it back to a decent bowl.

• Worst-case scenario: Tennessee players continue to run afoul of the law and Dooley has to clean house to save the program. The Vols bottom out and fail to make a bowl game, leading to the Vols' full-fledged move to being a basketball-first school.

11. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs were a team on the rise at the end of Dan Mullen's first season, but the schedule does them no favors this year, with games a full complement of SEC West teams, Georgia and Florida and a non-conference game at Houston. Even if MSU improves, it might not do so in the standings.

• Best-case scenario: Mullen's offensive system takes root and the Bulldogs begin to look like Florida/Utah-lite. The defense comes together and MSU does enough to get into a bowl game.

• Worst-case scenario: The quarterback shuffle continues and the defense can't stop anyone through the air, keeping the Bulldogs out of the bowl derby. At the spring meetings, the SEC overturns its rule defending MSU's cowbell tradition, leading to a riot in Starkville.
  

12. Vanderbilt

The most entertaining coach of media days has the least-talented team in the conference, unfortunately. The Commodores went 0-8 in the SEC last year and don't look like they'll do much better this go-around. On the bright side, they'll probably run away with best team GPA, which should count for something.

• Best-case scenario: Vandy steals an SEC game or two and can split its non-conference games, a good enough showing that the 'Dores give Caldwell another year in charge and another shot to dazzle at next year's media days.

• Worst-case scenario: Oh-and-12. It's possible. And while Caldwell is an entertaining guy, an oh-fer isn't going to save his hide. On the bright side, he could make a fortune as a corporate speaker.

So what do you think? What order would you put the SEC teams in to start the season? Who's too high/too low on my list? Post in the comments section below.

Hotel workers began to tear down the stage not long after the final SEC Media Days interviews concluded Friday, giving some not-so-subtle signs for us to get out by cutting the power and noisily collapsing the rows of tables.

But Panera Bread has Internet and, despite its legal right to, has never kicked me out. Let's run through some highlights from the final day:

(Hey, look, a plug for Twitter! Follow along to join the revolution.)

Most impressive debut

This one's cheating, since the only new coach to the festivities on this day was Tennessee's Derek Dooley. But he was affable and charming on the stage, inserting a few jokes and basically doing everything Gene Chizik doesn't. Here's a sampling:

• On following in the footsteps of his coaching legend father, Vince: "Sometimes I felt like I was that 11-year-old boy playing little league whose dad was right on him. But I think it's because he understands the nature of this job."

• On his dad testing him about Tennessee football history: "I will say the first couple of weeks on the job, he'd call me and he'd say, 'Do you know who so-and-so is?' I'd say, No, 'I don't know who that is.' 'What do you mean you don't know who that is? He was all conference in 1962.' He said, 'Dad, I don't even know who my defensive end is, give me a chance.'"

• One reporter started a question by saying he left a secure job as a lawyer. Dooley's quick response: "Secure job? You are out of your mind if you think it's secure."

• On how his law background helps him as a coach: "I can't really put a handle on specifically how it helps me, other than I am able to read the NCAA manual and understand it the first time, because it was clearly written by lawyers when you read the language."

• On if any of his fellow SEC coaches have thanked him for replacing the reviled Lane Kiffin: "No, no. I mean, how do you answer a question like that? (smiling) Y'all are just waiting for me to say something, I guess. Let's go on to the next one."

Most interesting things about the polls

There were a couple, and I never pass on an opportunity to use bullet points on the blog:

• Ole Miss was picked last in the West, behind Mississippi State.
• LSU was picked fourth in the SEC West, behind Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn.
  
• Auburn had the third-most votes to win the SEC but was still third in the West behind Alabama and Arkansas.
• Someone picked Vanderbilt to win the East. Very bold. No, bold's not the word. Insane, that's it.

Most ridiculous All-SEC pick

Alabama running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson took up both spots on the media's preseason All-SEC teams. I think the Crimson Tide will be good at running the ball, but two first-teamers? I don't think there are enough carries to go around for that to happen.

Personally, I think Kentucky's Derrick Locke, a second-teamer who ran for 907 yards last year, got screwed here.

Best name we haven't heard in a minute

Raymond Cotton, a former Auburn commit who signed with Ole Miss after Tommy Tuberville resigned, is thinking about transferring after sitting on the bench for a year with the Rebels.

Cotton was Ole Miss' most-prized recruit in 2009 but redshirted last year and had battled a sore shoulder since last spring. He went 5-for-7 for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the Red-Blue game last spring, but spent the summer telling teammates he intended to transfer. He finished the spring No. 2 on the depth chart behind Nathan Stanley, although coach Houston Nutt has said the gap isn't that wide.

"As a former quarterback myself, you know, as a freshman, sometimes they get what I call 'freshmanitis,' where they feel like the walls are caving in on them, I should be doing this, doing that," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said Friday. "Then they get to listening to some of their buddies, somebody maybe texting, a blog, all this information about what you should be doing, where you should be playing.

"The bottom line is, he's just been there a very, very short time. You're a freshman now. You have a chance to compete for a job. So there's no need to make one of these rash, bad decisions. So hopefully, his mom and dad are totally behind me. They're pushing him hard to stay. Hopefully we'll get it all corrected and he'll get back on board and we'll go from there."

Best retroactive analysis

Nutt addressed how an early-season Thursday night loss to South Carolina had a big effect on his team not living up to lofty expectations last season. He said it popped the Rebels' bubble.

"When that bubble popped, that's where you better have some Dr. Phil in ya," he said. "You better be ready to go, to help your team, because expectations are so high. Fans have this vision that you're going straight to Atlanta. You got to be ready to adjust. We all want to go there."

Ole Miss finished 9-4 overall and won the Cotton Bowl, but it finished a disappointing 4-4 in the conference.

Nutt's not against high expectations, though. He offered this advice, so take heed Arkansas and Auburn: "I would just say, 'Hey, embrace it. It's awesome.' But you got to get ready, though, in case there's a little detour along the way."

The 'Yup, you should work on that' Award

Goes to LSU coach Les Miles, who said the team has re-evaluated how it handles the two-minute drill. Maybe this had something to do with it.

Miles said the Tigers will put more emphasis on the two-minute drill in practice this year, adding, "It's never been given that kind of emphasis certainly at our place." (You don't say.) "It's not just lip service. You know, we've changed."

I'll believe it when I see it. It's not like Miles hasn't mishandled a situation like this before. Last year was just the first time it came back to bite him.