Williams and Wroten seem to be the two guys at DT this year, but do we have much depth after that? I bet Favorite will be red-shirted just because he seems a little raw, but Dorsey has the size to contribute right away, any chance that he could see action in 2004?
I really hate to say this, but it's extremely hard to imagine an undefeated team in the SEC. IMO, next season will end for the SEC similar to the way it ended for UGA 2 years ago - a 1 loss team left out of the Championship Game because of 2 other undefeated teams (weren't OSU and Miami both undefeated?) - or like Tennessee 3 years ago - 1 loss season and left out of the Championship Game after losing in Atlanta. I know it's possible, but it's hard to imagine defeating a team and a coach as good as UGA has/will put on the field 4 consecutive times over two years (3 on the road). IMO, in the SEC, a 4 game winning streak against a conference opponent ranked in the top 10 is like an undefeated season in college basketball. I hope that feeling is wrong! All that being said, I look for USC to run the table and win every game by no fewer than 9 points on their way to Miami. I think OU gets right back on track, dismantles the Big 12 and humiliates Texas (of course) again on their way to Miami. Also, you always have to keep an eye out for the UF / Florida State / Miami team that gets to 8-0 or 9-0 and the Big 10 team that makes a run. But, next year doesn't appear on the surface to be a year of big surprises - last year didn't either. Looks cut and dry to me: USC has to pick up where they left off and destroy the no-defense playing Puss-10. Ohio St. and Michigan have to kill each other and not trip early. OU, very simple, beat Texas and don't fall asleep at the wheel again. LSU/UGA/UF/UT - get hot, stay focused, no huge injuries and win the game against the other. Ole Miss - wait for Eli to have kids...
Tennessee was a 1-loss team going into Atlanta, but left with 2 losses. They all but had the title game berth locked up, even with a loss. Im not quite sure I follow that. In 2003, Randall completed over 62% of his passes and had a higher QB rating than Mauck, even though Mauck had the highest QB rating of any starter in the league. Now, if you said that you hadnt seen anything from Randall during 2002 that indicates he would be any different in 2004, I would agree, though I still think it is silly. Different team, different Randall. Maybe you knew something that I didnt, but I saw nothing from Maucks 2002 season that indicated to me he would be worth his salt in 2003, yet he was. Did you see something? Was it his sub 50% pass rating? Was it his 8-18, 0 TD, 1 INT performance against The Citadel? He had one good game against Florida, and really, Michael Clayton did all the work, catching 3 passes for 83 of Maucks 153 yards. Plus 153 yards isnt exactly record breaking. Statistically, Mauck was only marginally better than Randall, but consider the competition. In his 5 wins in 2002, 4 were against The Citadel, Miami (OH), Miss St., and ULL...and he didnt look good. Randall played very poorly against Alabama and Auburn, but otherwise played fairly well, or at least, better than Mauck. Remember that we have one of the best QB developers in the league. Hell, Auburn hasnt had a decent QB since he left them. Mauck will always have a special place in the hearts of LSU fans, but lets be honest, he was the product of a good system. You dont go 18-2 as a starter and get drafted in the 7th round, otherwise. Dont get me wrong, I loved Mauck and will always remember him fondly. I just feel that Randall is in a very similar place as Mauck was this time last year. Most people didnt think Mauck had it in him either. I did, and I think Randall does, too.
