Last season, Georgia won the conference title for the first time since 1982. This year, Auburn is the team many prognosticators think will end a championship drought that dates back to the '80s. Meanwhile, Florida and Tennessee hope to bounce back from sub-par 8-5 seasons, while Alabama and Kentucky try to repeat 2002 success with new head coaches. On or off the field, the SEC is never lacking for intrigue.

Alabama Crimson Tide

2003 Schedule 8-30 South Florida 9-6 Oklahoma 9-13 Kentucky 9-20 Northern Illinois 9-27 Arkansas 10-4 at Georgia 10-11 Southern Miss 10-18 at Ole Miss 10-25 Tennessee 11-8 at Mississippi State 11-15 LSU 11-22 at Auburn 11-29 at Hawaii 2002 overall record: 10-3 Conference record: 6-2 Returning starters Offense: 6, Defense: 7, Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Shaud Williams* (921 yds) Passing: Tyler Watts (1,414 yds) Receiving: Sam Collins (553 yds) Tackles: Brooks Daniels* (110) Sacks: Antwan Odom* (10) Interceptions: Charlie Peprah* & Waine Bacon (4 each) Spring Answers: After losing three top defensive linemen, Alabama needed to find bodies to make an impact up front. Ahmaad Childress and Anthony Bryant showed the physical tools to hold down the tackle spots, and Mark Anderson moved from OLB to DE and gave the Tide a solid backup pass rusher. … Redshirt freshman Juwan Garth had a strong spring as an outside linebacker and completes a unit that is now two deep at each position. ... New head coach Mike Shula has indicated that he will run the ball more than Mike Price planned to, which is likely good news for 2002 starting fullback Greg McLain, who had moved to tight end for the pass-oriented offense. Fall Questions: How will the seniors respond to their fourth different head coach? Will Shula tweak or totally change Mike Price's offense to his own style in a short amount of time? … Even before the coaching change, Tide fans were anxious to see how sophomore QB Brodie Croyle would adjust to the pressure of being the starter. Now, he will enter the season with a different head coach, offensive coordinator and position coach than he had in the spring. … A punter must be found to replace three-year starter Lane Bearden, and there is also uncertainty at placekicker. All three players who attempted kicks last year are back, but there is no leading candidate.

Arkansas Razorbacks

2003 Schedule 9-6 Tulsa 9-13 at Texas 9-20 North Texas 9-27 at Alabama 10-11 Auburn 11-18 Florida 10-25 at Ole Miss 11-1 at Kentucky 11-8 South Carolina 11-15 New Mexico State 11-22 Mississippi State 11-29 at LSU 2002 overall record: 9-5 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 9, Defense: 8, Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Fred Talley (1,119 yds) Passing: Matt Jones* (1,592 yds) Receiving: George Wilson* (626 yds) Tackles: Ken Hamlin (159) Sacks: Gavin Walls (6) Interceptions: Lawrence Richardson* & Ken Hamlin (4 each) Spring Answers: Technically, it's not playing both ways, but QB Matt Jones saw a good bit of action at receiver in the spring, as well. He had two TD catches in spring scrimmages in addition to playing the role of first-team quarterback. … Jeb Huckeba, on the other hand, made a permanent move from inside linebacker to defensive end, and received great reviews at his new position from head coach Houston Nutt. … Huckeba's switch means veteran linebacker Caleb Miller will be relied upon for an even bigger contribution this fall. Coming off back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, Miller continued to turn heads in the spring. Fall Questions: The early departure of Ken Hamlin to the NFL left a big hole at free safety. Several of the top candidates to fill that spot were either injured or with the track team in the spring, so someone needs to step up quickly in August. Starting linebacker Tony Bua may even get a look there. … More depth is needed on the defensive line, and a few players have already switched positions to help meet that goal. Scott Davenport started some on the O-line last year, and is now at nose tackle. … George Wilson and Richard Smith are solid but not spectacular receivers. Will Jones play enough wideout to give the Hogs a needed big-play threat at that position?

Auburn Tigers

2003 Schedule 9-30 USC 9-6 at Georgia Tech 9-13 at Vanderbilt 9-27 Western Kentucky 10-4 Tennessee 10-11 at Arkansas 10-18 Mississippi State 10-25 at LSU 11-1 Louisiana-Monroe 11-8 Ole Miss 11-15 at Georgia 11-22 Alabama 2002 overall record: 9-4 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 8 Kicker/Punter: 0 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Ronnie Brown* (1,008 yds) Passing: Jason Campbell* (1,215 yds) Receiving: Marcel Willis (417 yds) Tackles: Mark Brown (95) Sacks: Karlos Dansby* (4) Interceptions: Carlos Rogers* & T Robinson (4 each) Spring Answers: The Tigers are loaded at tailback. Starter Carnell Williams returned from a broken fibula suffered halfway through last season, Ronnie Brown rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2002, and Tre Smith had a big spring. … Dontarrious Thomas moved from outside linebacker to the middle and played extremely well. He will be a key leader on a defense that projects to be among the nation's best. … At the moment, Tommy Tuberville has no plan to use two quarterbacks again, but Auburn did find its likely backup to Jason Campbell in the spring. Redshirt freshman Josh Sullivan split time with baseball, but looked very good in scrimmage action. Fall Questions: The Tigers still need to find a second solid cornerback. Coaches took a look at safety Junior Rosegreen there late in the spring, but it's not certain if that experiment will carry over to the fall. … A major unknown entity is the kicking game, where there will be both a new kicker and punter. Philip Yost will assume the field goal duties after hitting on 1 of 3 attempts last season, and the punting job will be between a pair of freshmen. … The offensive play-calling system will also have to iron itself out, as new QB coach Steve Ensminger and new offensive coordinator Hugh Nall will be sharing those duties.

Florida Gators

2003 Schedule 8-30 San Jose State 9-6 at Miami (Fla.) 9-13 Florida A&M 9-20 Tennessee 9-27 at Kentucky 10-4 Ole Miss 10-11 at LSU 10-18 at Arkansas 11-1 vs Georgia (Jacksonville, Fla.) 11-8 Vanderbilt 11-15 at South Carolina 11-29 Florida State 2002 overall record: 8-5 Conference record: 6-2 Returning starters Offense: 6, Defense: 3, Kicker/Punter: 2 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Earnest Graham (1,085 yds) Passing: Rex Grossman (3,402 yds) Receiving: Taylor Jacobs (1,088 yds) Tackles: Bam Hardmon (168) Sacks: Clint Mitchell & Bobby McCray* (2.3 each) Interceptions: Guss Scott* & Todd Johnson (2 each) Spring Answers: After losing Taylor Jacobs, the Gators are in desperate need of a playmaker at wide receiver, so Ron Zook made a recruiting trip to the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Keiwan Ratliff participated in almost every spring practice with the wide receivers and played both ways during the spring game. … Unlike recent years, the running game and line play should be the strength of the offense. All five starters return on the line, and the addition of three JuCo players will give the unit great depth. … Ran Carthon has proven to be a solid running back, and he was pushed in the spring by a trio of underclassmen. Fall Questions: The questions start at QB, where Ingle Martin is the only player with game experience. The job is not yet his, though, as Gavin Dickey should challenge in August along with star recruits Chris Leak and Justin Midgett. … Most of the questions for the Gators, however, are on defense. The line lost five seniors from last year's team, and two other linemen declared early for the NFL Draft. The top-two tacklers, Bam Hardmon and Mike Nattiel, were also lost, so there is plenty of uncertainty with the front seven entering the fall. … Because the Gators played only two true freshmen last year, 47 of the 85 scholarship players have never played in a college game.

Georgia Bulldogs

2003 Schedule 8-30 at Clemson 9-6 Middle Tennessee State 9-13 South Carolina 9-20 at LSU 10-4 Alabama 10-11 at Tennessee 10-18 at Vanderbilt 10-25 UAB 11-1 vs. Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.) 11-15 Auburn 11-22 Kentucky 11-29 at Georgia Tech 2002 overall record: 13-1 Conference record: 7-1 Returning starters Offense: 3, Defense: 7, Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Musa Smith (1,324 yds) Passing: David Greene* (2,924 yds) Receiving: Terrence Edwards (1,004 yds) Tackles: Boss Bailey & Tony Gilbert (114 each) Sacks: David Pollack* (14) Interceptions: Kentrell Curry (4) Spring Answers: The biggest surprise of the spring might have been linebacker Odell Thurman, who had just re-enrolled at Georgia after playing last season at a junior college. He locked down the starting spot in the middle during a strong spring that culminated with seven tackles and an INT return for TD in the spring game. …. Max Jean-Gilles played a lot as a true freshman last year and was simply dominant in the spring at offensive tackle. … Backup quarterback D.J. Shockley decided to stay at UGA rather than transfer somewhere else to be a starter, and he has continued to get a lot of reps with the first team. Expect his role to be similar to last season. Fall Questions: Nine Bulldogs, including some key starters, were indefinitely suspended in May for selling their SEC Championship rings. It is expected that they will be reinstated by the NCAA after paying restitution, but they are still likely to face some penalty from the team, which could possibly include game suspensions. … All five starters and seven players total are gone from the offensive line, leaving only freshmen and sophomores now on that unit. Five played as freshmen last year, but there is still a lot of inexperience. … There is also a wholesale change of starters at linebacker, which leaves plenty of concerns -- even with the emergence of Thurman.

Kentucky Wildcats

2003 Schedule 8-31 Louisville 9-6 Murray State 9-13 at Alabama 9-20 at Indiana 9-27 Florida 10-11 at South Carolina 10-18 Ohio 10-25 Mississippi State 11-1 Arkansas 11-15 at Vanderbilt 11-22 at Georgia 11-29 Tennessee 2002 overall record: 7-5 Conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 7, Defense: 4, Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Artose Pinner (1,414 yds) Passing: Jared Lorenzen* (2,267 yds) Receiving: Aaron Boone (706 yds) Tackles: Quentus Cumby (87) Sacks: Dewayne Robertson (5) Interceptions: 3 players tied (2 each) Spring Answers: A pair of sophomores moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in the spring and earned starting roles. Raymond Fontaine was the big surprise after playing mostly on special teams last year, and he brings needed speed to a rebuilding defense. … John Sumrall also had little experience in his freshman season but put himself into the mix at both inside linebacking spots with an impressive spring. … Redshirt freshman nose tackle Lamar Mills beat out 2002 starter Ellory Mills, giving the Wildcats good depth at that position after switching to a 3-4 alignment. Fall Questions: In the spring, new head coach Rich Brooks experimented with QBs Jared Lorenzen and Shane Boyd on the field at the same time by using Boyd's athleticism at both RB and WR. How often will he try it in a game? … Alexis Bwenge currently leads a three-man competition to replace SEC rushing leader Artose Pinner. Bwenge is a big runner, who can also play the fullback spot. … The 'Cats also lost experience at tight end, and if nobody steps up in August, they might not use it as a regular position in the offense. … The biggest hole, however, might be at linebacker, where there will be four new starters -- some of whom are new to the position.

LSU Tigers

2003 Schedule 8-30 Louisiana-Monroe 9-6 at Arizona 9-13 Western Illinois 9-20 Georgia 9-27 at Mississippi State 10-11 Florida 10-18 at South Carolina 10-25 Auburn 11-1 Louisiana Tech 11-15 at Alabama 11-22 at Ole Miss 11-29 Arkansas 2002 overall record: 8-5 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8, Defense: 7, Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Domanick Davis (931 yds) Passing: Marcus Randall* (1,173 yds) Receiving: Michael Clayton* (749 yds) Tackles: Bradie James (154) Sacks: Melvin Oliver* (6) Interceptions: Corey Webster (7) Spring Answers: QB Matt Mauck returned from the foot injury that ended his 2002 season and practiced every day during the spring. The injury apparently made him less eager to scramble, and he made great strides in improving his pocket passing skills. The final screw was removed from his foot after the spring game. … WR Michael Clayton practiced on both sides of the ball during the spring after successfully playing both receiver and safety in the Cotton Bowl. … The Tigers lost Domanick Davis and LaBrandon Toefield to the NFL Draft, but sophomore Joseph Addai stepped into the running back spot and earned the starting role. Fall Questions: The Tigers will have a difficult time replacing the productivity and leadership of All-SEC linebacker Bradie James. Lionel Turner looked good in the spring and will probably be the player looked to for filling that void. … The secondary must rebuild after losing three of its top four players from last season. Safety Jack Hunt has some quality playing time under his belt, but many of the other replacements do not. … LSU is certain to have inexperience at kicker, as well. A pair of walk-ons competed for the field goal job in the spring, but the position is still unsettled. An incoming recruit will join the battle in the fall.

Mississippi Rebels

2003 Schedule 8-30 at Vanderbilt 9-6 at Memphis 9-13 Louisiana-Monroe 9-27 Texas Tech 10-4 at Florida 10-11 Arkansas State 10-18 Alabama 10-25 Arkansas 11-1 South Carolina 11-8 at Auburn 11-22 LSU 11-27 at Mississippi State 2002 overall record: 7-6 Conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 7 Defense: 8 Kicker/Punter: 2 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Ronald McClendon* (387 yds) Passing: Eli Manning* (3,041 yds) Receiving: Chris Collins* (812 yds) Tackles: Eric Oliver* (129) Sacks: Matt Grier (4) Interceptions: Von Hutchins* (6) Spring Answers: Rush defense was a weakness in most of the Rebels' losses last season, but the unit improved at the end of the year and shut down Nebraska in the second half of the bowl game. With three starters returning on the defensive line and good depth in the front seven, coaches believe this was a major area of improvement in the spring that should carry over to the fall. … Eric Rice emerged at tight end near the end of last year and has put on size and continued to improve. He offers Eli Manning a reliable target that was missing in 2002 after the early injury to Doug Zeigler. … Michael Spurlock and Ethan Flatt are talented, though inexperienced, backups to Manning. Fall Questions: Rain wreaked havoc on the spring practice schedule, and as many as 14 players on the two-deep were held out of contact at times because of injuries. That leaves little room for inefficient August practices with a road conference game (Vanderbilt) to open the season. … The Rebels must improve their running game with two new and fairly inexperienced starters on the offensive line. Justin Sawyer takes over at center, and Cliff Woodruff will play right tackle. … The defense must significantly decrease the number of big plays it allowed last season. The coaches believe this being the second year with the 4-2-5 alignment will make a huge difference.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

2003 Schedule 8-30 Oregon 9-13 at Tulane 9-20 at Houston 9-27 LSU 10-4 Vanderbilt 10-11 Memphis 10-18 at Auburn 10-25 at Kentucky 11-8 Alabama 11-15 at Tennessee 11-22 at Arkansas 11-27 Ole Miss 2002 overall record: 3-9 Conference record: 0-8 Returning starters Offense: 7 Defense: 8 Kicker/Punter: 2 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Justin Griffith (471 yds) Passing: Kevin Fant* (1,918 yds) Receiving: Terrell Grindle (608 yds) Tackles: Mario Haggan (119) Sacks: Michael Gholar (3) Interceptions: Darren Williams* (3) Spring Answers: A major part of spring practice was getting acclimated to new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Morris Watts (offense) and Ron Cooper (defense) installed new schemes that seemed to be picked up well. Coaches also felt like good depth was identified in the offensive line and the secondary. … The Bulldogs struggled to run the ball last season, but sophomore tailback Nick Turner played very well in the spring and vaulted to first-team status. … Jason Clark was second-team All-SEC as a defensive end last year but moved to outside linebacker in MSU's new 4-3 alignment. He responded with three sacks in spring scrimmages. Fall Questions: Sophomore QB Kyle York looked impressive while leading the offense in place of Kevin Fant, who missed the final two weeks of spring practice. York heads the depth chart entering the fall, but the starter has not yet been determined. … Starting left tackle Richard Burch suffered a dislocated ankle and lower-leg fracture midway through last season and was not able to participate in contact drills during the spring. His level of recovery is still uncertain. … Can Cooper revitalize a once-proud defensive unit? MSU is hoping recruits Quentin Culberson and Corey Clark can give immediate help on that side of the ball.

South Carolina Gamecocks

2003 Schedule 8-30 Louisiana-Lafayette 9-6 Virginia 9-13 at Georgia 9-20 UAB 9-27 at Tennessee 10-11 Kentucky 10-18 LSU 10-25 Vanderbilt 11-1 at Ole Miss 11-8 at Arkansas 11-15 Florida 11-22 Clemson 2002 overall record: 5-7 Conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 2 Defense: 6 Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Corey Jenkins (655 yds) Passing: Corey Jenkins (1,334 yds) Receiving: Troy Williamson* (491 yds) Tackles: Jonathan Martin (122) Sacks: Langston Moore (9.5) Interceptions: Dunta Robinson* (4) Spring Answers: Taqiy Muhammad figured to be a major contributor at cornerback in 2003, but he was moved to wide receiver for spring practice and looked very good there. He capped off the transition with seven catches for 149 yards in the spring game. … Depth at QB is no longer an issue thanks to the spring play of JuCo transfer Michael Rathe. He is listed as the backup and could challenge Dondrial Pinkins this fall. … Head coach Lou Holtz brought in defensive coordinator Chris Cosh and installed a new 4-3 alignment. There was steady progress made with that transition throughout the spring, and coaches are optimistic about the impact of the switch. Fall Questions: USC is looking for a running back to carry the load. Sophomores Kenny Irons and Daccus Turman saw a little bit of action last season and will have to beat out highly-recruited Demetris Summers, who will arrive this summer. … Jeremiah Garrison and Lance Laury return as starters at linebacker, but they must play catch-up in August after missing spring practice time with the new 4-3 defense because of injuries. … Special teams are another possible concern. There will be a new punter, and the field goal kicking was inconsistent last year. If Daniel Weaver keeps his job, he must improve on his field goal accuracy beyond 30 yards.

Tennessee Volunteers

2003 Schedule 8-30 Fresno State 9-6 Marshall 9-20 at Florida 9-27 South Carolina 10-4 at Auburn 10-11 Georgia 10-25 at Alabama 11-1 Duke 11-8 at Miami (Fla.) 11-15 Mississippi State 11-22 Vanderbilt 11-29 at Kentucky 2002 overall record: 8-5 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 4 Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Cedric Houston* (779 yds) Passing: Casey Clausen* (2,297 yds) Receiving: Jason Witten (493 yds) Tackles: Keyon Whiteside (119) Sacks: Keyon Whiteside (5) Interceptions: Rashad Baker* (5) Spring Answers: Continuing the theme of SEC players being utilized at multiple positions, Mark Jones moved from the secondary to receiver and may have been the Vols' best wideout in the spring. He will likely play both ways this fall in addition to returning kicks. … Redshirt freshman Antwan Stewart was named as one of the most improved players on the team and concluded spring practice as the starting left cornerback. He faces plenty of competition for that job in the fall, but his play solidifies depth there. … The offensive line took some criticism last season, but the coaches felt really good about the play of that unit in the spring and expect a big improvement. Fall Questions: The 2003 schedule is not very friendly. Tennessee's five road opponents -- Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Miami (FL) and Kentucky - had a combined record of 46-18 last season. … Key defensive players Constantin Ritzmann, Kevin Burnett, Kevin Simon and Rashad Baker were all returning from injuries and had little or no contact in the spring. Even if there is no psychological hangover, they still have only a few weeks to get physically readjusted before the first game. … Four-year starting kicker Alex Walls must be replaced, and there is still competition for that job. Redshirt freshman James Wilhoit is currently the leading candidate.

Vanderbilt Commodores

2003 Schedule 8-30 Ole Miss 9-6 Tennessee-Chattanooga 9-13 Auburn 9-20 at TCU 9-27 Georgia Tech 10-4 at Mississippi State 10-11 Navy 10-18 Georgia 10-25 at South Carolina 11-8 at Florida 11-15 Kentucky 11-22 at Tennessee 2002 overall record: 2-10 Conference record: 0-8 Returning starters Offense: 7 Defense: 8 Kicker/Punter: 1 2002 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Kwane Doster* (798 yds) Passing: Jay Cutler* (1,433 yds) Receiving: Dan Stricker (620 yds) Tackles: Hunter Hillenmeyer (168) Sacks: Hunter Hillenmeyer (4) Interceptions: Jonathan Shaub (3) Spring Answers: One big area of concern entering the spring was the secondary, and the Commodores believe they found some answers there. Sophomores Andrew Pace and Kelechi Ohanaja appear to be likely starters at safety, while a rare JuCo transfer, Bill Alford, looked like he could make a difference at cornerback. … There is still a question at center, but the coaches came out of the spring feeling much better about the offensive line. Tackle Justin Geisinger has a chance to be one of the best in the SEC. … There is great competition between a trio of sophomores at outside linebacker, and the position should be solid and deep this fall. Fall Questions: This team is extremely young. The roster has just eight seniors, and only one of them is projected to start. … Much productivity and experience must be replaced at receiver after the departure of Dan Stricker and M.J. Garrett. Jay Cutler looks like a talented quarterback, but he needs some dependable targets. … Another big void is at middle linebacker. Hunter Hillenmeyer led the nation in tackles per game last season, and sophomore Otis Washington will try to fill his shoes. … Greg Johnson was the nation's sixth-leading punter last season as a true freshman and also the team's placekicker, but he decided to transfer to Texas after spring practice.

Brad Edwards researches college football for ESPN and is a contributor to ESPN.com throughout the year.