Tennessee
'97 prediction: 11-2
'97 actual: 11-2
'98 prediction: 12-1

Florida
'97 prediction: 10-2
'97 actual: 10-2
'98 prediction: 11-1

Georgia
'97 prediction: 4-7
'97 actual: 10-2
'98 prediction: 7-4

Kentucky
'97 prediction: 3-8
'97 actual: 5-6
'98 prediction: 7-4

South Carolina
'97 prediction: 7-4
'97 actual: 5-6
'98 prediction: 6-5

Vanderbilt
'97 prediction: 4-7
'97 actual: 3-8
'98 prediction: 3-8

Western Division Predictions

LSU
'97 prediction: 10-3
'97 actual: 9-3
'98 prediction: 11-1

Auburn
'97 prediction: 9-3
'97 actual: 10-3
'98 prediction: 7-4

Mississippi State
'97 prediction: 6-5
'97 actual: 7-4
'98 prediction: 6-5

Alabama
'97 prediction: 8-4
'97 actual: 4-7
'98 prediction: 5-6

Ole Miss
'97 prediction: 4-7
'97 actual: 8-4
'98 prediction: 5-6

Arkansas
'97 prediction: 4-7
'97 actual: 4-7
'98 prediction: 4-7

Eastern Division

Tennessee

Tell your kids: Sometimes, it all comes down to a sociology exam.

Senior receiver Jeremaine Copeland has the ineffable quality of a great dancer—even in the mayhem of 22 bodies on a football field, you can't keep your eyes off him. When he lines up at the start of a play, his body radiates a sense of anticipation. His one leg forward says, "I'm going in this direction and something is going to happen." He caught 58 passes for nine touchdowns last year—two TDs against both Alabama and Florida. He's a player who distracts opponents out of their defenses and causes mistakes.

Alas, he made the mistake of cutting corners on his classes. Despite warnings from his coaches and teammates, he kept it up. He was suspended for two weeks of spring practice, then had to make up his work over the summer. To play, he had to pass his sociology course. He took the exam on Aug. 17 and got the news on the 20th: he's back. But it was an unnecessary close call.

A streaking Copeland will keep defenses honest against Peerless Price, who caught 48 passes for six touchdowns on a badly broken ankle that wasn't supposed to be—and probably wasn't—fully healed in time for last season.

The greatest luxury for any offense is a running back like Jamal Lewis. With his size (6', 220) and speed, he's like a freight train with moves. After defenders run into him a couple of times, their subconscious minds begin to ask them if it's really worth the pain. Guys start to make arm tackles and miss him completely, and he's gone. Lewis wants 2,000 yards this season, and—having run for 1,364 as a freshman (average 5.9 yards a carry)—he just might get them.

In all, eight starters return to the offense, including Lewis's backfield comrade, fullback Shawn Bryson. The defense loses six starters, including four NFL draft picks (Terry Fair, Leonard Little, Jonathan Brown, and Cory Gaines). Two other members of last year's D (Buck Buxton and Tori Noel) signed as free agents. Still, there's no reason this team can't break the Gator jinx and post a record as good as last year's, or better.

Florida

Don't believe the nonsense you hear about quarterback questions at Florida. Whether it's junior Doug Johnson, or sophomore Jesse Palmer, or Kenneth Starr, the Gator passing game will look like the Luftwaffe.

Johnson is a baseball player who had a sore shoulder in spring practice, lost two fumbles and threw three interceptions in the first half of the spring game, had rotator cuff surgery in May, then spent the summer with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Palmer, meanwhile, threw three TD passes in the spring game and last week officially got the nod as starter.

Redshirt freshman Tim Olmsted was originally supposed to vie for the starting job, but he got his X's and Z's mixed up. "He's sort of lost out there," says his guru-ness Steve Spurrier (see side story). "We'll have to give him a bunch of tests and see if he can learn X is the split end and Z is out there on the tight end side. We call a play and he looks the opposite way. It's not his fault, it's my fault. I've done a lousy job of coaching." Yeah, sure.

Florida is coming off its fifth straight season in double-digit wins and heading for its sixth; look for FEMA to be called in after the Gator tornado rips through the Citadel in Florida's bogus opening game.

Fun fact: Running back Terry Jackson, who had reconstructive knee surgery last year, was named Vice President of the University of Florida Student Government.

Georgia

Last year's surprise team is without Mike Bobo, but help comes from the Chicago Cubs organization. Quincy Carter, a 6' 3", 195 lb., 21-year-old freshman and a 1995 Parade high school All-America, has played the minors for two years but enrolled at Georgia last spring.

So will he start? "I can't pull out some Carnac the Magnificent routine for you," says coach Jim Donnan. "I don't know what's going to happen there." The other contenders are square-jawed junior Jon England and equally square-jawed sophomore Nate Hybl, but look for Carter to get a chance to shine against Kent State in the opener.

Last fall Parade All-America tailback Jasper Sanks pulled up short on the ACT and was ruled academically ineligible. After rushing for 1,047 yards at Fork Union (Va.) Academy, he showed up this summer 10 pounds overweight. He'll be in shape for Tennessee on Oct. 10.

Kentucky

Was Peyton Manning really the best quarterback in the SEC last year? As a sophomore, Tim Couch was ninth in the nation in the Heisman balloting and led the nation and set SEC records in most offensive plays (613), most passing yards in a single season (3,884), attempts (547), completions (363) and completion percentage (66.4). He threw for 37 touchdowns (one more than Manning, but one less than Knoxville's Chad Pennington at Marshall). Mississippi State Coach Jackie Sherrill mentions Couch in the same sentence with Elway, Marino and Namath.

Couch's offensive unit has nine starters returning, including Craig Yeast, the SEC's No. 2 receiver in '97, behind Marcus Nash. He had 73 catches and 10 touchdowns and averaged 23 yards on kickoff returns and 15.6 yards on punt returns. Kentucky's defense was 12th in the SEC in every category, which leaves plenty of room for improvement.

South Carolina

You remember the play—late in the game, Tennessee's Leonard Little made a routine tackle of quarterback Anthony Wright in the backfield, and Wright clenched his knee in agony. Wright's knee has recovered, and he's back leading the team.

This is the sleeper team. Last year the Gamecocks redshirted 24 of 25 freshmen. This is a tactic that often works. The new group comes in beefed up and ready to contribute for four years.

Watch out for free safety Arturo Freeman, an all-SEC senior who picked off one pass against Peyton Manning and two against Florida.

Vanderbilt

The Commodores' defense was first in the SEC and ninth in the nation in total defense, but the offense was like Marlon Brando on Oscar night. They just never showed up. Twelfth in the SEC in passing, 12th in scoring, 11th overall (thank the Lord for Arkansas).

Jimmy Williams, a speedy 5'10", 187-pound tailback, led the team in rushing with 527 yards, but on plays around the end he had no blockers and was routinely crushed by a tsunami of defenders. Perhaps suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, Williams was moved to cornerback to replace Cory Chavous, now with the Arizona Cardinals. In a smart move, new offensive coordinator Steve Crosby, an NFL import, has installed a single-back offense that will feature a punishing, John Riggins-type runner in Jared McGrath, who had 491 yards last year.

Western Division

LSU

Gerry DiNardo did the right thing—kicking tailback Cecil Collins and strong safety Chris Beard off the team after the former allegedly forced his way into an apartment and groped a 17-year-old girl and the latter committed "violation of team policy and philosophies." Fullback Robert Tyler, meanwhile, was booked for unauthorized use of a credit card and also kicked off the team.

Of course, All-America tailback Kevin Faulk, a distinct Heisman possibility who ran for 127.1 yards a game last year, returns along with 16 other starters. Punter Chad Kessler averaged 50.3 yards per kick. The Tigers have to avoid letdowns: Last season they beat Florida, then lost to Auburn the next week.

Auburn

When does college recruiting sound like the punchline to a joke? Last summer, seven of Auburn's 28 freshman recruits failed to qualify academically, including defensive back Stanford Simmons for the second year in a row.

The upperclassmen have different problems. Safety Martavius Houston was kicked off the team for rules violations. Receiver Robert Baker was arrested on April 7 on cocaine trafficking charges. Junior defensive end Leonardo Carson and junior tailback Markeith Cooper were questioned by police about a $55,000 burglary.

The vacuum left by quarterback Dameyune Craig, who threw some 50 times a game, makes this a transition year.

Ole Miss Sophomore Romaro Miller, a Parade All-America from Shannon, Miss., will replace Stewart Patridge. Miller has a quick release and a strong arm. Tony Cannion is the running back to replace John Avery, a first-round NFL pick who's already making big runs with the Miami Dolphins. The overachieving Rebels earned Tommy Tuberville some coaching awards last year, but because of NCAA probation, they still have only 68 (instead of 85) players on scholarship.

Alabama

The worst record in 40 years. Five losses at home, including four in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide has been invincible since the earth's mantle cooled.

Then there was that play at Auburn—up 17-15, an unnecessary pass in the final minute that led to a fumble and an Auburn field goal. Whose fault was all this? Those pesky assistants! Coach Mike DuBose finished up his first (and next-to-last) year by canning offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and three others. The moving vans are circling.

The quarterback situation is interesting. Redshirt freshman Andrew Zow was narrowly edged out for the No. 1 spot by 6'4", 215 lb. senior John David Phillips, who has a career passing mark of one completion on three attempts. Phillips earned his degree in public relations in August, which should prove helpful in putting the spin on another difficult season. The Tide's long-term hopes rest with Tyler Watts, a SuperPrep All-America from Pelham, Ala., whom some tout as the best quarterback from the state since Ken Stabler.

Mississippi State

Apparently, coach Jackie Sherrill is still haunted by the tragic and untimely accidental death two summers ago of running back Keffer McGee. "Keffer and coach Sherrill were really close," says running back James Johnson. "That's why he has to say, 'Next question,' when you ask him about Keffer."

Johnson, who ran for 1,069 yards and 12 TDs last year, is a key to the offense, but the defense has had to replace seven starters. Kicker Brian Hazelwood was ninth in the nation last year, hitting 16 of 26 field goals, three of them longer than 50 yards.

Arkansas

In place of Danny Ford it's 40-year-old Houston Nutt. An all-everything quarterback in the '70s at Little Rock Central High, (the school forced to integrate by the 101st Airborne Division in the '50s), Nutt quarterbacked and played basketball for the Hogs in 1976 and '77 and Oklahoma State in '79 and '80. He head coached at Murray (Ky.) State for four years and Boise State for one before Arkansas pushed the panic button on the Ford regime after a five-game losing streak.

Last year quarterback Clint Stoerner passed for 2,347 yards, breaking the Arkansas record of his own quarterbacks coach, 18-year NFL veteran Joe Ferguson. This was fortunate, since the Hogs also ranked last in rushing among all Division I-A schools in the nation, with 56.5 yards per game.