JUSTIN GRAVES: Few premier QBs means gritty season

By Justin Graves

Potent offenses. Multiple Heisman Trophy candidates. High-scoring shootouts every week.

Ah, the excitement that awaits … In the Big 12.

Here in Southeastern Conference country, the upcoming football season looks to be tad more traditional.

Lots of low-scoring games. Very few points scored. Teams with the best defenses will rule the SEC once again.

That’s what happens when there are only two proven quarterbacks in the conference. Outside of Florida’s Tim Tebow and Ole Miss’ Jevan Snead, the league’s quarterbacks are a bunch of no-names.

Yes, no-names.

Does anyone outside of Georgia know anything about Joe Cox? Doubtful.

Has Greg McElroy done anything to strike fear into opposing teams? Not yet.

Is anyone worried about Auburn’s quarterback play? Only the Tiger faithful. They don’t even know who the starter will be.

It’s a down year for quarterbacks. Almost every team in the conference is breaking a new one in.

Not a promising sign for those who like offensive football. But those who like low-scoring, smash-mouth defensive games, well, this season is for you.

That’s what we’re going to get in the SEC.

This doesn’t mean the conference is down. It’s just going to be a little different.

Reaching the SEC Championship Game is also going to be a whole lot tougher.

Very few teams have marquee quarterbacks. Even fewer are comfortable with their backup. So injuries could be costly — remember what happened to Alabama when Spencer Pennington took over for an injured Brodie Croyle in 2004? It wasn’t pretty.

Survival. That’s the storyline in the SEC this season.

So which teams have what it takes to survive?

Florida does. Some believe Ole Miss can.

But are there any others?

Absolutely.

When low-scoring games are the trend, any team that can run the football and play tough, stingy defense can contend. And the SEC has more than a few of those.

Alabama fits that bill.

McElroy may be an unproven quarterback, but sophomore tailback Mark Ingram isn’t. He was one of the league’s top running backs a year ago.

Alabama is also stacked on defense. It should be one of the best defenses in the league.

So yes, Alabama should be able to contend in the SEC West.

The same can be said about LSU.

Once again, LSU has an unproven quarterback in Jordan Jefferson. But with Charles Scott in the backfield and plenty of speed on defense, the Tigers will most likely be in the mix at the end of the season.

Even an Auburn team that went 5-7 a year ago has a shot.

Lots of low-scoring games can translate into lots of upsets. And if Auburn can get any offensive production, the Tigers could be a surprise team — if Gene Chizik’s team can continue to play good defense, that is.

It’s a little different in the SEC East. Florida is the only team that’s guaranteed to be good — actually, spectacular — on both sides of the ball.

But everyone else in the conference is close, especially in the SEC West — a division with no clear favorite.

Anything can happen this season. But that’s what you get when potent offenses are few and far between.

It makes everything a whole lot more interesting.

‰ Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.

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