Best argument for cloning
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has great hair, and that's about the 97th-best thing about the Heisman Trophy winner. Mr. 3223 (that's 32 TD passes, 23 rushing TDs in '07) is not only a uniquely gifted two-way threat and the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman — you almost forgot that he's already won a national championship in his first two seasons in Gainesville, but here's just a few things that he did during the offseason:

• Missionary work in the Phillippines, Croatia and Thailand. In the Phillippines, where Tebow himself was born, he performs minor surgeries (circumcisions, cyst removal) due to a lack of medical personnel.
• On the day after Florida's spring game, Tebow organizes a powder puff football tournament with UF sororities in order to raise money (and awareness) for orphans. The tourney brings in $10,000.
• In April, on his first free Saturday since December, speaks at two different men's prisons in Florida.
• In May, speaks at a youth rally at a high school football stadium in Starke, Fla., that draws 2,500 people.

"God gave me this gift for a reason," Tebow told The Sporting News in June. "There's a sense of purpose in everything I do."

Ryan's perilous adventures
The MVP of the 2007 SEC championship game will be playing in Jacksonville on November 1st. And that may not surprise you at first glance, since Florida plays Georgia there that afternoon: Tim Tebow (Mr. Heisman), Knowshon Moreno (Mr. SEC Frosh of the Year), etc.

Except that neither Florida or Georgia played in last year's SEC title game. LSU and Tennessee did. The MVP of that game was Tiger back-up quarterback Ryan Perrilloux who, with Matt Flynn's graduation, was all set to become the man in Baton Rouge this fall.

Last May, though, the redshirt junior was dismissed from the team for "not fulfilling his obligation" to LSU. A former indigo-blue chip recruit, Perrilloux was chronically late or absent from meetings, workouts and classes, and reportedly failed a drug test. And there were a few misdemeanors and whatnot in his past as well.

Perrilloux transferred to Jacksonville State, an FCS program where he will be eligible to play immediately. On Nov. 1 the Gamecocks host Austin Peay at 2 p.m. That should be 90 minutes or so before the Bulldogs and Gators kick off.

Don't get any crazy ideas about seeing parts of both games that afternoon, though. Jacksonville State is in Alabama, not Florida.

It's about defense
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner plays quarterback at Florida. The first pick overall in the 2007 NFL draft played quarterback at LSU. And the MVP of Super Bowl XLII played quarterback at Mississippi.

Success in the SEC, however, rests on defense. LSU won the national title last season with an offense not rated in the top ten nationally but a defense that was third overall in yardage allowed. Three of the Top 10 picks in this April's NFL draft were SEC defensive studs: LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (5th), Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey (8th) and Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo (10th).

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So who has the best defense in the SEC this year? We like Auburn, which returns seven starters from a unit that finished sixth in both scoring defense and total defense last season — and that is after having played Florida, LSU and Arkansas, all of whom finished in the top 13 in scoring offense nationally.

The SEC's best defensive player? Tough to call, but we'll give a narrow edge to Gator linebacker Brandon Spikes (131 tackles) over Volunteer safety Eric Berry, who had 86 tackles and five picks as a true freshman.

Wide open west
Three new starting quarterbacks: at Auburn, LSU and Mississippi. Two new coaches: Bobby Petrino at Arkansas and Houston Nutt at Ole Miss (okay then, really one new coach). And just one returning 1,000-yard rusher: Mississippi State's … can you guess? … Anthony Dixon.

One year after the SEC West produced the national champion and the nation's most lethal running back, Darren McFadden of Arkansas, the division is an enigma. Will LSU's defense and outstanding speed be enough to return the Tigers to a third consecutive BCS bowl? Will Nick Saban, whose Alabama recruiting class is considered by many to be the nation's best, lead the Tide to its first division title since 1999? Has Ole Miss finally gotten its pillow-pilfering problem under control?

What does it all mean? Almost anyone can win the SEC West this season. Except Arkansas. The Hogs lost too much talent.

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