ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

All but Ole Miss and Kentucky in the SEC have opened spring practice. The Rebels start Friday and the Wildcats next Wednesday.

With football back in the air, let's empty out the SEC mailbag:

C.J. in Columbia, S.C., writes: Do you think Steve Spurrier can lead the Gamecocks to an SEC championship?

Chris Low: The Head Ball Coach certainly hasn't given up hope. He's encouraged by the recent signing classes and feels good about the new additions to his offensive coaching staff. I think the Gamecocks will be improved next season, in part, because I think Stephen Garcia will be a more mature quarterback. I also have a lot of faith in South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, who's pleased with what he's seen from some of his young guys in the secondary. Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman can play. What is it about those Rock Hill boys? They know how to represent. As for winning an SEC title, I just think the Gamecocks have too many good teams in front of them in the East, namely Florida. I can envision seasons where they will have a big say in who wins the East, but I don't see them getting to Atlanta anytime soon. The other thing is that Spurrier isn't going to coach too much longer, maybe a year or two. Then it's off to Crescent Beach full time.

Ernie in Charlotte, N.C., writes: How many games do you see Tennessee winning next year? Also, among Florida, Georgia and Alabama, which team do you believe Tennessee can upset?

Chris Low: I like the way the schedule sets up for the Vols. Five of their first six games are at home, giving them a chance to gain some confidence under the new regime. They've still got to find a quarterback who's going to lead the team. Sounds like fifth-year senior Jonathan Crompton will get first shot. The swing game is the Auburn game at home on Oct. 3. If the Vols can win that one and start 4-1, I think they're a cinch to win seven regular-season games. The Georgia game is probably their best chance to pull an upset. It's at home, and the Bulldogs will be breaking in a handful of first-time starters at key spots. My prediction is 7-5.

Paul in Knoxville, Tenn., writes: Can you explain something that confuses me and a whole lot of other college football fans? You referenced "Omar Hunter, who played some early last season as a true freshman, but wound up redshirting." I hear and read things like this quite frequently, and yet the NCAA rules state that any competition, regardless of time, during a season counts as one of your seasons of competition in that sport. It does not matter how long you were involved in a particular competition, you will be charged with one season of competition. Those two things don't jive. What's the deal?

Chris Low: The simplest answer is that if a player sustains an injury during the early part of the season and doesn't play again that season, he is eligible for a medical redshirt. That was the case with Hunter, who played in three games a year ago, but was sidelined with back problems. The NCAA rules state that a player can request a medical redshirt if he's played in no more than 25 percent of his team's games and the injury occurred during the first half of the season. There are always gray areas here, and in rare cases, the NCAA has granted players a sixth year of eligibility. The oldest trick in the book, though, is for younger players who've played sparingly in the first couple of games to suddenly come down with a pulled hamstring or an ankle sprain and not play anymore that season so they'll still be eligible for a redshirt. It's called working the system, and all schools do it.

Jose in Miami writes: Who are some of the lesser known players on the Florida team we should be watching out for this spring and in the fall?

Chris Low: I asked a couple of Florida coaches and players that very question last week, and the most popular responses were receiver Deonte Thompson, receiver T.J. Lawrence, receiver Frankie Hammond Jr., offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, defensive tackle Omar Hunter, defensive tackle Jaye Howard, defensive back Adrian Bushell and safety Will Hill.

Will in Oxford, Miss., writes: I think if every Ole Miss fan feels like me, then they are extremely upset with the athletic department. They can say what they want to, but there are no excuses why we are playing two Division I-AA (FCS) teams. It's an embarrassment to the football team and the university. Sorry for the rant, but here is my question: We are supposed to have a pretty decent team this year. If everything goes right, I expect a BCS bowl. That would be a great year. Let's say we do even better and somehow make it through the SEC undefeated. We would certainly be left out of the national championship discussion, right?

Chris Low: Not necessarily, although Ole Miss would absolutely be penalized by the voters for playing two FCS teams. The Rebels would have to hope that there was only one more unbeaten team out there. But getting through the SEC unscathed and then winning the SEC championship game is just about always going to be good enough to punch a team's ticket into the BCS National Championship Game. I know Auburn fans don't want to hear that, but 2004 was the exception. Remember, the last four national champions from the SEC (Florida in 2008, LSU in 2007, Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2003) all had at least one loss. In Ole Miss' defense, the Rebels thought they had deals with several FBS teams to fill their 2009 schedule, but they all fell through. Chances are it will all work out for the Rebels, but it's still difficult to escape the stigma of playing two FCS teams in the same season.