ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

As I sit here and go back and forth on who the offensive MVP, defensive MVP and coach of the year are in this conference at the midway point, I figured it was a good time to empty out the SEC mailbag this week:

Josh from Atlanta writes: Chris, It seems as though a lot of people are ready to hand Florida the SEC East. They looked real good Saturday night. I wouldn't count Georgia out yet. They are yet to have a complete game. Maybe they are saving it for the cocktail party.

Chris Low: Josh, I just had that same conversation with my esteemed colleague and former Georgia beat writer, Mark Schlabach, this morning. The Bulldogs are due for that breakout game similar to the one Florida had last Saturday against LSU. I still think Georgia is better than it's played this season, and that's not to say the Bulldogs have played poorly. They have been a tad erratic. In their defense, they've now lost three of the best four linemen on their team dating back to the start of preseason camp (offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant, defensive tackle Jeff Owens and offensive guard/tackle Vince Vance). How many teams in the country could overcome that kind of hit and still be ranked in the Top 10? We'll see what the Bulldogs are made of from here against what remains a wicked schedule.

Cole from Stanford, Ky., writes: Do you think after the loss to South Carolina that Kentucky has a legit chance to bounce back and win seven games on the year? (Nice pick last week, as much as I hate it you were right. However, each offense still only drove for a TD apiece).

Chris Low: Now that the Wildcats have lost two in row, albeit two close losses, the two games that become absolutely critical in my mind if they're going to get to seven wins are the Arkansas game at home this weekend and the Mississippi State game on the road Nov. 1. Kentucky needs to sweep those two games. That's not to say the Wildcats won't upset either Florida or Georgia. Their defense should keep them in every game they play. But if they go into those last two games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee with six wins, I like their chances to win at least one of those and get to seven wins, assuring them of a third straight bowl trip. As for my pick of the Gamecocks last week, I knew both defenses were very good and figured a big play would decide it. South Carolina happened to get two on special teams.

Franklin from Arkansas writes: As a Vanderbilt grad who came in with Coach (Bobby) Johnson in 2002, I've seen what seven years of consistency in coaching has done for our program. Johnson and his staff have worked nothing short of miracles with the team, especially on defense and with Vandy's game-day mentality. Yet (Monday), I see my worst fear realized. With the firing/resigning of Tommy Bowden at Clemson, what are your honest thoughts of Bobby returning home? Would he jump at the chance to have Clemson's recruiting base and athletic support? Would David Williams and the Vanderbilt board be willing to up his salary to compete with such a big name school? And do you think Coach Johnson's program (almost a "Remember the Titans" approach to coaching) would work at a more traditional football school? I can't see the majority of Clemson players looking too highly upon the no swearing clause (and even the Vandy kids did a double take when he first came on board).

Chris Low: I know that with the planned facility upgrades at Vanderbilt and the support Bobby's getting now from the administration that he feels like he has a better chance to win at Vanderbilt than ever before. That doesn't mean he's going to be blind to anything else that comes his way. He's told me that he enjoys coaching in that environment as well as living in Nashville. David Williams has also assured me that Vanderbilt will do whatever it needs to do to keep Bobby in Nashville. He was given a raise and an extension last year after talking to Duke about the Blue Devils' head coaching job, and it was at that point that Vanderbilt really got serious about sprucing up its football complex. I think Clemson would be foolish not to show interest in Bobby. He's a super coach and an even better person, the kind of guy we'd all like our kids to play for.

That said, I don't hear Bobby's name at the top of Clemson's list. I think a more realistic possibility would be South Carolina if Steve Spurrier were to leave in the next year or so. Bobby grew up in Columbia, still has family there and goes back a ways with South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman from their days together on the Furman staff. And, oh yeah, Bobby has beaten the Gamecocks the last two times he's played them.

Ernie from Charlotte, N.C., writes: Who do you see as Tennessee's next coach if Fulmer is fired?

Chris Low: First of all, if there is a change at Tennessee, I hope it's done in a classy manner and Phillip Fulmer is given the respect he deserves after investing more than 30 years of his life into his alma mater. It's never been just a job for him. But business is business, and he would walk away with $6 million if Tennessee does send him packing, so that would be a nice little parting gift. Some of the names that I think would be on Tennessee's list if Fulmer doesn't make it are former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Boise State coach Chris Petersen, Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, South Florida coach Jim Leavitt, Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville if Tuberville doesn't make it at Auburn. That's just a sampling. One of the big keys would be how the other coaching dominoes fall. I know Tennessee fans hate hearing this (hate hearing the truth, that is), but the Tennessee position is about the fifth best coaching job in the SEC (primarily because of recruiting difficulties) behind Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama.