ESPN College Football

We're putting spring behind us and looking toward the fall with our post-spring power rankings:

1. LSU: The Tigers had one of the best springs around. Things were quiet off the field, and the offense rallied behind quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Coach Les Miles was very impressed with Mettenberger's play and maturity, and expects LSU's offense to be more balanced with him under center. LSU can still use four or five running backs, as well. Defensively, the Tigers are stacked once again, especially up front with two potential first-rounders in ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo. Questions surround the inexperienced linebackers, but Kevin Minter had a tremendous spring in the middle. On paper, LSU is equipped with the talent to make another title run, and gets Alabama at home this year.

2. Alabama: While the defending national champs saw a lot of "new" faces on defense this spring, coach Nick Saban left happy with where his players were -- but not satisfied. There is still work to be done, especially in the secondary, where the Tide must replace three starters. Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw are gone at linebacker, but the coaches were impressed with how Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley and Adrian Hubbard played this spring. Some think Hubbard, a redshirt sophomore, could be Bama's top pass-rusher. Offensively, quarterback AJ McCarron is back, more mature and surrounded by a very veteran line. He has a group of younger receivers to throw to, but has at least four quality running backs. Alabama's road to repeating is tougher, with games at Arkansas and LSU.

3. South Carolina: A healthy Marcus Lattimore (knee) at RB makes South Carolina an even better contender for the SEC East crown. His status is uncertain, but the pieces around him are pretty impressive. Quarterback Connor Shaw had an impressive spring, and looks ready to be the passer coach Steve Spurrier wants him to be. The defense is once again stacked, especially up front with ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor. There are questions in the secondary, with two new, young starters in Victor Hampton (cornerback) and Brison Williams (safety), while senior Akeem Auguste returns after missing last season with a foot injury. Still, Spurrier is chirping about his SEC counterparts, so you know he thinks he's got a good team this year.

4. Georgia: The Bulldogs should be higher on this list, but when you take into account the suspensions of four defensive starters at the beginning of the season, they slide a little. Georgia returns nine defensive starters, including one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones, and some firepower on offense, led by veteran quarterback Aaron Murray, who could get some early Heisman love. It also sounds like enigmatic running back Isaiah Crowell is slowly turning things around. Yet again, the Bulldogs have a favorable SEC schedule, with no games against Alabama, Arkansas or LSU, so their road to the SEC championship is easier than South Carolina's, but keep an eye on that inexperienced offensive line.

5. Arkansas: If not for Bobby Petrino's embarrassing dismissal, the Razorbacks might be ranked higher. Offensively, it doesn't get much better than what Arkansas has. Tyler Wilson returns as arguably the league's best quarterback, and he'll get to work with one of the most complete backs around, Knile Davis, who is returning from a devastating ankle injury. An older and more improved offensive line returns, and so does a talented receiving corps led by Cobi Hamilton. But there are questions. How effective will interim coach John L. Smith be, especially if something goes wrong? Will Marquel Wade's suspension leak into the fall after his spring arrest? And will the defense improve and be more aggressive under new coordinator Paul Haynes? The good news is that Alabama and LSU play in Fayetteville this fall.

6. Florida: The chemistry is much better in Gainesville. Florida returns 10 starters from a defense that ranked eighth nationally in 2011. Matt Elam looks like a budding star at safety, and Florida's linebacking group is solid. Buck/defensive end Ronald Powell could be out after tearing his ACL this spring, but coach Will Muschamp recently said Powell is off crutches. Stud defensive tackle Dominique Easley is also walking fine after tearing his ACL in last year's season finale. The Gators have their third offensive coordinator in three years, and unproven sophomore quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel are still battling. Florida has unproven running backs and receivers, but the offensive line toughened up tremendously.

7. Auburn: The Tigers welcomed two new coordinators, Scot Loeffler and Brian VanGorder, this spring, and by all accounts players were very receptive. Coach Gene Chizik is still dealing with a lot of youth, as close to 70 percent of his roster is made up of underclassmen. One of those underclassmen is quarterback Kiehl Frazier, who made strides as a passer this spring and seems to have the edge in the quarterback race with Clint Moseley, who missed some of the spring with a sore shoulder. The defensive line will be the team's strength, with end Dee Ford exploding this spring and Corey Lemonier returning. There is a lot of depth up front on defense, which will go a long way for the Tigers.

8. Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel and his players have made it clear they aren't intimidated by the move to the SEC. These new Tigers return solid offensive firepower, but there has to be some concern about quarterback James Franklin, who missed most of the spring after having surgery on his throwing shoulder. Plus, Mizzou's backup QB could miss games this fall after his recent arrest, so the Tigers' offensive success will be riding on Franklin's health. The Tigers are replacing a few starters on both lines, but feel confident about both areas. Mizzou will face a Georgia team down a few defensive players in Week 2, but must travel to South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

9. Tennessee: A lot is different in Knoxville, as the Vols welcomed seven new assistant coaches. Coach Derek Dooley insists the changes were for the best, but there's still going to be some adjusting to do this fall. The good news is that Tennessee returns a lot on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Tyler Bray and receivers Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. A healthy trio there makes Tennessee's passing game one of the best in the league. Questions remain on the offensive line and at running back, but improvements were made this spring. New defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri would like to run more 3-4 this fall, but players aren't totally comfortable, leaving some concerns.

10. Mississippi State: Quarterback Tyler Russell finally looks ready to take over as the guy in Starkville, and he'll have a veteran receiving corps to work with. However, that group still has a lot to prove, especially senior Chad Bumphis. The running game looks solid with LaDarius Perkins and Nick Griffin, and the offensive line got help from the junior college ranks. Defensively, there are a few holes to fill up front and in the secondary, but Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield are a solid cornerback tandem and linebacker is set with a few vets back, including stud Cameron Lawrence. Junior college defensive end Denico Autry has to perform early to help a line with a couple of holes.

11. Texas A&M: The Aggies have some holes to fill this year, but the offensive line will be a strength. Left tackle Luke Joeckel, a future first-rounder, leads a line that returns four starters. Star wide receiver Ryan Swope is back, and running back Christine Michael should be healthy (knee) this fall, but quarterback is an issue. Sophomore Jameill Showers has the edge right now, but like all of his competitors, he lacks experience. The defense will lean on linebackers Sean Porter, Steven Jenkins, Jonathan Stewart and converted end Damontre Moore, but the secondary has depth and experience issues, and the team will still be adjusting to a new staff led by coach Kevin Sumlin.

12. Vanderbilt: There is some solid offensive talent in Nashville, starting with running back Zac Stacy and receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd, but coach James Franklin is still waiting for quarterback Jordan Rodgers to be more consistent. The offensive line is very thin and could barely get through spring. The defense must replace a handful of starters and leaders, but Franklin felt better about guys like linebacker Chase Garnham, defensive end Walker May and cornerback Trey Wilson. Vandy's schedule will be tough this fall, and if that offensive line doesn't hold up, getting back to a bowl will be tough.

13. Kentucky: Coach Joker Phillips was pleased with how spring practice ended, especially when it came to finding offensive playmakers, like receivers Demarco Robinson and Daryl Collins. Quarterback Maxwell Smith had a solid spring, but struggled during the spring game, meaning the battle with Morgan Newton and freshman Patrick Towles should go into the fall. The offensive line is still trying to get by after losing three starters, and the Wildcats must replace six starters at linebacker and in the secondary. Given the Wildcats' schedule, they will need to sweep their nonconference games to be in bowl shape.

14. Ole Miss: The arrival of coach Hugh Freeze brought a lot of positive change to Ole Miss, especially off the field, but there are still a lot of concerns. There are depth issues at just about every position, especially running back and defensive tackle. Even one of the most experienced groups, the offensive line, has struggled mightily with picking up Freeze's spread offense and is the team's biggest weakness. Academic issues are also worrying Ole Miss' staff, and top running back Jeff Scott and cornerback/receiver Nickolas Brassell are in that group. Quarterback is still up for grabs, but progress was made on defense, especially in the secondary.

From billboards to an untimely joy ride, the SEC has seen a lot of change in recent months.

The black Missouri billboards sprinkled around the South, reading “PROUD TO BE SEC: MIZZOU” coupled with those not-so-discrete Texas A&M/SEC TV adds ushered in the arrival of the SEC’s new families. But their exodus from the Big 12 wasn’t the only big change for the league.

The league said goodbye to a load of defensive talent and lost a couple of head coaches -- and even more assistants. Still, for as much change that has been made, it seems the overall results will be the same.

“You have to give the SEC a lot of credit,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “I tell a lot of people that we played in the Big 12, which is a great conference, but they just have more good team in [the SEC]. It’s remarkably competitive.”

LSU, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, four top-10 defenses from a season ago, return relatively intact this fall. Of those four, all but Florida will be involved in national championship discussions to start the season, especially LSU.

On paper, the Tigers might be the most talented team in the country. The defensive line possesses three potential first-rounders and the Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) is still lurking in a secondary stocked with talent and athleticism.

The offense has to be better with Zach Mettenberger taking over at quarterback. He possesses the skill to throw the ball pretty much whenever he’s asked to, so that will be a major upgrade. He’ll also have plenty of weapons with five able running backs to choose from -- including Michael Ford and Spencer Ware who were both ranked in the top 10 in SEC rushing -- and a talented, young receiving group.

The scary thought is that a lot of people around the program think Les Miles might have a better team in 2012.

Georgia has 15 total starters returning, including a potential Heisman candidate in quarterback Aaron Murray, and yet again has a favorable schedule. South Carolina looks like it’s a healthy Marcus Lattimore and a more polished Connor Shaw away from making it back to Atlanta.

While defending national champion Alabama is down a handful of defensive starters from last season, the Crimson Tide can’t be counted out. The defense has more than capable players ready to fill holes. Nico Johnson and C.J. Mosley are ready to take over at linebacker, while Jesse Williams and Damion Square will lead up front. The secondary still has veterans Dee Milliner and Robert Lester and welcomes junior college studs Deion Belue and Travell Dixon.

“We’re going to be younger on defense. We don’t have as much experience, but we’ve got some good players,” coach Nick Saban said.

“I was pleased with the progress that we made -- not satisfied with where we need to be.”

Then, there’s Arkansas.

After Bobby Petrino's infamous motorcycle ride, the Razorbacks look to bounce back with an offense capable of pushing Arkansas to an SEC title and beyond. We still don’t know how effective interim coach John L. Smith will be, but he’ll have quarterback Tyler Wilson, running back Knile Davis and receiver Cobi Hamilton at his disposal, and that will make things easier.

With an improved offensive line and some talented, young receivers, Arkansas will score points. Now if only the defense can keep up …

There will no doubt be awkward situations ahead in the SEC. Making flights to Kansas City and Houston will seem wrong. Watching an entertaining coach’s news conference at Arkansas will feel unnatural. And not knowing what to expect from a Saban defense will confuse you.

But with everything that has changed, one thing that should remain is another championship run.

There’s still just too much clicking for the SEC.

Links time!

• Former Texas A&M coaches say Bill Byrne's shortcomings in football overshadowed his other successes as athletic director.
• LSU coach Les Miles said the missing 2011 national championship banner will provide motivation for the Tigers this year.
• LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis is eying more success with the Tigers.
• Highly touted quarterback Connor Mitch chooses South Carolina over LSU.
• Some notable Georgia football players are graduating Friday.
• Georgia coach Mark Richt talks safety in college football.
• Alabama coach Nick Saban talks success, Mal Moore and much more during his appearance in Birmingham.
• Auburn coach Gene Chizik is happy with "real competition" on the Tigers' lines.
• Dan Mullen is getting ready for Mississippi State's "Our State" tour.
• Former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and Arkansas State will visit Auburn in 2013.
• Florida's defense is bulking up in 2012.

Linking our way around the SEC on a Tuesday:

• LSU coach Les Miles is comfortable with his backup quarterback situation.
• Former Ole Miss defensive end Kentrell Locket is eager for a chance with the Washington Redskins as an outside linebacker.
• Alabama loses one of its greats with the passing of Billy Neighbors.
• Auburn coach Gene Chizik is looking for a quarterback with the right mental toughness.
• Harry King of the Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau writes that Jeff Long's next hire is the one.
• Hines Ward doesn't dance around his desire to coach at Georgia someday.
• Texas A&M adds a couple of offensive weapons for the future, including former Oregon tailback Tra Carson.
• Some of Missouri's undrafted players get free-agent opportunities.

LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis has proved over the last two decades that he's one of the finest defensive coordinators in college football.

He's now going to be paid like it.

Chavis, who won the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country last season, is poised to get a new deal that will pay him an average of $1.1 million over the next three years. The contract is still being finalized and will go before the LSU Board of Supervisors for approval this summer.

Chavis was already earning $708,000 annually. But with the way assistant coaches' salaries are skyrocketing, he deserved to reach that million-dollar stratosphere as much as anybody. LSU needed somebody to come in and put a charge into that defense, and that's exactly what Chavis has done ever since arriving in 2009.

"I think what we've done on defense has established LSU as a very dominant mainstay of defensive football for three years," LSU coach Les Miles said. "I think this makes the statement that we will make a commitment to defensive play and excellent coaching, and I think that's exactly what we should do."

As good as the Tigers were last season on defense, they have a chance to be just as good -- and maybe even better -- in 2012.

Chavis isn't one to crave the spotlight. In fact, he runs from it. But he's been a perfect fit at LSU with his blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone approach, and the players there love playing for him.

He's extremely proud of what the Tigers accomplished last season, particularly on defense. But like most on the Bayou, it's hard for him to get past that last game.

"There's a hurt there that hasn't gone away, and to be honest with you, I don't know if it will go away," Chavis said earlier this spring. "What we've chosen to do is go back to work. Really, that's all you can do, and that's the way we're always going to operate."

LSU coach Les Miles won’t go as far as to say that there will be a retooling of the Tigers’ offense next season with Zach Mettenberger stepping in at quarterback.

But Miles stressed Tuesday that the Tigers will do what their players do best.

“We’ve always had the opportunity to throw,” Miles said. “Now, we may turn to those weapons more readily because this offense fits (Mettenberger’s) style of play more pointedly.”

Miles defended LSU’s passing game the past two seasons and even said that the Tigers threw it as efficiently as anybody in the country last season. The caveat there is that he said they didn’t have the opportunity to throw it much in the fourth quarter. And in reality, throwing the ball, period, was a struggle for Jordan Jefferson once he took over down the stretch last season.

The Tigers finished 10th in the SEC in passing offense last season with an average of 152.5 yards per game. But they finished second to Arkansas in pass efficiency with 21 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

Miles is always going to emphasize the run, especially when you look at everybody returning up front for the Tigers and their deep stable of backs, but he also likes the added dimension that Mettenberger brings to the offense and the way Mettenberger matured as a quarterback this spring under the tutelage of Steve Kragthorpe.

“Zach has been through a lot in his short career and understands the need for leadership and making a difference,” Miles said. “He’s holding himself to a tall standard, as we are. I think our quarterback play will improve with each snap because of the way he’s approaching his role in our offense.”

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Steve Spurrier knows there’s no going back, not after the most successful football season in South Carolina school history.

He’s even quoting noted American legal scholar Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. as the Gamecocks wrap up spring practice this Saturday with their spring game.

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.

“Now, our people know we can win 11 games, and when we don’t, they’re going to be, ‘How come we’re not winning 11, Coach?’” Spurrier said in his familiar twang and wearing that equally familiar smirk. “That’s just the way it is.”

Here’s the best news for South Carolina fans: The Head Ball Coach thinks he has a pretty good ball team again with the kind of talent and leadership that it takes to at least be in the SEC championship conversation.

And history has shown that if you’re in the SEC championship conversation, you’re also in the national championship conversation.

“The best part is all the firsts, doing things that had never been done here,” said Spurrier, who’s entering his eighth season at South Carolina. “That’s why I’m here. That’s what is so much fun. We’d never even won in Knoxville before or won at the Swamp before.

“My buddies all told me when I came here, ‘Steve, nobody’s won there. What makes you think you can? That’s really all I needed to hear.”

Spurrier, who’s just 10 wins away from becoming South Carolina’s all-time winningest coach, loves winning. What coach doesn’t? But what he thrives on are challenges.

The challenge of turning South Carolina into a contender was a monumental one and one that didn’t happen overnight.

In his first five seasons, he won more than seven games only once and lost at least five games all five seasons. The 2008 and 2009 seasons ended with ugly bowl losses to Iowa and Connecticut.

The 31-10 loss to Iowa in the Outback Bowl following the 2008 season was particularly troubling for Spurrier, who admits that he thought about walking away.

“I’m sitting there and wondering, ‘What am I doing here?'” Spurrier recalled.

But the Gamecocks were able to sign Stephon Gilmore for that next season, which opened the floodgates for some of the best prospects in the state to sign with South Carolina. Alshon Jeffery followed, and so did Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney.

The result was a first-ever trip to the SEC championship game in 2010 and the school’s first-ever 11-win season a year ago. Along the way, the Gamecocks were 8-0 against Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee over the past two seasons.

Spurrier, who turns 67 this month, couldn’t be happier. He’s even back to his old Head Ball Coach ways and saying whatever’s on his mind.

A few examples:

His thoughts on the Georgia-South Carolina game moving from the second week of the season to the sixth week in 2012.

“I don’t know. I sort of always liked playing them that second game because you could always count on them having two or three key players suspended.”

His thoughts on Nick Saban and what he’s done at Alabama.

“He’s got a nice little gig going, a little bit like (John) Calipari. He tells guys, ‘Hey, three years from now, you’re going to be a first-round pick and go.’ If he wants to be the greatest coach or one of the greatest coaches in college football, to me, he has to go somewhere besides Alabama and win, because they’ve always won there at Alabama.”

His thoughts on who’s the best coach in the SEC.

“I think it’s Saban. He’s considered the best. Les Miles is considered one of the best, when you look at number of wins. I believe you’re as good as your record. You are whatever your record is. Don’t give me any excuses or that you can’t win at this place.”

His thoughts on Lorenzo Ward taking over as the Gamecocks’ defensive coordinator.

“I hope we’ll be a little sounder than we have been. Obviously, Ellis (Johnson) did a heck of a job here. But at times, we’d have some coverage breakdowns. I don’t know if we were doing too much or this guy was making mistakes. We got a lot better during the course of the year after we simplified some things.”

His thoughts on Will Muschamp’s challenge at Florida.

“I told Will that he had one of the hardest jobs in America because of what’s happened down there prior to him coming. I don’t know that they have that much greater a team than most others in the SEC now. They’re pretty good. But it’s a tough job because of what Urban (Meyer) has done and prior history. Those fans are expecting 10 to 12 wins every year. Our fans are going to expect nine to 11, which is fair, and that’s good. I hope our players expect it, too.”

His thoughts on when he might retire.

“I used to think 60. When I was 55, I’d say four or five more years. When I got to 60, I’d say four or five more. And when I got to 65, I started saying three or four more. I’ll tell you what. We had a good-looking quarterback come through on Junior Day, and I wrote him a letter and said, ‘If you come here, you might extend my coaching career two or three years.’ ”

His thoughts on going out on his terms.

“Let me ask you this: How many coaches do you know that have retired in the last 10 or 15 years, and I’m talking honestly retiring, guys who had a good job, were winning and stepped aside on their own? There aren’t many. They all got fired. Who would have ever thought that Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno would have to get forced out? When I leave, they’re not going to pay me $4 million because I had another five years on the deal and got fired. I ain’t going to be one of those guys. I just have too much pride. That’s not going to happen.”

Hitting the SEC links on a Thursday.

• Recruits are keeping an eye on Arkansas as athletic director Jeff Long searches for a new head coach.
• Harry King of the Arkansas News Bureau writes that going with an interim coach may be the best direction for Arkansas.
• Shon Coleman's battle with cancer and his return to the football field are an inspiration to his Auburn teammates.
• Herbicide injury reappears in Toomer's Oaks.
• Ole Miss' assistants have taken slight drop in total salary from the staff under Houston Nutt.
• LSU coach Les Miles will be a part of the NFL Network draft broadcast.
• Former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain settled a two-year-old lawsuit with an Alabama student.
• Alabama linebacker Adrian Hubbard is trying to be a playmaker for the Crimson Tide wherever he can on the field.
• Kentucky hopes wide receiver Demarco Robinson can ramp up the return game for the Wildcats.
• Mississippi State's versatile linebackers have become the strength of this Bulldogs team.
• Quarterback Tyler Russell is starting to master Mississippi State's offense.
• Florida recruits feel confident about the Gators after spring game.
• Georgia continues to toe the line when it comes to drug testing.
• Georgia's offensive line is working hard to forge a bond up front.
• Tennessee's tight ends are moving all around the football field this spring.
• The Vols are building to keep the kicking game consistent.
• Mitch Morse is a leading candidate to be Missouri's next starting center.
• Demolition is still an option for Texas A&M's Kyle Field.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu emerged as one of college football’s biggest stars last season.

As a rule, stars are typically branded with nicknames, and Mathieu had a catchy one -- the Honey Badger.

He also had a knack for making game-changing plays and made enough of them that he earned a trip to New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist, not to mention consensus All-America honors, in leading the Tigers to a 13-1 record and BCS runner-up finish.

But when Mathieu reflects on what was truly a remarkable sophomore season, he uses words like “humbled” and “disappointment” and “hungry.”

He just wishes he could have done more, specifically in that 21-0 loss to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. Even in the first game against Alabama, a 9-6 overtime win by LSU, Mathieu concedes he wasn’t at his best.

“My job is making plays for this team, and I didn’t do it in that last game,” said Mathieu, who in 25 career games has created a staggering 14 turnovers. “It’s definitely motivation and something I’ve carried with me. There are a lot of people out there who have talked specifically about both of those games (against Alabama) and me not making plays in those two games.

“So, yes, it’s motivation, but I really didn’t need anybody to talk about what I didn’t do in those two games to motivate me. I already know, and I’ll be a better player next year because of it.”

Mathieu’s teammates say he’s being too hard on himself. Had it not been for him, the Tigers probably wouldn’t have been in New Orleans in the first place.

His defensive touchdown against Oregon in the season opener swung that game. His punt return for a touchdown completely changed the complexion of the Arkansas game in the regular-season finale, and his punt return for a touchdown a week later against Georgia in the SEC championship game woke up a stagnant LSU offense and sent the Tigers on their way to 42-10 rout.

“It wasn’t only Tyrann in that last game. It was everybody, the team as a whole,” said LSU safety Eric Reid, who tied Mathieu for the team lead with 76 tackles last season.

“We know there were a bunch of plays that we could have made that would have helped the team. I know it hurts Tyrann that a couple of passes got caught on him, but that game wasn’t on him. It was on all of us. He’s extremely motivated to get his technique down, and I can’t wait to see what he does this year.”

One of the things Mathieu zeroed in on this spring was being better in man-to-man coverage. The Tigers used him as a rover in their nickel package, and that was his forte.

He has incredible instincts and is always around the ball as evidenced by his six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries last season. He also intercepted two passes.

“All the great players have physical attributes,” Mathieu said. “But the really great ones can play the game in their heads.”

Along those lines, Mathieu has spent even more time in the film room this offseason. As instinctive as he is on the field, he wants to be equally prepared in 2012. He also wants to shoot down one of the few knocks against him, which is that he’s just so-so in man coverage.

“You’re not going to be able to be all over the field every game with the scheme some offenses run,” Mathieu said. “But you’ve still got to make plays at your position, and that’s my focus. If I’m at cornerback, I want to lock my man down. If I’m at nickel, I just want to roam the field and make some plays.

“I want to be great, and where I play, that means being a lock-down cornerback. And with me being 5-9, it gives me even more fire to go out there and prove a lot of people wrong.”

Mathieu said he played right around 180 pounds last season, but finished the spring closer to 190. Of course, he hits like he weighs 250. He also battled through an ankle injury the last few weeks of spring, but was seeing things on the field better than ever.

“The game was kind of slow for me my freshman year and even slower my sophomore year,” Mathieu said. “But, now, I anticipate plays even better, know the down and distances and know what to expect.

“I’m just taking all that in, all the experiences I’ve had, and getting in extra film study and getting even more familiar with the game mentally.”

Mathieu is also getting used to his celebrity status. Even in media interviews, he’s a lot more comfortable and willing to discuss what makes the Honey Badger tick.

He says his one-game suspension last season for reportedly testing positive for synthetic marijuana was something that he learned from and something he wished he could undo.

“It humbles you, because you know you have a responsibility to a lot of people, and I let those people down, especially my teammates,” Mathieu said.

That’s a big part of his motivation going forward. He knows how close LSU was to something special last season, and so do his teammates.

Mathieu said it was difficult to describe the sense of purpose that permeated the practice field this spring.

“That last game got to everybody,” he said. “You could definitely see it in our offense. Those guys were throwing the ball all over the field, and the receivers, even in perfect coverage, were still coming down with the ball. I know those guys took that last game to heart, but the defense also took it to heart. We didn’t play our best game, either.

“We’re all going into next season with that game in the back of our minds. It hasn’t gone away, and I don’t know if it will. I just know that we don’t want to ever have that feeling again.”

Chris Low, Gary Laney and David Helman break down LSU's spring from campus.

Some end-of-the-week links just before the most wonderful postseason continues!

• Sources tell the Knoxville News Sentinel that Tennessee wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers received a two-week ban in the offseason because of an incident involving a strength coach.
• Athlon Sports provides us with its spring preview for Texas A&M and Tennessee.
• Missouri has found a home in the SEC.
• Arkansas is ready for its first scrimmage of the spring.
• Les Miles says LSU's final spring practice was productive and fun.
• Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was on the mark during Texas A&M's Pro Day.
• Auburn linemen Greg Robinson and Christian Westerman are raring to go after their redshirt seasons.
• Wide receiver Donte Moncrief is shining for an Ole Miss offense that is under construction.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun takes a closer look at each of Florida's positions as spring practice enters its final week.
• After impressing at Alabama's Pro Day, Trent Richardson is hoping April's NFL draft is even better.
• Mississippi State doesn't have a problem with depth at linebacker this spring.
• Off-field issues continue to plague Georgia's football team.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU held its last practice of the spring Thursday prior to Saturday's spring game, and coach Les Miles opened up the practice to the students.

Following practice, the students were invited inside to the indoor practice facility, where they had a meet-and-greet with the players and coaches.

It's Miles' way of reaching out to the student body, and the students' chance to get an up-close view of the team.

Just like the LSU team that went 13-1 last season, this team certainly passes the look test.

Most of the attention this spring has been on quarterback Zach Mettenberger, and specifically, the Tigers' passing game. Miles said Thursday there's no doubt in his mind that LSU will throw the ball much more efficiently in 2012, and a lot of that has to do with the way everybody on offense has rallied around Mettenberger, entering his junior season.

"He plays the game the way I want all of my players to play it," Miles said. "I enjoy his attitude. He's bringing the passing game to life, and he wants to compete on every single play. He doesn't mind stirring the pot, either."

Already this spring, Mettenberger went after defensive tackle Josh Downs in a scrimmage after Mettenberger felt there had been a late hit, and several in the LSU program said Mettenberger delivered the kind of tackle that even defensive coordinator John Chavis admitted was impressive.

Speaking of Chavis, he's losing two first-rounders off last season's defense. Both cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Michael Brockers elected to give up their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft.

They will certainly be missed, but Chavis isn't exactly fretting.

In a lot of ways, he thinks the Tigers will be even faster on defense in 2012. They're two-deep at every position in the defensive line, and even though Brockers is gone, Chavis thinks junior tackle Bennie Logan was one of the more underrated defenders on the team last season. Chavis said sophomore tackle Ego Ferguson had also made a big jump.

Chavis really likes the way Kevin Minter and Tahj Jones have answered the call at linebacker, even though Jones has been out recently with turf toe.

"It's the best Kevin Minter has played since he's been here," Chavis said. "He really looks like an SEC linebacker and is playing like an SEC linebacker."

Two redshirt freshmen making big moves in the secondary this spring have been Jalen Collins at cornerback and Micah Eugene at safety. Chavis likes Collins' size and length. He's 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds, which gives the Tigers a pair of bigger corners. Tharold Simon is 6-3 and 187 pounds.

Chavis said Craig Loston was also playing well at safety until a foot/toe injury slowed him.

"Loston was really grasping things, but with him out, it's given us a chance to work several other kids," Chavis said. "Ever since Eugene got a chance to jump in there and work with the first unit, he got a lot of people's attention really quick. He's still learning the position, but he has a chance to be a really good safety for us."

Chavis said junior Tyrann Mathieu would continue to play both the cornerback and nickel back roles.

"We'll have some young kids that aren't here on campus yet that will come in and help us, too," Chavis said. "We like this class, and the linebacker group has a chance to be special. They have to come in here and do it, but we like the kids we signed there."

Here's a quick recap of some of the scrimmages over the weekend:

VANDERBILT

Second-year coach James Franklin thinks the Commodores are "light years ahead" of where they were this time a year ago because they're more confident in what they're doing from an installation standpoint.

It looks like a couple of position moves are already paying off for Vanderbilt. Former quarterbacks Kris Kentera and Josh Grady both made their share of big plays -- Kentera at H-back and Grady at receiver. Kentera had catches of 48 and 24 yards. Grady had a diving catch that resulted in a first down.

There were no touchdowns scored in the scrimmage, which was the Commodores' first of the spring, but the offense was able to move the ball.

One of the more underrated defenders in the league last season was defensive end Tim Fugger. Now that he's gone, the Commodores need a finisher to emerge. Junior Walker May looks like he might be the guy. Franklin has been impressed with the way May has worked in the offseason, and the same goes for junior safety Kenny Ladler. The other guy who made his presence felt on defense in Saturday's scrimmage was sophomore tackle Barron Dixon, who had a couple of sacks.

Here's a report on the scrimmage from Vanderbilt's official web site.

SOUTH CAROLINA

The Gamecocks held their first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, and it didn't take their defensive line long to assert itself. Sophomore end Jadeveon Clowney was a force and wrecked several plays. Another good sign for the Gamecocks was how active sophomore tackle Kelcy Quarles was in the scrimmage. Similar to what they did last year with Melvin Ingram, the Gamecocks moved Clowney inside some on passing situations, and he routinely was able to get pressure.

Connor Shaw threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to K.J. Brent. South Carolina, which is looking for receiving help now that Alshon Jeffery is gone, was down a couple of receivers for the scrimmage. Damiere Byrd was running track. Shamier Jeffery, Alshon's younger brother, sat out the scrimmage after twisting his knee Friday in practice.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said that senior tailback Kenny Miles would be back with the team next season. Miles, one of Marcus Lattimore's backups, had been contemplating a transfer. Also, Bruce Ellington was at the scrimmage, but has yet to decide whether he will play football or basketball next season. There's a chance he will try to play both again.

For a report on South Carolina's scrimmage, go to the Gamecocks' official website.

LSU

Junior quarterback Zach Mettenberger continued his strong spring by completing 16 of 27 passes for 177 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"We threw the ball pretty well," LSU coach Les Miles said. "We had really good balance. I think we're competing in the passing game very well. I think Mettenberger's a real leader there and enjoys his role."

Miles also liked the Tigers' balance on offense in Saturday's closed scrimmage. He said they rushed for 287 yards and passed for 278 yards. Spencer Ware led all rushers with 90 yards on 12 carries, but freshman Jeremy Hill also had an impressive outing with 56 yards on 10 carries. Miles said he would still like to see Hill lose a little weight, but added that he thought Hill would be ready in the fall and doesn't anticipate the freshman redshirting.

Junior Michael Ford, who led LSU in rushing last season with 756 yards, has a minor knee injury and will be held out the remainder of the spring. The Tigers will play their spring game this coming Saturday.

Miles said the way LSU ran the ball was more a reflection of the Tigers' strength at running back than anything they didn't do on defense. Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu and linebacker Tahj Jones sat out the scrimmage.

LSU's official website has a report on Saturday's scrimmage.

David Helman writes : The home stretch for the NFL draft begins in earnest Thursday for LSU alums, as the Tigers prepare for their annual pro day.

Time for some SEC links.

• Mississippi State is hungry to start spring practice.
• Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is on call for new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
• Sophomore linebacker prospect Tre Williams is already at the center of an Iron Bowl recruiting battle.
• Former Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien is interested in Ole Miss.
• Ole Miss is expected to announce Western Kentucky athletic director Ross Bjork as its new athletic director.
• Missouri coach Gary Pinkel isn't worried about quarterback James Franklin and his shoulder injury.
• Alabama coach Nick Saban speaks at a Nashville charity event, discussing spring practice and how he's in favor of a plus-one system in college football.
• Kelcy Quarles is filling in the gap in South Carolina's defensive line.
• Five questions facing Auburn as it gets ready for spring practice.
• Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin is busy as spring practice approaches.
• Florida's Mike Gillislee says he's ready to be the Gators' top running back in 2012.
• Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell wants to have a Heisman run this fall.
• Georgia is trying to keep Kenarious Gates at left tackle.
• Kentucky's coaches are excited about the young talent they'll be working with this spring.
• LSU coach Les Miles sees improvements in his team as spring practice continues.