Spring football primer: Burning questions for each SEC team

It's time to adventure out on the thickest, sturdiest limb a academy football biographer can acquisition at this time of year: The 2012 civic champ will be one of the teams listed below.
Daring, I know.
The SEC has produced the accomplished six civic champions, and the alliance has apparent no signs that it will stop pumping out two or three aristocratic teams every year. LSU looks to be bigger in 2012 than in 2011. Arkansas looks like it ability assuredly bright the Alabama-shaped hurdle that has tripped it the accomplished two seasons. Alabama, meanwhile, just ability avert its 2011 civic appellation admitting abundant about-face on defense. Meanwhile, in the East, a drillmaster with six SEC titles on his résumé appears accessible to strike.
The SEC hivemind has alloyed two added programs this season. Missouri and Texas A&M accept abutting the league, and the Aggies drew the abbreviate harbinger that will force them to get annihilated by Alabama, Arkansas and LSU as their acceptable gift. Mizzou, through some phenomenon of gerrymandering, ability in fact anticipate activity in the SEC is acquiescent until Alabama arrives in Columbia in October.
But let's not anguish about the slobberknocking to come. It's March. Enjoy the optimism, which springs up this time of year like so abounding roadside above peanut stands.
Alabama: Why does it feel like 2010 all over again?
Because it is -- alone after the six-game gauntlet of SEC opponents advancing off bye weeks. After Alabama won the 2009 civic title, the Crimson Tide had to alter nine arresting starters. After Alabama won the 2011 civic title, the Crimson Tide accept to alter seven arresting starters. This includes both cornerbacks, two linebackers and the all-important adenoids tackle.

At cornerback, Dee Milliner -- who played bend so DeQuan Menzie could accelerate to the Star (nickel) position in casual situations -- has affluence of experience. No one abroad does. Deion Belue and Travell Dixon will get a adventitious this bounce to do absolutely what Menzie did in 2010: jump anon from inferior academy to a starting spot.
Terrence Cody and Josh Chapman so ably manned the run-stuffing adenoids accouterment role for coordinator Kirby Smart that Chapman's almsman will face a assignment about as colossal as his own girth. Green Brandon Ivory could ample the role, or the Tide could move Jesse Williams from the end/tackle admixture position he active in 2011. One youngster who could get a attending at adenoids accouterment this bounce is aboriginal enrollee Alphonse Taylor, a 6-foot-6, 360-pounder from Mobile.
Arkansas: Who will bolt all those admirable Tyler Wilson passes?
The Razorbacks had hoped top-ranked recruit Dorial Green-Beckham would be allotment of that group, but Green-Beckham active with Missouri. They aswell had a attempt at Davonte Neal, but he chose Notre Dame.
That's OK, because Arkansas already has a few players able of communicable the ball. Senior Cobi Hamilton, who averaged 15.9 yards per bolt while arena alongside Jarius Wright and Joe Adams, should be Wilson's top target, while bound end Chris Gragg adds addition set of abiding hands. Who abroad can advice alter the abundance absent with Wright and Adams? Green Marquel Wade is physicaly agnate to the atomic Adams, while Madrecus Humphrey -- the son of above Alabama abundant Bobby Humphrey -- and Javontee Herndon aswell will try to advice amplitude the defense.
If tailback Knile Davis, who rushed for 1,322 yards in 2010, is absolutely recovered from the abate abrasion that amount him his 2011 season, the Razorbacks should accept a acceptable abundant active bold to accumulate defenses from baking those amateur receivers.
Auburn: Can Brian VanGorder accompany aegis aback to the Loveliest Village on the Plains?
VanGorder, the above Georgia arresting coordinator who spent the accomplished four seasons active the Atlanta Falcons' defense, inherits a accumulation of accomplished players. That acquaintance wasn't pleasant, though. Auburn's 2011 aegis set a academy almanac for boilerplate yards accustomed (408), and with the barring of a awe-inspiring win at South Carolina, the Tigers struggled to apathetic any of the SEC's bigger offenses.
That should change, and not alone because of the accession of VanGorder and a ambiguity of the arresting staff. Auburn's aegis struggled endure year not because its players were inept, but because they were inexperienced. Accouterment Jeffery Whitaker and end Corey Lemonier should advance an bigger line. Meanwhile, green Erique Florence should footfall in to alter Neiko Thorpe at chargeless safety.
Auburn allotment three accomplished linebackers in Daren Bates, Jonathan Evans and Jake Holland, but the leash may not break together. VanGorder has bidding a affection for bigger linebackers. That suggests a abeyant move for three-year amateur Bates from alfresco linebacker to safety, area he played in 2009.

Barcelona prodigy Lionel Messi scores 5 goals in Champions League to make history

And the Argentine prodigy has abashed the apple yet again. Lionel Messi has become the aboriginal amateur in history to account 5 goals in a Champions League game. The 24-year-old Barcelona advanced denticulate a hat ambush and a brace adjoin the German ancillary Bayer Leverkusen as the Catalans formed them to a 7-1 defeat on Wednesday night.
The 10-2 win on accumulated has accustomed Barcelona to beforehand to the quarterfinals of the coveted European competition. Messi went on a ambition scoring bacchanalia adjoin Leverkusen, abolition their German aegis with his abating clip and analytic finishing.
As Messi ran about the angle adulatory afterwards anniversary ambition as the Camp Nou affectionate marveled and admired the football God in their midst. Barcelona administrator Pep Guardiola gave in a agnate acknowledgment to the admirers afterwards the game. The Spaniard was gushed with acclaim for Messi in his column bout interview.
“Tonight we witnessed one cheap nike nfl jerseys of [Lionel] Messi's a lot of appropriate nights; watching it was like accepting a gift,” Guadiola said on Champions League official website, UEFA.com. “He deserves to be honoured appropriate now because it's something absolutely absurd that he is now just seven goals abaft [Barcelona's best top scorer] Cesar - he's alone 24.
“It's not simple to account 5 goals in a individual bold and that's advancing from anyone who denticulate 11 in his absolute career. If he wants to, he'll account six one day. I accept to aswell say that [Andres] Iniesta played alluringly too.
“We've accomplished the quarter-finals for the endure 5 years now and that says something about the abundant adherence here. This absolutely is the a lot of admirable competition. The aggregation we were adverse tonight alone Valencia and alone a few canicule ago exhausted Bayern Munich; that speaks volumes of our achievement.
“We accept to acknowledge all of the players and the agents at the club.”
Messi completed his 17th hat ambush for Barcelona by scoring in the 25th, 42nd and 49th minute. The Argentina civic again added two added goals in the 58th and 84th minute to complete the aboriginal five-goal-haul of his career.
The endure time a amateur denticulate as abounding as 5 goals in the top bank of European football was if Soren Lerby of Ajax denticulate 5 goals adjoin Omonia in the old Champion Clubs’ Cup during the 1979-80 season.
Messi now has 48 goals for Barcelona this season. He has denticulate 12 times already in the Champions League 2012 nike jerseys and by the looks of it; he affairs to add a dozen more. Messi’s account for Champions League goals has now accomplished a absolute of 49.