The series begins this week with a glimpse at how the 1998 Top 5 will fare during the upcoming season.
TENNESSEE (13-0) - The Volunteers were a team of destiny last season. Despite losing quarterbacking legend Peyton Manning to graduation and having some inexperienced guy named Tee Martin taking the staps, expectations were pretty high among the Tennessee faithful. The Vols started notching wins, and the whole world found out that this Martin fella was a pretty darn good quarterback. You already know the rest - Tennessee went undefeated en route to a National Championship.
Martin returns for his second season as the starting quarterback, and any doubt as to his ability has been erased. After a stellar '98, Martin proved he can air it out with the best quarterbacks in the country. The then-junior completed 153 of 267 pass attempts for 2,164 yards and 19 touchdowns.
But opposing defenses won't be safe just playing the pass - Tennessee boasts one of if not the best rushing corps in the country. Running back Jamal Lewis returns from injury to carry the load out of the backfield. He will be joined by Travis Stephens and Travis Henry, who combined for almost 1,500 yards on the ground and 11 touchdowns last season. That alone has led many publications to name Tennessee as their preseason No. 1's.
But its too early to talk repeat just yet. While the Vols boast a good quarterback and an excellent group of ground-gainers, they also have some major holes to fill. Linebacker Al Wilson, the heart and soul of last season's defense, is gone. That means seniors Shaun Ellis and Raynoch Thompson need to step it up - on and off the field. Also gone are three of Martin's favorite targets: receivers Peerless Price and Jermaine Copeland, and pass-catching fullback Shawn Bryson. In fact, only one of the team's top five receivers from a year ago returns - Cedrick Wilson. Projected starter David Martin needs to produce in a hurry to prevent opponents from focusing on the running game and teeing off on the quarterback.
