Plenty of questions at quarterback

Let the spectacle begin. Media, coaches and players will descend on Hoover for SEC Football Media Days beginning today. Surely, all the mysteries to the universe will be revealed by the time the preseason blowout ends Friday. Maybe that's a bit optimistic, but there will be at least a few topics discussed, dissected and dispersed throughout SEC-dom to satiate the appetite of football-hungry fans. With 36 days remaining until the season kicks off, we'll conclude our preview of the season ahead with a look at some of the story lines you can expect to emerge from Media Days and beyond.

QBs in the SEC West

With Matt Flynn, Ryan Perrilloux and Brandon Cox gone from a division already lacking proficient quarterback play, who will emerge? Alabama's John Parker Wilson enters the season as one of the division's most seasoned quarterback. Will this be a breakout season for Wilson that silences his critics? It could be tough considering the senior will work with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Interestingly, Florida's Chris Leak faced a similar situation as a prep stud who didn't seem to live up to expectations entering his senior season. That year, under his third offensive coordinator, Leak won a national title. That's by no means a prediction, however.

Ole Miss' Jevan Snead could be a contender for the West's best quarterback, providing the Rebels with what they've been longing for ever since Eli Manning left Oxford. He has a capable arm and mobility to match, and he's only a sophomore.

Who starts at Auburn?

Will it be junior college transfer Chris Todd or dual-threat sophomore Kodi Burns? One will win the starting role in offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's spread system. Or the offense could feature some combination of the two.

Todd seems to be Franklin's guy. The new Auburn assistant praised Todd during spring practices, and Franklin once served as an offensive consultant at Elizabethtown (Ky.) High School when Todd was the quarterback there.

Expect to hear plenty about this in the coming days, but also expect Todd to take the first snap Aug. 30 against Louisiana-Monroe.

New faces for Bama

Which members of Nick Saban's top-ranked recruiting class will see playing time right away? Saban has been pretty blunt about the fact that some true freshmen will have play an immediate role. Surely, top wide receiver prospect Julio Jones will have his opportunities, but linebacker should be the spot at which freshmen will have the best opportunity to succeed. True freshman Jarrell Harris, a highly touted prospect out of Gadsden, should be a lock for significant minutes at the position. Undoubtedly, there will be others.

Petrino starts over at Arkansas

They were calling the Hogs until the break of dawn when Petrino snuck into Fayetteville as the Razorbacks' new coach. Apparently, the Arkansas faithful think the coach who made Louisville a BCS contender can do better than Houston Nutt, the coach the Razorbacks fired a year after winning the SEC West. We'll see how that plays out this season without Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to shoulder the offensive burden.

Florida's search for a feature back

The Gators haven't had a steady running back since Ciatrick Fason left in 2004. Ever since taking over the following season, head coach Urban Meyer hasn't hidden his lack of faith in his tailbacks and has used a by-committee approach at the position. Last season, quarterback Tim Tebow and wide receiver Percy Harvin were the Gators' top two rushers. Many have wondered if Tebow can continue to withstand the punishment of so many rushing attempts. And though Florida averaged 200 rushing yards a game (third in the SEC) last season, the lack of a reliable back who can take care of the ball and get a couple yards at crucial moments arguably cost the Gators twice last season. USC transfer Emanuel Moody, redshirt freshman Chris Rainey and redshirt sophomore Mon Williams give the Gators three viable options.

New play clock rules

This season will feature yet another tweaking of the clock rules with the institution of the 40/25-second play clock.

In the past, offenses were allowed 25 seconds between plays, with the clock starting when officials marked the ball ready for play. This season, college football will use a 40-second clock, which will start at the end of each play, but a 25-second clock will still be used after a stoppage.

Some suspect that the new rules will encourage more offenses to use a hurry-up, no-huddle approach in order to identify what the defense is going to do and make changes.

There's sure to be a range of reaction by coaches in Hoover.

Bryan App can be reached at 740-5730 or bryan.app@timesdaily.com.