A couple of weeks ago I promised I would come forth with my predictions for the final standings in the Eastern Division of the SEC for the 2005 football season. I realize this is not my usual &uot;modus operandi&uot; for this column, but some people have asked for my opinion, so here it is.

Tennessee is loaded and should win the Eastern Division. They will likely also win the overall conference championship and contend for the national championship as well. Georgia and Florida will follow Tennessee, and if the Vols slip, Georgia could step up but only if the Bulldogs’ quarterbacking is solid.

South Carolina will be improved under Steve Spurrier. I talked to a high school player who went to South Carolina’s summer camp, and he said everybody he saw was focused and enthusiastic and Spurrier was involved in everything.

In my column about this year’s SEC football officials roster, I had noted Clifton Ely was no longer on the roster. I was glad to hear from David Holloway that apparently Clifton now lives in Memphis and will be officiating in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

David’s father, Donnie Holloway, was a longtime high school football official. I had the pleasure of working several LSU scrimmages with Donnie, and I filled in on Andy Pressgrove’s high school officiating crew, also with Donnie, after my retirement from active SEC officiating.

Most college and high school football officials are busy working scrimmages and jamborees in preparation for the upcoming season. NFL officials all work a full schedule of exhibition games.

This preseason work should be for the purpose of renewing and reviewing mechanics and rules. Football officials should already be in physical condition.

I saw a high school scrimmage recently where the officials were trying to break in a new guy. The poor guy was middle-aged and badly overweight. He didn’t have a clue about position mechanics and obviously had not done much, if any, running to prepare himself.

I hope he makes it because new officials are badly needed. Conditioning is just as important as rules knowledge. If an official is unable to be in the proper position to make a crucial call late in a game because he (or she) is tired, it is really unfair to the players who have worked so hard to reach that point.

I will repeat what I have said at the beginning of each football season about officiating. All officials must have a complete knowledge of not only the written rules but the spirit of the rules.

Officials must know the mechanics of their position and should know the basics of each other’s position as well. By mechanics, we mean where to be on every type of play.

Proper conditioning ranks just as important as the first two items. Judgement is the fourth necessary attribute. Experience is the best teacher of judgement, and that can come from playing the game, officiating for years or even from good solid common sense.

New officials are needed every year.

And that’s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. Reach him at

AlanWard39157@aol.com

.