The choice of Gus Malzahn to be OC at Auburn notwithstanding, Les Miles made perhaps the best coordinator hiring of the offseason by snatching up John Chavis to lead the LSU defense.

No one can blame the Vols' abysmal 2008 on Chavis' defense, which ranked fourth nationally in total yardage, held opponents to fewer than 17 points a game and were second only to South Carolina in the SEC in pass defense. Tennessee was one of three teams to hold Florida to 30 or fewer points (the others were Miami and Ole Miss). It was hardly anything new.

In nine of Chavis' 14 seasons as the Vols' defensive coordinator, Tennessee ranked among the top three in the SEC in total defense.

LSU could use the help. The Tigers ranked dead last in the league in defending the pass, 11th in scoring defense and 9th in total defense. The Bayou Bengals allowed 50 to both Florida and Georgia -- which would score half a hundred or more against only LSU and Central Michigan -- and 31 points to each of their last three opponents, most notably Troy in a game LSU should have lost.