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No Manziel? No Clowney? SEC says no problem

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

The Southeastern Conference finally got knocked off the mountaintop.

Now, Alabama and other aspiring national contenders are trying to begin the climb back in a league that suddenly has a fresh feel.

Gone are marquee names like Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel and Heisman Trophy finalists AJ McCarron and Tre Mason.

Presumed top contenders like Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and LSU are breaking in new quarterbacks. Those factors — and the wild, unpredictable 2013 season — are giving other teams around the league hope.

After all, who could have predicted Missouri and Auburn’s surprising runs to division titles, Florida’s injury-fueled struggles or the SEC West and Iron Bowl being settled on Auburn’s final-play, 109-yard return of a missed field goal?

“Auburn came back and was competing for a national championship,” Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III said. “You never know who’s going to be the best, and that’s why the SEC is the best conference in college football.”

But the best team belonged to Florida State, which ended the SEC’s seven-year national title streak with a 34-31 win over Auburn at the Rose Bowl.

For all the SEC’s player turnover, there is stability on the sidelines. The only new coach is Vanderbilt’s Derek Mason.

Still, maybe it’s the year for Mississippi to break through or Florida to make a dramatic rebound like Auburn did a year ago after an 0-8 SEC season. Or maybe Alabama, with three national titles in five seasons, returns to the top.

It certainly wouldn’t be a big surprise for Steve Spurrier to lead South Carolina to its first SEC championship. The Gamecocks have posted three straight 11-2 records and are coming off a No. 4 final ranking.

“Nobody picked Missouri and Auburn to win the divisions last year,” Spurrier said. “That’s why we play the game. We don’t know who’s going to win ’em.”

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Here are 5 things to watch during the upcoming SEC season:

CHANGING QBS: Seven of the top eight passers from last season are gone, including Texas A&M’s Manziel, Alabama’s McCarron and Georgia’s Aaron Murray. Only six teams have returning starters and one of those, Tennessee, carried over the competition into preseason camp. Freshmen are in the mix at Texas A&M, Kentucky and LSU, and Florida State transfer Jacob Coker is the odds-on favorite to win the Crimson Tide’s starting job. Plus, Auburn will start Jeremy Johnson in the opener against Arkansas after Nick Marshall’s offseason citation for marijuana possession.

SPLASHY HIRES: Despite the lack of head coaching turnover, Georgia and Alabama made big splashes hiring coordinators. Alabama landed former Tennessee, Southern California and Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin to run an offense that’s loaded at running back and wide receiver. Georgia lured Jeremy Pruitt away from national champion Florida State to improve a defense that was middle of the pack. The Bulldogs also have replaced the other three defensive assistants.

FLORIDA’S HOPES: Coach Will Muschamp acknowledged at SEC media days that “there will be a lot of chatter about hot seat business” after Florida’s first losing season since 1979. Chances are there won’t be a repeat of the injury-plagued 2013 season, though. And quarterback Jeff Driskel returns from a broken leg with a new offensive coordinator in Kurt Roper, who came over from Duke. The Gators could be the SEC’s most likely candidate for a big turnaround a la Auburn.

FRESH FACES: All those early departures for the NFL gives more freshmen shots at making early impacts. LSU tailback Leonard Fournette was the nation’s consensus top prospect, and figures to carve a significant role in the backfield. Top quarterback prospect Kyle Allen could claim Texas A&M’s starting job. At Alabama, Cam Robinson is the front-runner to start at left tackle and Tony Brown is competing for one of the cornerback spots.

EARLY SHOWDOWNS: Opening week could give a pretty fair idea of where teams stand. Texas A&M and South Carolina get the SEC season started on Aug. 28 in what gives the SEC Network a splashy debut. They’ve never played each other before. Alabama opens against West Virginia two days later, when Georgia also faces Clemson, LSU plays Wisconsin and Mississippi goes against Boise State.

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Predicted order of finish:

EAST — 1. South Carolina; 2. Georgia; 3. Florida; 4. Missouri; 5. Tennessee; 6. Vanderbilt; 7. Kentucky

WEST — 1. Alabama; 2. Auburn; 3. LSU; 4. Mississippi; 5. Mississippi State; 6. Texas A&M; 7. Arkansas

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Title game winner: Alabama

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Online:

AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org/

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Follow John Zenor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jzenor

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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