I’ve spent the last six weeks trying to figure out what these Southeastern Conference punt returners have been eating or drinking their entire lives that makes them so good.Maybe it’s the water. It’s gotta be the water.Whatever it is, this year’s SEC special teams play has been exactly that — special.I’m not sure what it is about watching players like LSU’s beloved Trindon Holliday effortlessly make his way through the smallest openings to scorch the competition for a 92-yard touchdown, but it gets fans hyped.Maybe it’s America’s addiction to the big play.If so, the SEC has done nothing but feed that addiction this season.Kentucky, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama and Florida all have either a kick or punt return for a touchdown midway through the season.Vanderbilt would be on this list if junior defensive back D.J. Moore finished a 91-yard punt return during the first week of the season.Moore was chased down and stopped inside the 10-yard line.Talk about heartbreaking.But don’t feel too bad for Moore. He’s still the top-ranked punt returner in the nation. He’s also one of five SEC punt returners that rank in the top 10.His 28.5 yards per return put him in front of No. 2 Holliday (25.14 yards/return), No. 5 Robert Dunn (21.44 yards/return) from Auburn, No. 7 Brandon James (20.5 yards/return) from Florida and No. 10 Marshay Green (18.7 yards/return) from Ole Miss.Though not in the top-10, Alabama’s Javier Arenas (16.83 yards/return), Kentucky’s Dicky Lyons (11.86 yards/return) and Tennessee’s Gerald Jones (11.0 yards/return) — ranked No. 12, No. 29, No. 35, respectively — giving the SEC the best collective return specialists in the nation.For a while the SEC’s reputation hung on its stout defensive play — and with good reason.Eight conference teams — Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Alabama, Florida and Georgia — rank in the top 25 in total defense this season.But spectacular special teams plays every week have made the SEC the place opposing special teams coordinators dread entering.Though Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and LSU running back Charles Scott may be the names most often said by announcers, the game’s outcome may lie in the hands of Holliday and James.Though Holliday and James are ranked No. 2 and No. 7, respectively, I would take either of these two before any return specialist in the country.They have what isn’t accounted for on any NCAA player report rankings: speed.Holliday’s been clocked running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds. James, on the other hand, runs a 4.3 40-yard dash.For those traveling to Gainesville, Fla., for the game, don’t worry about setting the cruise control at more than 75 miles per hour. There will be plenty of speed on the field Saturday night.—-Contact Jay St. Pierre at [email protected]