EXPECTATIONS
Judging by the vote at SEC Media Days last month, this could be one of the most predictable seasons in league history. Alabama and Georgia were the overwhelming picks to win their divisions, and the tally for the league’s overall crown had Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide with 84 votes, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs with 45 and no other team with multiple votes. Texas A&M and Florida represent the chief challengers to Alabama and Georgia in the West and East, respectively, with Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies having just missed out on the College Football Playoff last season and with Dan Mullen’s Gators having prevailed a year ago against Georgia. LSU is expected to rebound from a 5-5 collapse – but how significantly? – while Kentucky and Missouri have the potential to make noise in the East. New Auburn coach Bryan Harsin is expected to win big right away, but isn’t that always the case on the Plains?
CONCERNS
LSU was dealt the biggest offensive blow of the preseason when starting quarterback Myles Brennan broke his left arm before practices even started, leaving the job to Max Johnson, who did guide the Tigers to their upset win late last season at Florida. The Gators suffered the biggest defensive setback when junior cornerback Jaydon Hill tore his ACL. Florida is already having to rebuild offensively after the losses of quarterback Kyle Trask, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney. Auburn has experience at key spots with quarterback Bo Nix and running back Tank Bigsby but must navigate a schedule containing Penn State, LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama. Ole Miss must be improved defensively and Mississippi State offensively to advance in the second seasons of Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach, while simply going .500 is a realistic goal for Arkansas and Tennessee and a sizable stretch for South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
WHAT’S NEW