It’s football time, guys and gals. So without further ado, let’s preview God’s chosen conference: the SEC.
Eastern Division
1. Tennessee: Butch Jones’ recruiting has to pay off eventually and this could be the year. There’s no stand-out team in the East, and with Georgia, South Carolina and Florida all lacking a proven quarterback, the Vols are the best September bet to win the division.
2. South Carolina: They have a chip on their shoulder after a disappointing 2014 campaign. With a retooled defense and a rejuvenated Steve Spurrier, I think the Gamecocks will surprise a lot of people this fall.
3. Georgia: Welcome to the Nick Chubb show. The SEC’s best back will have to be the catalyst this season if the Bulldogs want to get to Atlanta.
4. Florida: Talent and speed abounds in Gainesville, but can Jim McElwain find a way to put the pieces back together following the Muschamp debacle?
5. Missouri: This is the year we find out if they have staying-power. My early expectation is a drop-off for the Tigers after back-to-back Eastern division crowns.
6. Kentucky: A better team under Mark Stoops, but they aren’t there yet.
7. Vanderbilt: I wouldn’t be surprised if Derek Mason doesn’t make it through the year. There’s very little reason for optimism in Nashville.Western Division:
1. Auburn: On paper they are loaded. Let’s see if Jeremy Johnson can live up to the hype and produce for an entire season.
2. Texas A&M: Maybe a bit of a surprise this high, but the Aggies have a roster dripping with 5-star talent. With Kyle Allen and Myles Garrett, A&M could be dangerous.
3. Alabama: We can expect a little slip from the Tide. They lost a ton of talent to the NFL.
4. Ole Miss: The Rebels could have the nation’s best defense, but I’m not sold on Chad Kelly at quarterback.
5. Arkansas: They’ll be improved, but the record may not reflect it in the way many of you think it should. Expect Arkansas to be middle of the pack in the West, which in the last few years hasn’t necessarily been a bad thing.
6. LSU: It’s crazy to imagine the Tigers finishing this low, but outside of Leonard Fournette, I’m not confident in their offense’s ability to score enough to win a lot of games.
7. Mississippi State: Someone has to finish last. Their problem is they lost a lot of the talent that made them great in 2014.
