There is no doubt that the SEC has emerged as the best of the Power Five conferences in college football over the last decade. No football program has been more dominant on the national stage than Alabama while Auburn, Florida and LSU have each celebrated national championship wins over the last 16 seasons. It should be no surprise that the SEC leads all conferences with six programs ranked in the top-25 in the Amway Coaches Poll. Here is a look at our projections for the preseason top-25 teams from the SEC.
#1 Alabama
Projected Record: 11-1
The defending national champion Crimson Tide has set the ton for the SEC over the years as one of the top teams in the country on an annual basis so it’s no surprise that they are No. 1 in the preseason rankings. Alabama will reload at several key positions including quarterback and running back but they have some considerable incoming talent set to step up and they still have one of the best defenses in the entire country. The Crimson Tide will have to deal with a difficult schedule that includes road games against three tough SEC opponents in Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU but this team is built to overcome adversity. Another double-digit win season seems like a very realistic expectation with Alabama focused on locking up another SEC championship while defending their national title.
#6 LSU
Projected Record: 10-2
Les Miles is on the hot seat heading in to the 2016 season but with 17 returning starters including star running back Leonard Fournette the expectation is that LSU will contend for an SEC championship. Fournette is one of the most dynamic running backs in the entire country and the Tigers’ offense can be that much better with improved play from quarterback Brandon Harris. Meanwhile, the defense will once again be among the best in the nation with new coordinator Dave Aranda leading a unit with plenty of experience in the front-seve nand in a loaded secondary. LSU has the potential to challenge Alabama for SEC supremacy and their November showdown with the Tide in Death Valley will have a major impact for each team both within the conference and on the national stage.
#10 Tennessee
Projected Record: 10-2
The Vols have been one of the most hyped teams in college football this offseason and the consensus opinion is that they will contend for an SEC championship as the favorite in the East division this season. Tennessee has plenty of returning talent led by one of the best quarterbacks in the conference in senior Joshua Dobbs and their running back tandem of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara should be one of the best in the SEC as well. The Vols will deal with a front-loaded schedule that includes games against Virginia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama in a span of six weeks and if they can overcome their obstacles throughout that early stretch they will emerge as a legitimate national title contender.
#12 Ole Miss
Projected Record: 8-4
Ole Miss clinched wins over Alabama in back-to-back seasons but couldn’t capitalize with an SEC West championship on both occasions. Now they enter 2016 with the best returning quarterback in the conference in Chad Kelly but some major question marks elsewhere after losing some significant talent in the NFL Draft. The Rebels’ schedule is absolutely brutal including a game against Florida State and matchups with Alabama and Georgia in back-to-back weeks. Ole Miss should still contend in the SEC West but it’s unreasonable to expect more than eight wins from this year’s team.
#16 Georgia
Projected Record: 9-3
The Bulldogs have a lot to be optimistic about heading in to the Kirby Smart era and it will be interesting to see whether they can put it all together and challenge for an SEC Championship out of the East division. Georgia has one of the best running back tandems in the entire country and it will be very interesting to see who they run with at the quarterback position as true freshman Jacob Eason battles Sony Michel for the No. 1 job. The Bulldogs should benefit from a relatively mediocre schedule with games against both Ole Miss and Tennessee coming in weeks after facing FCS opponents with their game against the Vols coming at home in Athens. The Bulldogs certainly have the talent to contend in the SEC East but even with the home advantage we project them to fall short against the Vols in the key clash that determines which side comes out on top in the division.
#25 Florida
Projected Record: 8-4
The Gators won an SEC East title with a solid defense and an offense that did just enough to get by in a relatively weak division in 2015. They will have a much more difficult time this season with Tennessee and Georgia primed to challenge for an SEC championship. Florida has won 11 straight games against the Vols but they will have a new quarterback under center this season and there is no guarantee they will extend their run against Tennessee in a crucial road game with major implications. The Gators will be a top-25 team in 2016 but some regression should be expected for the defending SEC East champions.
