
Predicted Order of Finish-
East Division-
1. Georgia- HC Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are coming off the programs first National Championship in 41 years and with an array of playmakers returning on offense including senior QB Stetson Bennett a trip back to the title game is well within reach, the defense was all time great last year and consequently 8 starters were selected in the NFL Draft leaving big holes to fill
2. Kentucky- HC Mark Stoops has led the Wildcats to 6 straight bowls and 4 straight bowl victories but with potential 1st day NFL Draft pick senior QB Will Levis back under center Big Blue Nation has aspirations of ending Georgia’s reign over the East Division, the O-line returns just 2 starters and Levis will be working under a new coordinator after Liam Coen went to the NFL
3. Tennessee- the Vols offense fired on all cylinders (39.3 ppg) under 1st year HC Josh Heupel and much of the core pieces are back including senior QB Hendon Hooker along with his top RB and WR, the secondary was among college football’s worst in 2021 yielding 273.2 yards thru the air and must replace 2 top defensive backs
4. South Carolina- Oklahoma junior transfer Spencer Rattler hopes to provide stability at QB after 4 different starters were used last season, the Gamecocks must improve in the trenches on both sides of the ball after finishing outside the top 90 in both rush yards and rush yards allowed per game in 2021
5. Florida- rising young HC Billy Napier brings a stellar 40-12 career record to Gainesville and looks to elevate the program back among the SEC Elites, the roster lacks depth and experience on both sides of the ball and the schedule doesn’t offer any favors with home dates against Utah and Kentucky to start the year
6. Missouri- third year HC Eli Drinkwitz has made some major headway in recruiting along with bringing in quality transfers such as Florida junior transfer LB Ty’Ron Hopper to fill holes in the roster, sophomore QB Brady Cook was named the starter but lacks a whole lot of experience and the defense is under its third new system in 3 seasons
7. Vanderbilt- linebacker is the strength of the defense led by senior Anfernee Orji and junior Ethan Barr who combined for 178 tackles last season, junior QB Mike Wright must improve as a passer and overall the roster is still miles apart from other SEC schools when it comes to speed and athleticism
West Division-
1. Alabama- the Crimson Tide return 12 starters including Heisman junior QB Bryce Young after winning 13 games and an SEC Title in a season that HC Nick Saban referred to as a “rebuild,” offensively the receiving corps must replace three starters along with leading rusher Brian Robinson Jr. (1,343 yards, 14 TD’s)
2. Texas A&M- HC Jimbo Fisher continues to churn out top 10 recruiting classes and offensively the Aggies have 2 capable QB’s in LSU junior transfer Max Johnson (2,814 yards, 27 TD’s in 2021) and freshman 5-star recruit Conner Weigman, the defensive line must replace all 4 starters and the O-line lost All-American guard Kenyon Green to the NFL
3. Arkansas- behind the duo of junior QB KJ Jefferson and junior RB Dominique Johnson the Razorbacks should have one of the nation’s most potent rushing attacks, Jefferson and a new cast of receivers must expand the passing game and defensively 8 starters must be replaced including most of the front 7
4. Mississippi State- junior QB Will Rodgers who threw for 4,739 yards and 36 TD’s should continue to flourish entering his third season in HC Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, the secondary was the defense’s achilles heel last year and enters this season having lost corner Martin Emerson to the NFL
5. LSU- new HC Brian Kelly comes to Baton Rouge with a proven track record tallying 263 wins in 32 years at both the DI and DII levels, the quarterback competition is wide open and likely won’t be decided until the opener while on defense the line is stout but questions remain at both linebacker and in the secondary
6. Ole Miss- HC Lane Kiffin AKA the “Portal King” snagged both USC sophomore transfer QB Jaxson Dart and junior TCU RB Zach Evans as key addition to the offense, replacing QB Matt Corral’s leadership and production on the field won’t be easy and defensively the linebacker group lacks SEC experience
7. Auburn- junior RB and 1,000 yard rusher from last year Tank Bigsby returns in the backfield and will be joined again by talented sophomore RB Jarquez Hunter, with new coordinators taking over on both sides of the ball and a schedule that features both Georgia and Alabama on the road improving on last year’s 6 wins may be a challenge
Buy- LSU
Sell- Arkansas
Best Bet- Arkansas UNDER total wins
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