2023 is the last year that SEC Football will include an East and West division and the last year before major realignment shakes college football. Texas and Oklahoma will be joining the conference next fall, and the entire conference will compete in an 8-game schedule format that will send the top-2 teams in the league to Atlanta to play in the SEC Football Championship Game.
With 2023 being the final year of the conference format that has existed since 2012 (when the Missouri Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies joined the SEC) and it being the final year of the two-division format that has existed since 1992 (when the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Arkansas Razorbacks joined the league), there is special intrigue in how the year will play out.
The conference is strong in a difficult-to-project type of way in 2023 as all 14 teams in the conference have reason to believe they could go bowling this winter, and the top handful of teams have legitimate College Football Playoff aspirations in the final year of the 4-team format.
Predicting the league’s final standings is not easy to do in any preseason, but it is especially difficult in 2023.
The “middle class” of the SEC is extremely large in 2023. Only Vanderbilt should be viewed as a safe bet to not reach bowl eligibility (though, even the ‘Dores could reach 6 wins if all things go well in Nashville), and only Georgia, Alabama, and LSU should be considered safe bets to be “elite” in 2023.
So, what will the final 2023 SEC football standings look like after the regular season this fall?
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 14 (and 7th in the SEC East):
Vanderbilt Commodores
Most would have expected Vandy to be pulling up the rear in just about any SEC football standings projections. However, this Vanderbilt team is not the same as some of their hapless predecessors.
No one should believe that the ‘Dores are on the verge of true contention in the world of SEC football, but Clark Lea’s bunch shouldn’t be as much of a pushover as in years past.
Vandy finished the 2022 season on a relatively high note. Before an embarrassingly lopsided loss to the rival Tennessee Volunteers to end the year, the Commodores played their best four games of the SEC schedule in the four previous games.
Missouri and South Carolina both almost dropped their games to Vandy, and the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats could not escape the sting that comes along with losing to Vanderbilt as Lea led his squad to their first time winning back-to-back conference games since 2018.
The 2023 ‘Dores should be a little better. AJ Swann showed some promise as a freshman last year, and his top-2 receivers (Will Sheppard and Jayden McGowan) return after combining for over 100 catches, 1200 yards, and 12 touchdowns in 2022.
On defense, Vanderbilt was bad last fall, but they return the majority of their starters from a season ago, so improvement seems a virtual guarantee.
A light out-of-conference schedule seems destined for a 3-1 or 4-0 start to the year, and two of the ‘Dores most-winnable SEC games (at home against Kentucky and Missouri) immediately follow and give Vandy the possibility of a winning record early in the season.
Will Vanderbilt be good this season? No. Could they be just good enough to cause problems and potentially squeak into a bowl game? Possibly.
PREDICTION
Overall: 4-8; SEC Football: 1-7
Hawaii (W), Alabama A&M (W), @Wake Forest (L), @UNLV (W), Kentucky (L), Missouri (W), @Florida (L), Georgia (L), @Ole Miss (L), Auburn (L), @South Carolina (L), @Tennessee (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 13 (and 6th in the SEC East):
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators have been a disappointing team for the past two seasons. Back-to-back 6-7 seasons are unacceptable in Gainesville, and Dan Mullen was run out of town because of his losing season, and Billy Napier already could be on his way out if he doesn’t win enough in 2023.
The fans in blue and orange have been happy with Napier’s recruiting (according to 247Sports, 17th in the transition class of 2022, 12th in the class of 2023, and currently 3rd in the class of 2024), but he will need to show improvement on the field to see those classes in their full fruition on the field. Napier seems like he could be the right man for the job in Gainesville, but he may never get enough time to find out for sure.
The Gators brought in Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz to be the replacement for 1st-round quarterback Anthony Richardson, but his addition does not necessarily elicit much excitement. The Florida offense will be run-heavy behind Trevor Etienne and Montrelle Johnson.
The defense in Gainesville has the potential to be bad again in 2023 as the struggling unit from last year also returns just 4 starters.
Even with some of the problems from the end of Dan Mullen’s time at the helm of the program, Florida has enough overall talent on the team to surprise some people in 2023, but that talent’s performance on the field has not matched the expectations handed down from the recruiting industry.
Playing two tough out-of-conference games against Utah and Florida State, getting three conference swing games on the road (South Carolina, Missouri, and Kentucky), and having to play LSU as usual, UF seems destined to be on the outside looking in when it comes to bowl season.
PREDICTION
Overall: 4-8; SEC Football: 2-6
@Utah (L), McNeese State (W), Tennessee (L), Charlotte (W), @Kentucky (L), Vanderbilt (W), @South Carolina (L), Georgia in Jacksonville (L), Arkansas (W), @LSU (L), @Missouri (L), Florida State (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 12 (and 7th in the SEC West):
Auburn Tigers
It’s been a tough time lately for the fans of the Auburn Tigers. The team’s two biggest rivals (Alabama and Georgia) have had their program’s most successful stretches ever and have won seven National Championships since Auburn’s last title. In contrast, the Tigers are on their fourth head coach in the last eleven seasons.
Auburn has not been Auburn for the last three seasons. 19 losses in a 3-year span are the most on the Plains since the 1970s, and the desperate Tigers hired the polarizing Hugh Freeze to come in and fix the mess left by Bryan Harsin’s two seasons.
Despite finishing 5-7 last season, Auburn was somehow worse than that. The Tigers finished 87th nationally last year in scoring offense and 98th in the country in scoring defense.
Auburn brought in former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne in hopes of having consistent quarterback play for the first time since Jarrett Stidham moved on to the NFL after the 2018 season.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Thorne cannot help the defense stop the run, and with a schedule that includes Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Ole Miss, the 2022 team’s weakness will be exposed again in 2023 without major improvement.
Auburn will be better in 2023 than they were in 2022, but it might not matter for the record since they play in a juggernaut SEC West, take a weird trip out west to play Cal, and have to face rival Georgia from the East. If War Eagle can climb out of the cellar in the SEC West, it would be a big step forward in year 1 of the Hugh Freeze era.
PREDICTION
Overall 6-6; SEC Football: 2-6
UMass (W), @California (W), Samford (W), @Texas A&M (L), Georgia (L), @LSU (L), Ole Miss (W), Mississippi State (L), @Vanderbilt (W), @Arkansas (L), New Mexico State (W), Alabama (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 11 (and 5th in the SEC East):
Missouri Tigers
The Eli Drinkwitz era in CoMo has been a strange one. The 2022 season might have been the best example of the oddness that has been seen in the Tiger football program.
Mizzou lost games to Kentucky, Florida, Wake Forest, and a bad Auburn squad. They were blown out by Tennessee and Kansas State by a combined 70 points. They should have lost to Vanderbilt who was playing with a backup quarterback.
They also beat South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium, bested a talented Arkansas group, and had an opportunity to defeat eventual National Champion Georgia.
Brady Cook returns as the starting quarterback for Missouri, and he has been a solid player for the black and gold, but former Miami Hurricane Jake Garcia and redshirt freshman Sam Horn are both more talented passers. Cook has also missed a good portion of the offseason with an injury to his throwing shoulder.
Where Mizzou fans believe they will be at their best this season is on defense as a good unit from 2022 returns 8 starters.
If the offense improves, Missouri could move up a spot or two in the SEC East, but with their concerns at quarterback and the fact that they scored more than 24 points in just one of eight SEC contests a year ago, that doesn’t appear likely. In the Drinkwitz tenure, the Tigers have never finished better than 61st nationally in scoring offense.
Missouri won’t be a great team in 2023 or a terrible one. Where they maneuver in the middle class of the SEC remains to be seen, but fans should expect Missouri to hover around the same 5 or 6 victories that the program has seen for the previous four seasons.
PREDICTION
Overall: 5-7, SEC Football: 2-6
South Dakota (W), Middle Tennessee State (W), Kansas State (L), Memphis (W), @Vanderbilt (L), LSU (L), @Kentucky (L), South Carolina (W), @Georgia (L), Tennessee (L), Florida (W), @Arkansas (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 10 (and 6th in the SEC West):
Arkansas Razorbacks
Sam Pittman’s Arkansas squad started off the 2022 season looking like they’d taken a big step up in the hierarchy of the SEC West and could be poised to challenge Alabama and LSU in the not-too-distant future. Instead, after a few injuries, things fell apart for the Hogs, and the Pitt Boss’ team finished a disappointing 6-6.
Since then, the Razorbacks have had to replace several offensive coaches, including offensive coordinator Kendal Briles (TCU) and his likely replacement Dowell Loggains (South Carolina).
Returning one of the best rushing duos in the conference in quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Rocket Sanders should help ease the transition for coordinator Dan Enos who returns to Arkansas as OC after not being retained by Arkansas after Bret Bielema was fired after the 2017 season.
While the offense should be fine, the defense in Fayetteville was abysmal in 2022, especially against the pass. Arky gave up over 450 yards of offense per game to opponents last season, including almost 300 through the air. If that repeats this fall, the Razorbacks will be fighting an uphill battle back to bowl eligibility in a tough SEC West.
The Hogs have a tough schedule even outside of their typical SEC West slate. Arkansas has to play in Gainesville against a Florida team that will be desperate for wins, and they welcome to Donald W. Reynolds Stadium the Cougars of BYU.
Year 4 of the Pittman era will be pivotal for the future of the Razorbacks. Can he re-harness the momentum the program had after a 9-win 2021 campaign, or is mediocrity the destiny of the favorite team of the Arky faithful?
PREDICTION
Overall: 6-6; SEC Football: 2-6
Western Carolina (W), Kent State (W), BYU (W), @LSU (L), Texas A&M in Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington (L), @Ole Miss (L), @Alabama (L), Mississippi State (L), @Florida (L), Auburn (W), FIU (W), Missouri (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 9 (and 5th in the SEC West):
Mississippi State Bulldogs
First off, rest in peace to The Pirate, Mike Leach.
Replacing a head coach is never easy, but new Bulldog headman Zach Arnett seems to have as much fan support as any coach could after a program endures a tragedy like the death of Mike Leach.
Mississippi State has the talent to be a good football team in 2023, but with all the transition in Starkville and the gauntlet that is the schedule, even a good showing this fall could result in a less-than-stellar record for the maroon and white.
A new-look offense led by former Appalachian State offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay will be a hinge point for the Bulldogs this season. If State and veteran quarterback Will Rogers can move the ball, the team’s defense should give them a chance to win every time out.
Jett Johnson, Nathanael Watson, and De’Monte Russell could all be in for big-time production in 2023, holding down one of the nation’s most underrated defensive units heading into the season. How Arnett and new defensive coordinator Matt Brock are able to coexist could be the determiner of whether the Bulldog D will be good or great this fall.
PREDICTION
Overall: 7-5; SEC Football: 3-5
SE Louisiana (W), Arizona (W), LSU (L), @South Carolina (L), Alabama (L), Western Michigan (W), @Arkansas (W), @Auburn (W), Kentucky (W), @Texas A&M (L), Southern Miss (W), Ole Miss (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 8 (and 4th in the SEC East):
Kentucky Wildcats
In recent years, the Kentucky Wildcats have been preseason media darlings. It worked out in 2021 as the Wildcats won 10 games for just the 4th time in program history. 2022 was a different story as the ‘Cats won just 3 games in the SEC (and 7 overall).
NC State transfer quarterback Devin Leary is a solid replacement for Will Levis under center, but just like last year, if something were to cause the starter to miss some time, UK could be in some trouble.
The running back room is looking nice for Liam Coen’s return to Lexington as offensive coordinator as twin transfers Ray Davis (Vanderbilt) and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (NC State) have been dynamic at times in their college careers.
The defense for Kentucky is expected to be solid again in 2023, but they will have to force more turnovers this season than they did in 2022 (just 16 takeaways the entire season) to be good enough to make a real move in the SEC East.
The schedule, as usual, is somewhat favorable for the Wildcats, but they did draw Alabama from the SEC West and have four major swing games on the road (South Carolina, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Louisville), hurting their chances of improving on last season’s record.
It is a perfectly reasonable expectation to think Kentucky will be virtually the same team in 2023 as they were in 2022: a solid, nothing-special bunch who will be a very average player in the SEC. Honestly, though, in Lexington, that’s a pretty good season that will keep head coach Mark Stoops in the good graces of fans who could be turning on his counterpart on the hardwood John Calipari.
PREDICTION
Overall: 7-5; SEC Football: 3-5
Ball State (W), Eastern Kentucky (W), Akron (W), @Vanderbilt (W), Florida (W), @Georgia (L), Missouri (W), Tennessee (L), @Mississippi State (L), Alabama (L), @South Carolina (L), @Louisville (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 7 (and 4th in the SEC West):
Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels took college football by storm in the early goings of the 2022 season. The hot start slowed considerably, however, as the Rebs started the year 7-0 and then 8-1 before finishing the year 8-5.
The Ole Miss defense was one of the biggest reasons for the swoon as, after giving up just 10 points a game in four out-of-conference games to start the year, they surrendered over 32 points per game in the season’s final 9 games (including giving up over 40 three times). New defensive coordinator Pete Golding will be tasked with fixing that mess in 2023.
Running back Quinshon Judkins could be the top back in the conference, and likely starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is a good runner, as well, so Ole Miss should not have much of an issue on the ground. If Dart can distribute the ball well in the passing game, the Rebels could put a classic Lane Kiffin offensive juggernaut on the field.
Dart and the offense added a nice weapon in their fight for offensive supremacy as Ole Miss added one of the top Group of 5 receivers in the country through the transfer portal in Zakhair Franklin.
There will be a quarterback controversy rumbling beneath the surface if Dart and/or the offense are not operating at a big-time level. Oklahoma State starter Spencer Sanders transferred to Oxford, and he left the Cowboys with the idea of starting.
An interesting schedule includes tough road games at Tulane, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and rival Mississippi State. 9-3 appears to be the ceiling in 2023 because of the tough road tests and the overall quality of play in the SEC West, but if the Rebels drop a swing game or two, they will see themselves hovering around bowl eligibility instead of taking another step forward record-wise.
PREDICTION
Overall: 7-5; SEC Football: 3-5
Mercer (W), @Tulane (W), Georgia Tech (W), @Alabama (L), LSU (L), Arkansas (W), @Auburn (L), Vanderbilt (W), Texas A&M (L), @Georgia (L), Louisiana-Monroe (W), @Mississippi State (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 6 (and 3rd in the SEC East):
South Carolina Gamecocks
Expectations are high in Columbia after the Gamecocks finished the 2022 regular season beating the brakes off of playoff-hopeful Tennessee and ending a 40-game home winning streak of rival Clemson to knock them out of the playoff picture, as well.
The national perception around the team this fall is a bit more varied, but most of that is due to the schedule. The Gamecocks will play a juggernaut of a schedule and could be an improved team even if the record is worse than a year ago.
Head coach Shane Beamer is in a pivotal third year in Columbia. Can USC take the next step forward and become real contenders in the SEC East for the first time in about a decade? Or will they be unable to escape the gauntlet?
The return of Spencer Rattler and Juice Wells as one of the SEC’s top passing combinations will certainly help the cause, and adding tight ends Trey Knox and Josh Simon to the picture has Gamecock fans excited about what the offense can do under new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.
5-star freshman Nyckoles Harbor is one of the biggest freaks in all of college football, and though he is brand new to the wide receiver position, the 6’5″ and 240-pound Olympic-caliber sprinter will be must-watch television for college football fans this year.
The running game is a big concern as the Gamecocks’ projected starter at running back is a former wide receiver who was a former quarterback before that in Dakereon Joyner. Past Joyner, the Gamecocks have one experienced Division-I back, and that is 170-pound scat back Juju McDowell.
Stopping the run will be a big factor in South Carolina’s 2023 success, as well. One of the SEC’s most porous fronts in 2022, the Gamecocks gave up just under 200 yards per game on the ground. That must not continue for Beamer’s group to have a realistic chance of improving this fall.
Pete Lembo has been the nation’s best special teams coordinator since joining the Gamecocks, and his unit may need to continue that trend for South Carolina to be able to pull off another 7+ win season in 2023. If all goes well in Columbia, the Gamecocks could challenge for the second spot in the SEC East, but if the difficult schedule trips them up, barely reaching bowl eligibility is also on the table.
PREDICTION
Overall: 7-5; SEC Football: 4-4
North Carolina in Charlotte (W), Furman (W), @Georgia (L), Mississippi State (W), @Tennessee (L), Florida (W), @Missouri (L), @Texas A&M (L), Jacksonville State (W), Vanderbilt (W), Kentucky (W), Clemson (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 5 (and 3rd in the SEC West):
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M probably wins the unwanted award for most disappointing SEC team of 2022. Despite beating ranked opponents in Arkansas, Miami, and LSU, the Aggies went 5-7 last fall, and there were more than a few discussions had in College Station about head coach Jimbo Fisher’s contract buyout.
Fisher survived the tumultuous offseason and hired controversial offensive guru Bobby Petrino to take over running the offense, something that Fisher has always handled himself.
A&M is one of the most talented teams in the SEC, made a good hire to handle the offense, and has one of the top defenses in the league. The disaster that was 2022 seems extremely unlikely to be repeated in 2023.
Conner Weigman played well after taking over the starting quarterback job last season, and he has some big-time weapons on the outside, namely Muhsin Muhammad, Jr. and Ainias Smith. The Aggies will have to replace elite running back Devon Achane, but top-50 national prospect Rueben Owens plays a similar style and could be in line to start as a freshman.
The defense was very good for most of 2022 and gave up 30 points to opposing offenses just twice all season. That unit returns the majority of its starters from last year, as well, and transfer portal additions Sam McCall and Tony Grimes could be major contributors in the secondary.
The Aggies have three really tough games on the schedule in which they likely will be underdogs (Alabama, @Tennessee, and @LSU), but the rest of the schedule is somewhat favorable. An 8 or 9-win regular season seems in the cards in College Station, and if a few things go better-than-expected, that could look more like 9 or 10 wins.
PREDICTION
Overall: 9-3; SEC Football: 5-3
New Mexico (W), @Miami (W), Louisiana-Monroe (W), Auburn (W), Arkansas in Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington (W), Alabama (L), @Tennessee (L), South Carolina (W), Ole Miss (W), Mississippi State (W), Abilene Christian (W), @LSU (L)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 4 (and 2nd in the SEC East):
Tennessee Volunteers
Josh Heupel has done a tremendous job in Knoxville since replacing the disgraced Jeremy Pruitt as the head coach of the Volunteers. Only three games on a tough 2022 schedule saw the Vols look anything less than elite (an ugly win over Florida, a close-ish loss to Georgia, and a drubbing at the hands of the South Carolina Gamecocks).
Much of that success was due to Heupel and his elite offensive weapons from last season. Hendon Hooker had one of the best quarterback seasons in recent memory for a Vol signal caller, and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman were among the best in the entire country.
The Volunteers still have some good receivers to replace Hyatt and Tillman in Squirrel White and Bru McCoy, and presumed starting quarterback Joe Milton is supremely talented. However, the Vols need more receivers to step up as White and McCoy were already contributors on the team last year, and Milton has never had sustained success at the college level. The offense will be good in 2023, but will it be elite again?
The Vols were awful in the secondary at times in 2022, but the overall defense wasn’t bad (except against South Carolina) thanks to a boom-or-bust style that paid off more often than it didn’t by gifting the orange and white a lot of sacks and takeaways. If the defense can replicate that level of success again despite losing big-time pass rusher Byron Young, Tennessee could push for another 10-win season.
Other than two games that are always on the Vols’ schedule (Alabama and Georgia), nothing sticks out as a major hurdle for UT this fall. Heupel’s group gets their opportunity for revenge against the Gamecocks in Neyland Stadium, and the big swing game against Texas A&M is also in Knoxville.
A 5-0 start seems extremely likely before the South Carolina rematch (@Florida could be a test if the Gators play up to their roster talent), and a New Year’s 6 bowl game is in play once again if Milton (or even 5-star freshman Nico Iamaleava) can fill Hendon Hooker’s shoes well in an elite Josh Heupel offensive system.
The offseason sanctions stemming from violations in the Jeremy Pruitt era shouldn’t affect this team, and the Vols will be one of the SEC’s best again in 2023.
PREDICTION
Overall: 10-2; SEC Football: 6-2
Tennessee-Martin (W), Virginia (W), Austin Peay (W), @Florida (W), UTSA (W), South Carolina (W), Texas A&M (W), @Alabama (L), @Kentucky (W), UConn (W), @Missouri (W), Georgia (L), Vanderbilt (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 3 (and 2nd in the SEC West):
LSU Tigers
The hype is building for Brian Kelly’s 2nd season in Baton Rogue. A blowout loss at home to Tennessee was the only bad showing for the Bayou Bengals as they lost a 1-point game to a surprisingly good Florida State squad, caught Texas A&M on a night that they played up to their talent level, and lost to eventual National Champion Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
2023 will likely include the top offense for LSU since the record-breaking 2019 National Championship team. Jayden Daniels is primed for a big second year for Kelly’s LSU team, and Malik Nabers has developed into one of the top pass catchers in the conference. Bringing local kid Logan Diggs in from Notre Dame will help a run game that was led by the quarterback position.
LSU doesn’t return a lot of starters, but the ones who are back are massive. One of them is Harold Perkins who might as well count as two starters as he is a legitimate candidate for numerous national defensive awards in 2023, and Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo are also All-American candidates at defensive tackle who will make new defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey’s job that much easier.
Much like last season, the opener against Florida State is one of the best games in the early goings of the year, and if the Tigers can pull out the W, they likely will be favored in every game the rest of the way other than their trip to Tuscaloosa to take on the ‘Tide.
2023 has the chance to be special for a proud LSU program that has only had two 10-win seasons since 2014. The Alabama game should be the decider in the SEC West and the winner likely will earn a ticket for a date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game.
PREDICTION
Overall: 11-1; SEC Football: 7-1
Florida State in Orlando (W), Grambling State (W), @Mississippi State (W), Arkansas (W), @Ole Miss (W), @Missouri (W), Auburn (W), Army (W), @Alabama (L), Florida (W), Georgia State (W), Texas A&M (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 2 (and 1st in the SEC West):
Alabama Crimson Tide
The rumors of Alabama’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Nick Saban’s program is still a big-time national championship contender.
Quarterback questions abound in Tuscaloosa, but there have been plenty of other times during the Saban tenure in which the offense was unsure about who would lead it. Even when the quarterback play has been less than elite, Alabama has won and won big. Greg McElroy and Jake Coker won titles, and Blake Sims took the ‘Tide to the College Football Playoff.
Whether Ty Simpson, Tyler Buchner, or Jalen Milroe end up as the long-term starter for the crimson and white, Alabama will be just fine. A strong running game is a staple of the program and will continue as Jase McClellan could be the top dog in the running back room after producing well as a backup for years.
On defense, the ‘Tide was very good again in 2022, but they also had stretches where they really struggled against the pass (think of the Tennesse game, in particular). Can defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson’s unit be consistent enough to hold down the potential high-flying offense of Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas this season?
‘Bama has two new coordinators in 2023 in Tommy Rees and Kevin Steele, but coaching turnover is nothing new for Nick Saban. If any program in the country deserves the benefit of the doubt in overcoming the growing pains associated with new coaches, it’s the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Texas is a big early season test, but the game is at home this year, and Saban’s squad also gets both LSU and Tennessee at home, as well. With what are likely to be the three best teams on the schedule all traveling to Bryant-Denny Stadium, expect the Crimson Tide to be favored in all 12 contests this fall.
PREDICTION
Overall: 12-0; SEC Football: 8-0
Middle Tennessee (W), Texas (W), @South Florida (W), Ole Miss (W), @Mississippi State (W), @Texas A&M (W), Arkansas (W), Tennessee (W), LSU (W), @Kentucky (W), Chattanooga (W), @Auburn (W)
2023 SEC Football Standings No. 1 (and 1st in the SEC East):
Georgia Bulldogs
What is there to say about the ‘Dawgs? The two-time defending national champs were far and away the top team in the land last year, and that was coming off of an offseason in which there were a ton of questions about replacing talent. While UGA is forced to try to replace a lot of names that are now on NFL rosters, they did that very thing just last year.
Carson Beck is expected to be the starting quarterback, and there are legitimate questions about his readiness, but Beck is a talented player who will play with some of the best offensive talent in college football. Tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver Ladd McConkey, and two elite transfer pass-catchers in Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and RaRa Thomas (Mississippi State) will make things a bit easier on Beck.
Todd Monken won’t be calling plays for the red and black after jumping to the NFL, but a familiar face will don the headset as Mike Bobo returns as offensive coordinator. Bobo is a good coordinator in his own right, and he is expected primarily to run Monken’s system. The Bulldogs will be just fine on offense.
There is no point in questioning the Georgia defense. They return about half their starters on defense (including a couple of All-American candidates), and the front-7 is as loaded with talent as any other defensive line and linebacker units across college football. The Bulldogs will be good on defense, as well.
Based on the Bulldogs’ top-2 talented roster, there is no reason to expect that the fine Georgia offense and the good Georgia defense can’t become great. They will have plenty of opportunities to “get right” in 2023 as the ‘Dawgs play one of their softest schedules in recent memory. Only a trip to Knoxville to take on the Vols should cause any concern for Georgia fans.
South Carolina, @Auburn, and the rivalry game in Jacksonville against Florida could all be matchups with a little intrigue, but Georgia still will be double-digit favorites in all three of those contests.
A 12-0 regular season should be the expectation in Athens, which means even a loss in the SEC Championship Game to an undefeated or 1-loss Alabama or LSU team shouldn’t keep the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff.
PREDICTION
Overall: 12-0; SEC Football: 8-0
Tennessee-Martin (W), Ball State (W), South Carolina (W), UAB (W), @Auburn (W), Kentucky (W), @Vanderbilt, Florida in Jacksonville (W), Missouri (W), Ole Miss (W), @Tennesee (W), @Georgia Tech
2023 SEC Football Standings SEC Championship Game:
Alabama vs. Georgia
College football fans have seen this story before. Alabama and Georgia could be on a collision course for the SEC Championship again in 2023, marking the third time the two teams have met in the title game since 2012 (though, Nick Saban also played the ‘Dawgs in the 2003 SECCG when he was the head coach at LSU).
What’s more is that the two top programs in college football could meet in the College Football Playoff once again, as well, which would also be the teams’ third matchup in the Playoff.
If both teams are undefeated heading into the SECCG (a real possibility), the loser still will get into the playoff barring some unforeseen wackiness elsewhere in college football. If both teams exit the Championship Game with one loss (i.e. the winner of the game had one loss in the regular season, and the loser was undefeated before the championship game), then both teams likely would get into the field in that scenario, as well.
The SEC football season realistically could end with two undefeated juggernauts playing in Atlanta for the title game. Despite quarterback concerns at both Alabama and Georgia, the two most talented rosters in college football should carry the ‘Tide and the ‘Dawgs to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
PREDICTION
12-0 Georgia defeats 12-0 Alabama; Georgia enters the College Football Playoff as the 1-seed, while Alabama likely still makes the field as the 3-seed (to avoid the immediate rematch).