SEC Football Power Rankings: Preseason
We did it, everyone. We made it to the 2020 SEC football season.
This year's power rankings are sure to be interesting.
As everyone at this point is well-aware, each team in the SEC will be playing a 10-game, conference-only schedule as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With each team removing cupcakes from their schedules and adding two SEC foes to their respective dockets, the word interesting doesn't even begin to describe the season that is about to unfold in front of us.
After obliterating pretty much every opponent that stood in its way last season, the defending national champions LSU starts this season ranked at No. 4. Why? The answer is simple: the Tigers lost 14 players in the offseason to the NFL draft.
Now when it comes to retaining talent, look no further than Alabama. The Crimson Tide are poised to once again have a stellar season. Returning staples consist of seniors running back Najee Harris, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and linebacker Dylan Moses. Mac Jones officially takes over the starting job at quarterback this year following Tua Tagovailoa foregoing his senior season to join the Miami Dolphins, but this offense is set to not miss a beat. With more experience at the defensive line and secondary, Alabama's defense should also have a better outing this year than it did in a disappointing 2019 season.
In short: keep your eyes on the Crimson Tide this year.
Georgia's defense should continue to be stifling as it was last year. The offense has a lot of questions that they need to answer following coach Kirby Smart's hiring of a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken and the addition of quarterback J.T. Daniels. That being said, more likely than not the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs will be playing each other twice this season: once in Tuscaloosa and then again in Atlanta.
Could this be the year that Florida finally meets preseason expectations? Coach Dan Mullen has led the Gators to two-straight 10-plus win seasons and back-to-back New Years Six bowl victories and looks to capitalize on that success this year. Senior quarterback Kyle Trask is set to have a solid year, but questions on the defensive side of the ball gives Florida a chance that it might drop a couple of close games. Only time will tell for the Gators.
Skipping over LSU, Auburn rounds out the top five. The Tigers return a plethora of skill players on both sides of the ball. In all honesty, Auburn should probably be ranked higher than LSU. However, until coach Gus Malzahn can prove that he can beat Ed Orgeron, color me unconvinced. Auburn returns one of the best linebacker cores in the country and without a doubt should be impressive on defense. Bo Nix impressed at quarterback last year and was named SEC Freshman of the Year, but the potential for a sophomore slump remains ever-present. Auburn is consistently one of the biggest boom-or-bust teams in the SEC, and this year it's looking just like any other.
Without further ado, here is the first edition of the SEC Football Power Rankings for the 2020 season. Things will most likely shift rather drastically after Week 1 is in the books, but one thing is certain:
High-profile college football in the south is back.
2020 SEC Football Power Rankings - Preseason
1) Alabama
2) Georgia
3) Florida
4) LSU
5) Auburn
6) Texas A&M
7) Tennessee
8) Kentucky
9) Ole Miss
10) South Carolina
11) Mississippi State
12) Missouri
13) Vanderbilt
14) Arkansas
Visit Bama Central every week throughout the 2020 season for the updated power rankings as the year progresses.
