SEC football: Best conference games for 2023 season

Here's a list of the must-watch SEC games in 2023.

Author:
Lance Dawe
Publish date:
Mar 25, 2023 6:29 PM EDT

In this story:

It's the final year before Texas and Oklahoma enter the SEC.

With change on the horizon for the schedule, and likely divisions along with it, there will be a handful of secondary rivalries and fun matchups that now won't be seen as often as they are now.

Let's enjoy the last of what was, shall we?

Here's a list of the must-watch conference games in the SEC in 2023.

Florida vs Tennessee, Sept. 16

Feels like we have to put this one on here... will Florida be better than whatever they were last year?

Mississippi State vs LSU, Sept. 16

Zach Arnett gets his first big home game as a head coach against LSU and Brian Kelly. This should be fun.

Alabama vs Ole Miss, Sept. 23

Grab your popcorn, ladies and gentlemen. The Rebels' close loss to the Crimson Tide last season likely still stings for Ole Miss fans.

Given the recent history between the two schools - with Alabama either blowing them out, or winning a close game - there's bound to be a year where the Rebels break through with Kiffin... right?

Auburn vs Georgia, Sept. 30

This is Georgia's first "test" of the 2023 season, if you choose to call it that. What does Auburn look like through their first four games of the season before this? That will determine how much shine this contest legitimately has.

Ole Miss vs LSU, Sept. 30

Lane Kiffin revenge game. If such things exist.

Tennessee vs South Carolina, Sept. 30

Josh Heupel revenge game.

Florida vs Vanderbilt, Oct. 7

Has anyone forgotten that Vanderbilt beat Florida last season? Let alone score 31 points in the process? The Commodores have only scored 30 points or more three times in the 66-game history between these two programs.

Do the Gators have improvement in them with Graham Mertz at the helm in Billy Napier's second season? This mid-season game may be a great indicator.

Ole Miss vs Arkansas, Oct. 7

This game always gets wild. Grab your fireworks.

Texas A&M vs Alabama, Oct. 7

How did A&M almost beat the Tide in Tuscaloosa last season?

Poor Alabama QB play, A&M receivers going ballistic, and Jimbo Fisher botching a potential win with one of the worst one-yard play designs in SEC history.

The talent gap isn't there, but will the coaching gap once again reveal itself?

LSU vs Auburn, Oct. 14

Programming note: Despite Bryan Harsin existing, Auburn beat LSU in Baton Rouge the last time these two teams faced off.

Tennessee vs Texas A&M, Oct. 14

Throwback to 2016 - when the Vols were champions of life, A&M still had Kevin Sumlin, and Gary Danielson took every opportunity to throw Trevor Knight under the bus in an injury-filled double-overtime game.

Despite the inconsistencies on offense for A&M, something tells me this one should be fun.

Alabama vs Tennessee, Oct. 21

Nick Saban revenge game.

Auburn vs Ole Miss, Oct. 21

Is this the Hugh Freeze Bowl, or the Lane Kiffin Bowl? Regardless, Auburn revenge game.

Texas A&M vs South Carolina, Oct. 28

Over/under five turnovers in this game?

Alabama vs LSU, Nov. 4

If LSU is as advertised, and Alabama isn't putting a Bryce Young-esque product behind center, this should be an epic battle.

November is for contenders, Kelly. Let's see what you've got.

Florida vs Arkansas, Nov. 4

How often have we seen these two teams face off? Much less in November?

Georgia vs Ole Miss, Nov. 11

This will probably be the game that pushes Ole Miss fans over the edge with Lane Kiffin. I can feel eight failed fourth-down conversion attempts on the horizon in this one.

Kentucky vs Alabama, Nov. 11

Listen.

If Alabama looks like they did on the road last year...

LSU vs Florida, Nov. 11

Is it the most prestigious matchup? No, but it could be one that's being taken away from us with the new SEC scheduling format.

Death Valley should be lit for this one.

Tennessee vs Georgia, Nov. 18

Nothing can prepare us for what these two teams will look like at this point in the season (well, we should have a pretty good idea about one of them), but there's no denying this will be the best showing at Neyland Stadium in 2023.

Mississippi State vs Ole Miss, Nov. 23

Something more fun than last year's contest, please?

Auburn vs Alabama, Nov. 25

Obligatory Iron Bowl inclusion on lists like these. Auburn could have one loss and in position to win the SEC West, or they could be winless. Who knows.