SEC East Preseason Poll: Who's Too High, Who's Too Low?

The SEC Media preseason poll was released at the conclusion of media days. I go through the rankings and assess the conference and what the Tennessee Volunteers could face.

Not many things get me more excited for college football season than SEC Media Days. We get all the drama, all the controversy, and all the preseason stories from the best conference in the country, and all jam-packed into four days. At the end of it all, we get the preseason polls for the conference, and as always, there are debates to be had. Let's narrow in on the SEC East division, which I think will be the best division in college football this season.

As a refresher, here's how the voters see the East going:

1. Georgia
2. Tennessee
3. South Carolina
4. Kentucky
5. Florida
6. Missouri
7. Vanderbilt

Now here's the thing; some people will lose their minds over their team being a spot too low or another team being too high. Outside of Georgia not being at No. 1, I'm alright if the media and I disagree on a team by a spot. However, I have a few opinions that differ from the voting results in my personal assessment of the landscape of SEC football in the preseason.

Tennessee HC Josh Heupel during SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 20, 2023. (Photo by Denny Simmons of The Tennesseean)

Too Low: Kentucky

Kentucky is my sleeper team in not just the SEC but college football this season. The Wildcats finished 7-5 last season and struggled mightily in a few areas on offense. As talented as Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez were, Kentucky's offense looked brutal most of the time against teams with strong defensive fronts. That should improve. The offensive line depth is much improved, and offensive coordinator Liam Coen returns, who fielded a productive offense in his last stint with the Wildcats. He gets to work with talented North Carolina State quarterback transfer Devin Leary to work with, who we were projecting as an NFL first-round draft pick a few years ago. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Brad White has established himself. He'll have plenty to work with as Kentucky returns a handful of rotational defensive linemen. While I understand Tennessee's offensive upside, I have Kentucky finishing No. 2 in the SEC East. Mark Stoops has a really good program, and another 10-win season could be in the cards in Lexington.

Too Low: Missouri

Missouri may be the most disrespected football program in the SEC. Maybe it's just me, but every year around this time, we see predictions rolling in of Missouri going 4-8 or 5-7. Here's a fun fact: Mizzou hasn't missed a bowl game since Eli Drinkwitz became the head coach. While the Tigers have been mediocre at best under Drinkwitz, this could be the year they break through. Last year, defensive coordinator Blake Baker fielded a defense that finished top-30 defense in yards allowed per game and top-40 in yards allowed per play. They return high-quality players at all three levels. The concerns are on the offense. If Mizzou wants to get from six wins to eight, the play-calling and quarterback play must improve. Newly minted offensive coordinator Kirby Moore may not have the Tigers scoring 30+ points per game, but if they can create one-possession football games, the defense could swing a few.

Speaking of one-possession games, Mizzou was 2-4 in them last year. They had well-documented hardships at the end of games; had those swung their way, Mizzou could have been 8-4. No. 4 is where I have them finishing this season.

Too High: South Carolina

Let me clarify: I think there is a world where South Carolina finishes at No. 2 in the East. It might not be this world. The Gamecocks stunned the college football world last season when they knocked off Tennessee and Clemson in back-to-back weeks to end the season. Even after losing a back-and-forth affair to Notre Dame in their bowl game, expectations soared for head coach Shane Beamer's team heading into year three. The hard truth is that while South Carolina was entertaining last season, they lost a lot of proven talent. Zacch Pickens and Jordan Burch were two good front-seven players who could get to the passer. Running back Marshawn Lloyd and tight end Jaheim Bell transferred, and offensive tackle Jaylen Nichols suffered an unfortunate injury in the spring game. Being overmatched on both sides of the line of scrimmage is not how you want to win football games in the SEC. I have the Gamecocks finishing No. 5 in the East.

My SEC East Prediction for the 2023 season:

1. Georgia
2. Kentucky
3. Tennessee
4. Mizzou
5. South Carolina
6. Florida
7. Vanderbilt

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