The Associated Press preseason Top 25 Poll reminds us that the Southeastern Conference should rule college football as usual.
Georgia ranks No. 1 as it looks to avenge last season’s College Football Playoff snub. The SEC is Kirby Smart’s world now that sourpuss taskmaster Nick Saban has conceded the throne and moved on to media work.
The preseason AP poll featured eight more SEC teams in the top 20 slots, including four in the top six. This should be a conference season to savor — especially for fans around here, as Missouri is ranked No. 11.
These are unusually heady times for Truman. The Tigers hadn’t earned a Top 25 preseason ranking since 2015, and they earned their highest preseason ranking since 2008.
Coach Eli Drinkwitz has veteran quarterback Brady Cook and star receiver Luther Burden III driving his offense. The Tigers have a soft nonconference schedule, plus a favorable SEC slate featuring three certain also-rans.
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The Tigers should be 4-0 when they play at No. 20 Texas A&M on Oct. 5. Their two biggest tests come at No. 5 Alabama on Oct. 26 and at home to No. 16 Oklahoma on Nov. 9.
But there are few easy weeks in the SEC. Texas (No. 4 in the AP poll) and Oklahoma make an already formidable league tougher.
With those powers coming from the Big 12 and Missouri in peak form, Auburn and Florida could fall well back into the pack, along with Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas and Mississippi State.
As for poor Vanderbilt’s chances this year — oof.
Georgia should get back in the national title chase, but it won’t be easy. The Bulldogs open against Clemson on Aug. 31 in Atlanta, and they play Sept. 28 at Alabama, Oct. 19 at No. 4 Texas and Nov. 9 at No. 6 Ole Miss.
They have no worries at quarterback with Carson Beck or with their offensive line, but the Bulldogs will need more production from receivers like former Missouri standout Dominic Lovett. Fortunately, the NFL-caliber Georgia defense leaves the offense some margin for error.
Texas should make noise after dominating the Big 12 on its way out the door. After years and years and years of big talk, that program finished 12-2 for just its second double-digit victory total since 2009.
Given their history of big-timing Big 12 rivals, the Longhorns drew extra attention as they crossed into the SEC.
“I’ll show the preseason poll and I’ll show the preseason All-SEC team and I’ll probably show four or five headlines of articles of how great we’re supposed to be,†Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said earlier this year. “Then I’ll probably show another seven or eight articles of headlines or quotes from Coach Saban saying we’re not going to run the SEC, just as a reminder that people’s opinions of us before we ever even play a game really don’t matter. What we do is what matters.â€
And the Longhorns should do a lot this season. Their Sept. 7 game at No. 9 Michigan against the ethically challenged Wolverines will tell us much.
Alabama can still be Alabama with Kalen DeBoer replacing Saban. The Crimson Tide got its lowest AP preseason ranking since 2009, but running backs coach Robert Gillespie, a Saban holdover, insists the program still has allure.
“I’ve coached a lot of places and been received differently at different places. When you walk into a school and you’re at Alabama, Alabama is still a logo and a brand that everyone knows and loves,†Gillespie told 247 Sports.
But the Crimson Tide has especially tough games Oct. 19 at No. 15 Tennessee, Nov. 9 at No. 13 LSU and Nov. 23 at Oklahoma.
After winning 11 games at Ole Miss last season, new-and-improved coach Lane Kiffin rounded up better defenders through the transfer portal. The Rebels could be 6-0 when they play at LSU on Oct. 12.
LSU coach Brian Kelly is in Year 3 of his regime, so he should have traction. He must replace his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, but he loaded up more offensive skill and hired defensive coordinator Blake Baker from Mizzou to fix that side of the ball.
Coach Josh Heupel should have Blur Ball back to warp speed with Nico Iamaleava at quarterback for No. 15 Tennessee. The Vols can make an early statement against No. 24 North Carolina State on Sept. 27 in Charlotte.
Oklahoma will bring a sturdy defense into the conference, but the Sooners must face a gauntlet. They play six ranked SEC teams, plus Auburn.
Texas A&M is moving on from the unfortunate Jimbo Fisher Era. The Aggies should be defensively stout under new coach Mike Elko, but their offense lost running back Rueben Owens II to injury.
The Aggies will get an immediate test when they host Notre Dame on Aug. 31. Among their newcomers is offensive lineman Ar’maj Reed-Adams, a Kansas transfer who recently summed up the essence of the SEC.
“Some of the same bodies that you look at at Kansas in the Big 12, and you look at here, it’s just way different,†he said. “And just the fire in a lot of these guys, man. They’re all big-time football players, and they feel that way about themselves and very confident. So just being around a bunch of alphas.â€
SEC football: It’s just more mean.