Gators projected to finish second in East
For the second straight year, the SEC East champion Florida Gators will have to overcome expectations to defend their title.
The Gators are picked to finish second in the East, behind Georgia. The Bulldogs received 138 first-place votes, while the Gators received 98.
Alabama was the overwhelming pick to win the SEC West — and the overall SEC title. The Crimson Tide received 217 votes to win the league. Auburn received the second-most votes to win the SEC, with just 11. Georgia (6) was third, while the Gators and LSU received three votes each to win the league.
Speaking Tuesday at SEC Media Days, senior safety Marcell Harris expected the Gators would be overlooked.
“We never get enough credit,” he said. “A lot of guys [have] been telling me that they don’t have us picked to win the East again. At the same time I don’t even hear it. We come out and do what we got to do.”
Last season, SEC-wide media members picked Tennessee to finish ahead of UF, the 2015 East winners. The Vols did beat the Gators, ending an 11-game losing streak, but stumbled from there to finish in a tie for second in the division two games behind Florida.
Six times since 1992 — four times in the last 20 — the predicted champion at SEC Media Days has proceeded to win the SEC Championship. Media in attendance have correctly predicted the eventual champion two of the last three seasons.
Meanwhile, UF junior Martez Ivey of Apopka was the second-leading vote-getter among offensive lineman to land on the preseason first-team All-SEC team. Twice named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in 2016, Ivey will move from left guard to left tackle.
Fifth-year senior defensive back Duke Dawson is the only other Gator on the first team. After leading UF with seven pass break-ups from the nickel spot last season, Dawson will make the move to the outside in 2017.
Four Gators made second-team All-SEC — receiver Antonio Callaway, defensive end CeCe Jefferson, punter Johnny Townsend and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
Callaway made third team as a punt returner and was joined by Harris at safety, tight end DeAndre Goolsby and defensive end Jabari Zuniga, who is expected to break out in 2017.
Here is the predicted order of finish (total votes/first-place votes in parentheses):
Georgia, 1,572 (138); Florida, 1,526 (98); Tennessee, 998 (3); South Carolina, 897 (5); Kentucky, 869; Vanderbilt, 554; Missouri, 388.
Alabama, 1,683 (225); Auburn, 1,329 (13); LSU, 1,262 (4); Arkansas, 796 (1); Texas A&M, 722; Mississippi State, 633; Ole Miss, 379.
Alabama (217); Auburn (11); Georgia (6); Florida (3); LSU (3); South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Arkansas (1 each).