Southeastern Conference releases football schedule
Ranking the Sept. 26 Week 1 openers, starting with Mississippi State at LSU.
In at least some corners of the Bowl Subdivision, conferences remain on track to begin the season in September with schedules adjusted to largely eliminate non-conference play.
If able to compete amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Southeastern Conference is set to leap right into conference action with seven matchups traditionally held later in the season. On Monday, the league announced the Week 1 games from a 10-game schedule that features two additional pairings against teams from the opposite division. The rest of the schedule was to be released in the evening.
If lacking the sort of marquee, national-impact games that should dot the SEC schedule in October and November, the Week 1 slate offers a first look at defending national champion LSU and road games for fellow College Football Playoff contenders Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
From first to last, here’s how the opening week shakes out: 1. Mississippi State at LSU: It’s the debut for new Mississippi State coach
Mike Leach and an early chance for LSU to silence some of the critics pegging the Tigers to fall short of another West Division championship, let alone a return trip to the College Football Playoff. It’s an early look also at how easily Myles Brennan follows in Joe Burrow’s footsteps. 2. Florida at Mississippi: Florida has been largely overlooked behind Georgia, the recent powerhouse from the East Division. The Gators are a legitimate Playoff contender in coach Dan Mullen’s third season. Yet they’ll spend Week 1 again outside the center of attention; the focus this weekend will be on Lane Kiffin’s return to the SEC.
3. Alabama at Missouri: Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, another coach starting at a new school, draws Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide as his welcome-to-theSEC moment. If the season does begin and continue through December, look for Alabama to enter the postseason in a predictable position – at or near the top of the conference and poised to secure a Playoff berth. 4. Georgia at Arkansas: Georgia shouldn’t struggle with an Arkansas program in the early stages of what will be a detailed and laborious rebuild under new coach Sam Pittman. (Arkansas is expected to be an underdog in every game this season.) Any intrigue that exists stems from evaluation of Georgia’s situation at quarterback: Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman is widely expected to draw the starting assignment as Southern California transfer JT Daniels works his way back from last year’s injury. Newman has been pegged as a
Heisman Trophy contender. 5. Tennessee at South Carolina:
While not a game with hugely important national ramifications, this is an SEC matchup with substantial implications for the two programs involved. A season-opening loss would cost Tennessee much of the goodwill accumulated by last year’s strong close. Every game is important for a South Carolina program fresh off a disappointing 2019.
6. Kentucky at Auburn: An unpredictable season seems to favor Auburn, which typically thrives amid unpredictability. The spotlight is on sophomore quarterback Bo Nix and his development after an often impressive but occasionally uneven freshman season; he’s viewed as one of college football’s potential breakout stars. The Wildcats hope to build on last year’s eight-win season with an early upset. 7. Vanderbilt at Texas A&M: The Commodores are expected to again bring up the rear in the East while A&M sits among the second or third tier of preseason Playoff contenders. The Aggies have the pieces to take that step forward under Jimbo Fisher, but they can’t struggle in a home opener against one of the league’s lesser foes.