2018 SEC Preview: Tide, Dawgs & Then the Rest

The Georgia Bulldogs may have captured the SEC title last season but once again, it was the Alabama Crimson Tide claiming the national championship. Below we analyze each SEC school and the corresponding odds to win the conference, national championship and projected total wins on the season.

SEC

Alabama (2017 record: 13-1, SEC Title -117, National Championship +210, Reg Season Wins 10 ½ O-190) – Roll Tide, roll! If you’re not an Alabama fan then you’re probably sick and tired of hearing that familiar refrain. Despite the fact that the Tide lost 12 players to the NFL draft and 11 starters from last season, it’s no big deal because Nick Saban is a wizard at recruiting the finest prospects in the land and Alabama has not one but two quarterbacks ready to roll into 2018. The offense is loaded and the defense will once again be fierce. Nothing to see here!

Georgia (2017 record: 13-2, SEC Title +295, National Championship +850, Reg Season Wins 10 ½ -110) – The reigning SEC champs enter this season as the No. 3 team in the nation and will have the luxury of avoiding Bama during the regular season. Their toughest foe projects to be Auburn, a team they beat up in the SEC championship game last season but one that also handed them their only regular-season loss. Jake Fromm is back under center after a season in which he tossed for over 2,600 yards, 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. Two big losses in the backfield with Sony Michel (1st round to New England) and Nick Chubb (2nd round to Cleveland) will have an impact, but the Bulldogs are high on sophomore D'Andre Swift to fill the void.

Auburn (2017 record: 10-4, SEC Title +875, National Championship +2800, Reg Season Wins 8 ½ O-160) – The Tigers waved goodbye to star running back Kerryon Johnson, who was selected in the second round of the draft by the Lions, and hello to junior Kam Martin as the lead back in this year’s offense. Jarrett Stidham is back slinging the pigskin and he has plenty of weapons at his disposal but there will be new faces protecting him. Auburn’s defensive line is quick and talented but their secondary is inexperienced. The Tigers should contend in the SEC again this year.

Mississippi State (2017 record: 10-4, SEC Title +1550, National Championship +12,500, Reg Season Wins 8 ½ U-125) – It’s more probable than not that the Bulldogs will be 5-0 when they take on Auburn in early October, but that’s where the dream could very well end for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have a mobile QB in Nick Fitzgerald who has recovered from a hellacious ankle injury suffered last season and a new-and-improved cadre of pass catchers that should improve Fitzgerald’s passing statistics. The offensive line is back, with the exception of left tackle Martinas Rankin (3rd round Houston), and that will be a huge gap to fill. The defense could be even better under new coordinator Bob Shoop this season, while first-year head coach Joe Moorhead will bring a new outlook to what could be the surprise team of the conference.

Florida (2017 record: 4-7, SEC Title +1900, National Championship +10,000, Reg Season Wins 8 -110) – Dan Mullen returns to The Swamp, but the lack of a bona-fide passer and question marks at the wide receiver position could very well impact a coach known for lightning up the scoreboard. The Gators are deep in the backfield and will return most of the offensive line but that is a unit that struggled mightily at times last year. New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has a few nice pieces on defense but not nearly enough to make the Gators an upper-echelon unit. Expect more than four wins this season from the boys in Gainesville.

LSU (2017 record: 9-4, SEC Title +2250, National Championship +7000, Reg Season Wins 6 ½ O-160) – So many questions and so few answers at LSU heading into 2018. For the first time in forever the Tigers have not a single running back returning who found the end zone in the previous season. The quarterback position is far from decided after the departure of Danny Etling to the New England Patriots in the seventh round, although Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow may have the inside track. The Tigers will be lucky to reach .500 this year under embattled coach Ed Orgeron.

Texas A&M (2017 record: 7-6, SEC Title +3000, National Championship +15,000, Reg Season Wins 7 ½ U-130) – Head coach Jimbo Fisher didn’t’ come cheap … but he came. Replacing Kevin Sumlin was the first piece of business that A&M conducted and now it’s up to Fisher to do the rest. The offensive line is suspect but speedy back Trayveon Williams, the first true freshman in A&M history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, is a welcome piece of the offensive puzzle. Recruiting will be a big factor in getting the Aggies back to contention but this year should resemble a record similar to last.

South Carolina (2017 record: 9-4, SEC Title +3300, National Championship +25,000, Reg Season Wins 7 ½ U-130) – The carousel at offensive coordinator continued to twirl with Bryan McClendon as Will Muschamp’s fourth overall. A more up-tempo offense is anticipated but whether the results will change remains to be seen. If we click on over to our friends at Sportsbook Review, the sports bettors bible for up to the minute odds from the best online sportsbooks, we see that the oddsmakers are not bullish on the Gamecocks to replicate their nine-win season as evidenced by the 7 ½-win total they are dealing.

Missouri (2017 record: 7-6, SEC Title +4000, National Championship +40,000, Reg Season Wins 7 U-130) – The Tigers won their last six regular-season games before bowing to the Longhorns in the Texas Bowl. Drew Lock, an early Heisman candidate, decided to return to Columbia and increase his draft stock with another stellar season at the helm of the Tigers’ offense. Sprinkle momentum with a big-time quarterback and Mizzou looks poised to best their seven wins from last season.

Ole Miss (2017 record: 6-6, SEC Title +5000, National Championship +55,000, Reg Season Wins 6 ½ U-170) – The Rebels are banned from bowl games for the second straight season and own a defense that the better teams will shred.

Tennessee (2017 record: 4-8, SEC Title +10,000, National Championship +150,000, Reg Season Wins 5 ½ O-130) – The Brady Hoke era didn’t last long after he replaced Butch Jones midseason. Jeremy Pruitt, former defensive coordinator for Alabama, is now the man in charge. Don’t expect much this year, Vols fans, but better days are ahead for this program.

Arkansas (2017 record: 4-8, SEC Title +30,000, National Championship +200,000, Reg Season Wins 5 ½ O-125) – Outside of the talent at the running back position, the Razorbacks are riddled with holes on both sides of the ball. The Arkansas season win total that the oddsmakers at some of the best online sportsbooks are dealing looks optimistic in a conference as tough as the SEC.

Kentucky (2017 record: 7-6, SEC Title +30,000, National Championship +200,000, Reg Season Wins 5 ½ U-130) – That loss to Kansas State in the Sweet 16 still stings. Oh, and don’t bet on Mark Stoops.

Vanderbilt (2017 record: 5-7, SEC Title +50,000, National Championship +400,000, Reg Season Wins 4 ½ O-115) – In every conference there are windshields and bugs. Guess which one Vandy is this season?