Football is back in the Southeastern Conference.
Hate it or love it, there is evidence proving the SEC is the dominant conference in college football. Since the 2006 season, when the Florida Gators, led by quarterback Chris Leak, downed Ohio State to win the National Championship, there have been only four seasons when the champion was from somewhere other than the SEC.
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Clemson in 2016 and 2018, Ohio State in 2014 and Florida State in 2013 mark the only non-SEC national champions in the last 16 years.
Associated Press No. 1 Georgia is trying to three-peat as champs. Nick Saban set the standard so high for No. 4 Alabama that a two-loss season with a Sugar Bowl win is considered disappointing.
No. 5 LSU vs. No. 8 Florida State Is Week 1’s Top SEC Game
It’s hard to pick anything besides a marquee matchup involving two teams ranked in the top 10. LSU enters the game with a 19 percent chance of winning a National Championship, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, and it would drop to 6 percent with a loss to Florida State.
The Bayou Bengals could absorb a defeat easier than FSU, since LSU plays a tougher schedule. A Seminoles loss would drop their chances of winning a title from 7 to 3 percent.
LSU is a 2.5-point favorite in the matchup, according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday. The over/under is 56.5 points.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly expressed more confidence in his team than Vegas oddsmakers Thursday during his weekly radio show. “We’re gonna go beat the heck out of Florida State,” Kelly said.
Last season, the two teams faced off in New Orleans, with FSU winning 24-23 on a blocked extra point with no time left in regulation. Kelly and the Tigers bounced back from the wild defeat to win 10 games and finish first in the SEC West.
A reason for Kelly’s confidence is returning starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, who last season threw for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 68.6 percent completion rate.
Daniels also rushed for 885 yards and 11 touchdowns. He retained his starting job after winning a quarterback competition against Garrett Nussmeier in fall camp.
Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis was the only quarterback in the nation to lead his conference yards per play, yards per pass attempt, yards per completion, pass efficiency rating and fewest interceptions thrown (minimum 200 pass attempts) last season.
Travis will be protected by an offensive line with depth and experience, with seven players who have started 20 or more games in their NCAA careers. The Seminoles o-line boasts 307 games played, 214 combined starts and nine players with at least one start in a college game.
There’s no team in America with a more experienced offensive line. If Travis keeps a clean pocket, the Seminoles could make Kelly eat his words.
Comcast subscribers or anyone else won’t have an issue watching the 7:30 p.m. Sunday ET kickoff from Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, since ABC will broadcast the top-10 contest.
How to Watch and Betting Info for Week 1 SEC games
Betting info is from DraftKings unless otherwise noted.
Ball State at Kentucky: The Wildcats are coming off a 7-6 (3-5 SEC) season that ended in a loss against Iowa in the Music City Bowl. The Cardinals were 5-7 (3-5 MAC) and didn’t make a bowl appearance last season. Kentucky replaces Will Levis with N.C. State transfer Devin Leary at quarterback. Leary’s season got cut short in October with a torn pectoral muscle, but he threw for 1,265 yards with 11 touchdowns in six games. The SEC Network will air the noon Saturday ET kickoff. The Wildcats are favored by 25.5 points. A $100 wager would pay out $1,800 for an upset win by Ball State.
Virginia at No. 12 Tennessee: ABC will handle Saturday’s noon ET broadcast from Neyland Stadium. Veteran quarterback Joe Milton takes over the Vols QB duties from 2022 SEC player of the year Herndon Hooker. Milton threw 12 touchdowns and no interceptions last season. Losing Hooker to graduation won’t be easy to overcome, but it helps having a steady hand in Milton.
Tennessee is a 28-point favorite and the over/under is 56 points. Advenutrous betters might be tempted to take UVA to win outright at +1800 on a money line wager.
West Carolina at Arkansas: SEC Network+ will air the game at 1 p.m. Saturday ET. BET Rivers sportsbook has the Razorbacks favored by 34.5 points. The book didn’t list an over/under or money line on the board as of publishing.
Mercer at No. 22 Ole Miss: SEC Network+ will have the 2 p.m. Saturday ET kickoff. Ole Miss is favored by 30.5 points, with a 51.5 over/under.
UMass at Auburn: Auburn is favored by 35 points, with the over/under at 51.5 points. The 3:30 p.m. Saturday ET game and first for Hugh Freeze as Auburn coach will air on ESPN.
SE Louisiana at Mississippi State: We couldn’t have any betting lines for the 4 p.m. Saturday ET kickoff on the SEC Network from our search of multiple sportsbooks. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Bulldogs a 96.4% chance to win.
UT Martin at. No. 1 Georgia: Georgia hosts UT Martin at Sanford Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday ET on SEC Network+ and ESPN+. There aren’t any odds posted for the game.
New Mexico State vs Texas A&M: The battle of the Aggies will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. Saturday ET from Kyle Field. Texas A&M is the favorite by points, with the over/under at 49. There wasn’t a money line posted.
Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt: There weren’t any odds available for this game. Fans interested in watching can livestream on SEC+ with a 7 p.m. Saturday ET kickoff.
Middle Tennessee at No. 4 Alabama: The Crimson Tide are favored by +40, with a 51.5 over/under set for the game. There wasn’t a money line posted. SEC Network will be live from Bryant-Denny Stadium for the 7:30 p.m Saturday ET kick.
No. 21 North Carolina vs South Carolina: The Gamecocks are listed as the home team for the neutral-site game in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium. ABC will air the 7:30 p.m. Saturday ET kickoff. South Carolina is a 2.5-point underdog. The over/under is 63.5, which says oddsmakers expect a high-scoring game. Betting $100 on a Gamecocks win would cash out $220 on a winning slip.