SEC Conference Football Schedule 2013: Full Team by Team Breakdown

The SEC football schedule has been released for the 2013 season. While some games are still to be determined, the physical, marquee matchups within the conference are all in place.

Here is a breakdown of each team and their respective outlooks for the coming season.

SEC East

Florida Gators

Date	Opponent
8/31	Toledo
9/7	at Miami (FL)
9/14	OPEN
9/21	Tennessee
9/28	at Kentucky
10/5	Arkansas
10/12	at LSU
10/19	at Missouri
10/26	OPEN
11/2	Georgia
11/9	Vanderbilt
11/16	at South Carolina
11/23	Georgia Southern
11/30	Florida State

Will Muschamp has built the Gators into a national title contender in just his second season at the helm. No matter what happens for the rest of 2012, Florida is definitely going in the right direction.

With the release of this schedule, Muschamp's bunch should continue to improve. The always intense rivalry with Florida State caps off the season, with the only difficult road trips coming at LSU and South Carolina.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Date	Opponent
8/29	North Carolina
9/7	at Georgia
9/14	Vanderbilt
9/21	South Carolina State
9/28	at UCF
10/5	Kentucky
10/12	at Arkansas
10/19	at Tennessee
10/26	at Missouri
11/2	Mississippi State
11/9	OPEN
11/16	Florida
11/23	OPEN
11/30	Clemson

The Gamecocks will likely have to overcome the departure of running back Marcus Lattimore to the NFL. But junior Connor Shaw should be back at quarterback for the Gamecocks, who will have a legitimate shot at an undefeated season. All the toughest games on the schedule—Mississippi State, Florida and Clemson—are at home to close the season.

That's a pretty good luck of the draw for Steve Spurrier and Co.

Georgia Bulldogs

Date	Opponent
8/31	at Clemson
9/7	South Carolina
9/14	OPEN
9/21	North Texas
9/28	LSU
10/5	at Tennessee
10/12	Missouri
10/19	at Vanderbilt
10/26	OPEN
11/2	Florida
11/9	Appalachian State
11/16	at Auburn
11/23	Kentucky
11/30	at Georgia Tech

Mark Richt looked to be off the hot seat for the Bulldogs. That is, until they were routed at South Carolina. While that's not really fair, it is the nature of the highly competitive Southeastern Conference.

QB Aaron Murray is all but certainly headed to the next level, and will be hard to replace. Linebacker Jarvis Jones is projected by some—and by some I mean ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.—to go No. 1 overall in the 2013 draft.

The time for Georgia to win is now, because it's possible that the Bulldogs could start next season 0-2 or 1-3 with such a brutal beginning. Even if Richt lasts beyond this season, starting 2013 at Clemson, home to South Carolina, and hosting LSU three weeks later will be tough to handle if he's on a short leash.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Date	Opponent
8/31	Ole Miss
9/7	Austin Peay
9/14	at South Carolina
9/21	at UMass
9/28	UAB
10/5	Missouri
10/12	OPEN
10/19	Georgia
10/26	at Texas A&M
11/2	OPEN
11/9	at Florida
11/16	Kentucky
11/23	at Tennessee
11/30	Wake Forest

Wyoming transfer Austyn Carta-Samuels will take over for Jordan Rodgers under center next season, and will still have big, physical receiving targets in Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd at his disposal.

Vandy's defense has played well this season, more often than not getting gassed due to being on the field for too long. Carta-Samuels must make plays for this team to stay relevant. A road trip to South Carolina in Week 3 is sure to be a stiff test, but the Commodores nearly beat the Gamecocks to begin the 2012 season.

Tennessee Volunteers

Date	Opponent
8/31	Austin Peay
9/7	Western Kentucky
9/14	at Oregon
9/21	at Florida
9/28	South Alabama
10/5	Georgia
10/12	OPEN
10/19	South Carolina
10/26	at Alabama
11/2	at Missouri
11/9	Auburn
11/16	OPEN
11/23	Vanderbilt
11/30	at Kentucky

There is a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball for the Vols. The problem is, quarterback Tyler Bray, and receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson, may all make the NFL leap. If they don't, then Tennessee has a chance to be a great team in 2013.

Unfortunately, the Volunteers drew arguably the most brutal schedule in the conference. Two cupcake games kick off the season at home, but back-to-back road battles at Oregon and Florida will be almost impossible to sweep through.

Combine that with a post-bye test hosting South Carolina and a trip to Tuscaloosa, and the Vols will definitely need their superb junior trio to return in order to compete in those games.

Missouri Tigers

Date	Opponent
8/31	Murray State
9/7	Toledo
9/14	TBA/OPEN
9/21	at Indiana
9/28	TBA/OPEN
10/5	at Vanderbilt
10/12	at Georgia
10/19	Florida
10/26	South Carolina
11/2	Tennessee
11/9	at Kentucky
11/16	TBA/OPEN
11/23	at Ole Miss
11/30	Texas A&M

It's been a nightmare season for the Tigers, who are in their first year of transition from the Big 12 to the SEC. The spread offensive attack has been hampered due to QB James Franklin's injury woes, and the defense has been over-matched.

The 2013 slate is favorable early on, but a four-game stretch at Georgia, then playing host to Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee will show how far Mizzou has truly progressed.

Kentucky Wildcats

Date	Opponent
8/31	Western Kentucky
9/7	Miami (OH)
9/14	Louisville
9/21	OPEN
9/28	Florida
10/5	at South Carolina
10/12	Alabama
10/19	OPEN
10/26	at Mississippi State
11/2	Alabama State
11/9	Missouri
11/16	at Vanderbilt
11/23	at Georgia
11/30	Tennessee

Poor Wildcats. They have scored just 38 points in four conference losses while yielding 152. A win in the middle of the season between late September and late October seems difficult to imagine.

Each year has gotten worse under Joker Phillips' three-year tenure, and 2012 has been an especially sharp decline. The future of the problem is in doubt.

But in the meantime, there's always basketball.

SEC West

Alabama Crimson Tide

Date	Opponent
8/31	Virginia Tech (in Atlanta)
9/7	TBA/OPEN
9/14	at Texas A&M
9/21	TBA/OPEN
9/28	Ole Miss
10/5	Georgia State
10/12	at Kentucky
10/19	Arkansas
10/26	Tennessee
11/2	TBA/OPEN
11/9	LSU
11/16	at Mississippi State
11/23	Chattanooga
11/30	at Auburn

Nick Saban seems to continue reloading every season. The defending national champions still look like the best team in the nation, and their conference schedule next year is almost laughably easy, comparatively speaking.

The likeliest pitfalls barring an unforeseen trap game are at home on November 9 vs. LSU and the subsequent road matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Not to get too far ahead of the game, but the Crimson Tide may very well be thinking "three-peat" by this time in 2013.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Date	Opponent
8/31	Oklahoma State (in Houston)
9/7	Alcorn State
9/14	at Auburn
9/21	Troy
9/28	OPEN
10/5	LSU
10/12	Bowling Green
10/19	OPEN
10/26	Kentucky
11/2	at South Carolina
11/9	at Texas A&M
11/16	Alabama
11/23	at Arkansas
11/30	Ole Miss

Former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen finally seems to be turning the corner in his fourth year running the Bulldogs' program.

A balanced offensive attack, strong defense and fundamentally sound football have gotten the team off to a 6-0 start. None of their wins have been particularly flashy, but they do sit at No. 12 in the initial BCS Standings.

More will be known on how far this program has come when it plays at Alabama in a few weeks. But as for 2013, Mullen's squad could get off to a similar hot start and be 4-0 entering a home tilt with LSU. Not a bad launching point at all for an up-and-coming program.

LSU Tigers

Date	Opponent
8/31	TCU (in Arlington, TX)
9/7	Kent State
9/14	UAB
9/21	Auburn
9/28	at Georgia
10/5	at Mississippi State
10/12	Florida
10/19	at Ole Miss
10/26	Furman
11/2	OPEN
11/9	at Alabama
11/16	OPEN
11/23	Texas A&M
11/30	Arkansas

If only the Tigers could find the right quarterback. After narrowly missing out on prized recruit Gunner Kiel, LSU will likely have to continue developing junior Zach Mettenberger. Between Jordan Jefferson, Jarrett Lee and Mettenberger, the Tigers have had a lot of recent instability at the game's most important position.

It might not even matter, though, if current freshman Jeremy Hill runs in 2013 like he did in the team's recent victory over South Carolina.

The defense should once again be stout, and the schedule isn't too harsh until the big game late against the Crimson Tide.

Texas A&M Aggies

Date	Opponent
8/31	Rice
9/7	Sam Houston State
9/14	Alabama
9/21	SMU
9/28	at Arkansas
10/5	OPEN
10/12	at Ole Miss
10/19	Auburn
10/26	Vanderbilt
11/2	OPEN
11/9	Mississippi State
11/16	New Mexico
11/23	at LSU
11/30	at Missouri

The Aggies struck gold with redshirt freshman QB Johnny Manziel, who has accounted for 14 passing touchdowns as well as 10 scores on the ground in 2012.

Their three-point home loss to Florida now looks really good, and Manziel should key Texas A&M to another fine season in 2013. An early home matchup with Alabama is the most concerning game all the way until late November, when the Aggies face LSU.

Even if their hot start to 2012 doesn't hold up with upped competition in the coming weeks, Manziel and Co. should definitely be a factor next year regardless.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Date	Opponent
8/31	UL Lafayette
9/7	Samford (War Memorial Stadium)
9/14	Southern Miss
9/21	at Rutgers
9/28	Texas A&M
10/5	at Florida
10/12	South Carolina
10/19	at Alabama
10/26	OPEN
11/2	Auburn
11/9	at Ole Miss
11/16	OPEN
11/23	Mississippi State (War Memorial Stadium)
11/30	at LSU

Future NFL QB Tyler Wilson has lit up inferior opponents the past two weeks. His presence is definitely helping keep the program afloat in the midst of John L. Smith's bankruptcy ordeal (via ArkansasSports360.com).

Wilson will be gone, though, and the Razorbacks have gotten shellacked by the cream of the SEC crop this year. They will get a shot at revenge on Texas A&M and Alabama—which beat Arkansas by a combined score of 110-10—but it will more than likely come up short.

Ole Miss Rebels

Date	Opponent
8/31	at Vanderbilt
9/7	Southeast Missouri
9/14	at Texas
9/21	OPEN
9/28	at Alabama
10/5	at Auburn
10/12	Texas A&M
10/19	LSU
10/26	Idaho
11/2	OPEN
11/9	Arkansas
11/16	Troy
11/23	Missouri
11/30	at Mississippi State

Bo Wallace is a promising sophomore quarterback. He can keep defenses on their toes with his ability to both run and throw. But he must take better care of the ball against top-tier SEC opponents, something he didn't do this year against Alabama and Texas A&M.

Ole Miss will face the aforementioned marquee opponents in 2013, along with another matchup with the Texas Longhorns. LSU at home and Miss State on the road are sure to test Wallace's decision-making skills. If they have improved by then, the Rebels have a chance to be competitive in the conference next season.

Auburn Tigers

Date	Opponent
8/31	TBA/OPEN
9/7	Arkansas State
9/14	Mississippi State
9/21	at LSU
9/28	TBA/OPEN
10/5	Ole MIss
10/12	TBA/OPEN
10/19	at Texas A&M
10/26	TBA/OPEN
11/2	at Arkansas
11/9	at Tennessee
11/16	Georgia
11/23	TBA/OPEN
11/30	Alabama

The program is in disarray, far removed from its run to the 2010 national championship. Head coach Gene Chizik is unlikely to remain with the team, which leaves next season totally up in the air for Auburn.

A difficult schedule featuring a road test in Baton Rouge and home encounters with Miss State and Alabama isn't going to help the cause, either.