SEC Football: Biggest Games That Will Determine Outcome of SEC in 2015
The SEC has been held without a major bowl win over each of the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean the SEC is down.
In fact, the balance that exists this season within the nation's toughest football conference should make 2015 one of the most exciting and unpredictable years in recent memory.
Which games will determine the outcome of the SEC in 2015? Our picks based on team strength, importance to the division title race and what the outcome could do to the winner and loser later in the season are in this slideshow.
10. Auburn at LSU, Sept. 19
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If you're looking for an early-season tilt that will define the landscape of the SEC West, look no further than Week 3 when Auburn visits LSU.
Auburn was picked to win the SEC by members of the media at SEC media days last month, and this will be the first road test for starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson against one of the toughest secondaries in all of college football.
This game is even bigger, though, for LSU. If the Tigers from Baton Rouge lose in Week 2 at Mississippi State, this game against Auburn will serve as a de facto elimination game for head coach Les Miles' crew in the SEC West. Conversely, if they beat the Bulldogs, a win over Auburn will establish the Bengal Tigers as a contender for the SEC West title.
It'll be a tone-setter for the entire season and should be a tremendous atmosphere in Death Valley.
9. Alabama at Georgia, Oct. 3
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For the first time since the classic 2012 SEC Championship Game and the first time in the regular season since 2008, Alabama and Georgia will square off in battle between two traditional SEC powers with a ton on the line.
Both programs are expected to be in the mix for their respective division titles, and the game will serve as a jumping off point for both teams in their quest to make it to the Georgia Dome.
Alabama has offensive questions with nine new faces including a new starting quarterback, and that group will be squaring off against one of the best linebacking corps in the entire country—one that's particularly adept at getting after the quarterback.
On the flip side, Georgia's new quarterback will have one of the best defensive fronts in the country facing him. Sure, running back Nick Chubb is great, but that Bama front seven is fully capable of slowing him down and forcing the Bulldogs to Plan B.
It's a cross-division game, so a loss wouldn't totally derail one team's division title hopes. But it will serve as a tremendous barometer for the rest of the season.
8. Ole Miss at Auburn, Oct. 31
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When Ole Miss hosted Auburn last year in Oxford, it was a battle between two national title contenders and gave the college football world an instant classic.
This year, history could repeat itself.
The two SEC West foes will meet on Halloween on the Plains, in what will be the game that defines the final month of the regular season. These two teams are loaded with talent, and any lingering roster holes should be fixed with two months of football in the books.
Auburn's secondary will be tested by the roster of NBA power forwards that Ole Miss has doubling as college wide receivers, while the Ole Miss defense will have a tough test against an Auburn offense that should be more balanced under first-year starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson.
This likely will serve as an elimination game in the nation's toughest division.
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7. Tennessee at Florida, Sept. 26
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No, Florida isn't going to contend for the SEC East title in Jim McElwain's first year as the head coach thanks to the transition to a more pro-style offense and an offensive line that was pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle.
It can play spoiler, though.
Tennessee has been the recipient of an abundance of offseason hype (including from yours truly) and hasn't beaten the Gators in a decade. If there's ever a year to end that streak, it's this year.
There's a problem, though. The game—which is Tennessee's SEC opener—is in Gainesville, and Florida's defense isn't expected to miss a beat under first-year coordinator Geoff Collins. Will Tennessee's offensive line hold up against the stout Gator front seven? Can quarterback Joshua Dobbs handle the pressure of a big road game in the SEC in which he's expected to thrive?
We'll know those answers when the two SEC East rivals meet in the Swamp in late September.
6. Alabama at Texas A&M, Oct. 17
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Forget the 59-0 thrashing Alabama put on Texas A&M last year in Tuscaloosa, because that was at the tail end of a tough stretch for the Aggie offense and when Alabama was looking to get back in the mix.
This year will be much, much different.
Aggie head coach Kevin Sumlin made an effort to fix the glitch by bringing in defensive coordinator John Chavis from LSU, and the chief has tremendous pieces to work with including star defensive end Myles Garrett, underrated linebacker Otaro Alaka and safety Armani Watts.
Sumlin also brought in offensive line coach/running game coordinator Dave Christensen to bring a more power attack to College Station.
"We not only want to run when we want to, but when we have to," Sumlin told Bleacher Report at SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida.
This game will be the seventh in as many weeks for the Crimson Tide, while Texas A&M will have two weeks to prepare for the game in College Station.
5. Tennessee at Alabama, Oct. 24
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It's been a long time since the "Third Saturday in October" (which is no longer played on its proper weekend) meant something on the national scale, but that might change this year.
Tennessee and Alabama will play their annual cross-division rivalry game in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 24, and there could be SEC and national title implications at stake for both teams.
Alabama will catch Tennessee on the tail end of an eight-game stretch without a break and fresh off a track meet with Texas A&M, while Tennessee will have two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide. Basically, you couldn't draw up a worse time for this game for Alabama or a better one for Tennessee.
Unlike Alabama's other cross-division showdown with Georgia early in the year, this one could be the one that puts Alabama behind the eight-ball in the race to return to the Georgia Dome as SEC West champs. For Tennessee, it could propel head coach Butch Jones and his crew to SEC East front-runner.
4. Georgia at Auburn, Nov. 14
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"The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" turned into a snooze-fest last year, as Georgia ran away from the Tigers in the second half and kept its own SEC East title hopes alive.
Expect both teams to be fighting for—and perhaps on the brink—of both division supremacy and division elimination in mid-November, when the two border rivals meet on the Plains.
Auburn's defense should be better this year under first-year coordinator Will Muschamp, but can it slow down Chubb and force Georgia to air it out? Conversely, Georgia's defensive line is essentially revamped, and will those pieces be playing at a high level during the final month of the season? Enough to slow down Auburn's offense?
This game always matters due to the rivalry aspect and should carry SEC and national meaning this year.
3. Ole Miss at Alabama, Sept. 19
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When Alabama and Ole Miss met last year in Oxford, the Rebels stunned the college football world and topped No. 1 Alabama in a thriller that went down to the wire.
This year, the game is earlier in the season in Week 3, is the SEC opener for both squads and will set the tone for the entire year.
Alabama is loaded on defense, especially in the front seven. What kind of pressure can it generate against an Ole Miss offensive line that leaves a lot to be desired? Can the new quarterback handle it? Will the Ole Miss running game finally get going?
Conversely, Alabama's offense—complete with nine new starters—will be squaring off against an Ole Miss defense that's not only loaded, but has two cupcakes leading up to the game to stay fresh and unleash the fury on the Tide.
This game between the Rebels and Crimson Tide is, by far, the most important game of the month of September.
2. Georgia at Tennessee, Oct. 10
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Get your popcorn ready, because this is your SEC East title game—Tennessee vs. Georgia in Knoxville in a battle between two traditional rivals.
This game has gone down to the wire in each of the last two seasons despite the fact that Tennessee was operating at a severe talent deficiency, and for the first time since head coach Butch Jones has been on Rocky Top, the Vols should be at or near the same talent level as the Bulldogs when the two teams meet in October.
Plus, the Vols will have a slugfest against Arkansas the week before while Georgia will have a similar heavyweight fight against Alabama.
These will be two tired teams with everything to fight for, which should make for some fantastic drama in Neyland Stadium.
1. Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 28
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For the second time in three years, the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama will determine the SEC West champion. It also could determine the SEC champion and potentially the national champion.
These two teams are set up for big-time success this year and will both enter this showdown with everything to gain and lose.
Can Alabama slow Auburn down and prevent this from being a track meet. What impact will Will Muschamp's defense have against an Alabama offense that, while inexperienced now, will have 11 games under its belt when toe meets leather.
The Iron Bowl will be the most important game in the SEC this year and will determine the division champ, conference champ and—yes—the national champ.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93 XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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