SEC Football: 16 Most Anticipated Games for 2016 Season
The 2016 slate of college football games involving SEC teams includes some of the biggest rivalries in the country and some of the games that will shape the College Football Playoff picture.
Whether it's Week 1, Week 13 or somewhere in-between, you're bound to find a game every week that means something very important.
Which games are the most anticipated of the 2016 season? Our 16 best games based on national importance, division championship implications, bragging rights and revenge are in this slideshow.
16. Clemson at Auburn: Sept. 3
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How big is Auburn's season opener vs. Clemson?
Oh, pretty big.
A win for head coach Gus Malzahn over the defending national runners-up will cool his seat with the quickness, while a loss to Deshaun Watson and Co. won't sit well with a home crowd that didn't see many big-time wins in 2015.
Clemson returns a loaded offense led by Watson, running back Wayne Gallman, a stellar offensive line and receiver Mike Williams, while Auburn's front four should be one of the best in the SEC.
Who will play quarterback for Malzahn? Will the offense click against a Clemson defense that, while talented, has some holes to fill? How much will the 8 p.m. local time kickoff impact crowd hostility?
What a great way to close out opening night in Week 1.
15. Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech: Sept. 10 in Bristol, Tennessee
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Virginia Tech isn't the national power that it once was, but with new head coach Justin Fuente at the helm, the Hokies will look to make a mark in Week 2 against a Tennessee team that is likely going to be pegged as the SEC East favorite.
That statement could be made in front of the biggest college football crowd of all time.
The Hokies and Volunteers will square off at Bristol Motor Speedway in front of an estimated 150,000 fans near the border of the two states, in what will be one of the most electric atmospheres our sport has ever created.
Tennessee has the hype. With quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running backs Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd, defensive end Derek Barnett, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and cornerback Cam Sutton, the Vols are absolutely loaded. They'll look to prove that they're "for real" at "The World's Fastest Half-Mile."
14. LSU vs. Wisconsin: Sept. 3 in Green Bay, Wisconsin
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LSU topped Wisconsin 28-24 in Houston to open the 2014 season, and now the Badgers will try to get revenge in their own neck of the woods.
The season opener between LSU and Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is one of the top out-of-conference games of the year, and will go a long way toward determining whether LSU is a legit College Football Playoff contender or a paper tiger.
The Badgers lost defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to LSU over the offseason, and have a huge challenge shutting down star Tiger running back Leonard Fournette. The Badgers have a stable running game and typically boast a great defense regardless of coordinator. Can a new quarterback find success against the deep and experience Tiger defense?
We'll see on Week 1 in the home of the Green Bay Packers.
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13. Ole Miss at LSU: Oct. 22
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LSU leads the all-time Magnolia Bowl series 59-41-4 over Ole Miss, but the Rebels have won two of the last three, including a 38-17 win over the Tigers in Oxford in 2015.
Can Hugh Freeze and Co. make it three out of four?
Winning in Death Valley is always tough, and that will be amplified by the fact that the Rebels get a tough matchup with Arkansas the week before while LSU gets more of a tune-up with Southern Miss.
The Rebels held Tiger running back Leonard Fournette to a rather pedestrian (by Fournette standards, anyway) 108 yards and 4.3 yards per carry, and picked off Tiger quarterback Brandon Harris twice.
Revenge will be on the mind of the Tigers, and the Rebels will want to make a statement that, despite some significant roster turnover, there's plenty of talent in Oxford.
12. Auburn at Georgia: Nov. 12
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The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is always one of the games of the year in the conference, and this year's edition should be no different.
Georgia will be breaking in new head coach Kirby Smart in 2016. He'll get to square off against the Tigers in the SEC finale, which could carry division title implications if Smart's Bulldogs come of age during the season and take care of business against some of the big boys in the SEC East.
Meanwhile for Auburn, this game could be critical to the future of head coach Gus Malzahn.
The Tigers have road games against Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama over the last five weeks of the season, and getting a tough road win in a hostile environment in a rivalry matchup would certainly placate the fanbase and impress decision-makers who could be mulling over making a coaching change by mid-November.
11. LSU at Florida: Oct. 8
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Leonard Fournette scored two touchdowns and, in true Mad Hatter fashion, LSU head coach Les Miles called a fake field goal in a tie game in the fourth quarter that went for a touchdown in the Tigers' 35-28 win over Florida—the first loss of the season for Gator head coach Jim McElwain.
What will they do for an encore?
"The Swamp" is a hostile environment, Tiger quarterback Brandon Harris is 1-3 as a starter at LSU in conference road games and the Florida defense should be good enough to at least slow down Fournette a little bit and force Harris to win a road game.
Can he do it?
He might have to if LSU is going to live up to its Top 10 preseason hype. Meanwhile, Florida would love to avenge last year's loss and prove that the three-game losing streak to close the 2015 season is a fluke and that it's a legit playoff contender.
10. LSU at Auburn: Sept. 24
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LSU embarrassed Auburn 45-21 in Baton Rouge last year in a game that was the final one for Auburn's Jeremy Johnson as Auburn's starting quarterback before being benched. There was 228 rushing yards from star LSU running back Leonard Fournette and the now-infamous Tray Matthews flip over Fournette featured in the image above.
On the Plains, though, Auburn has LSU's number. Auburn has won six of its last eight over LSU at Jordan-Hare Stadium, will be desperate to make a statement over a high-profile SEC team at the end of September and could be fighting to save the job of its head coach, as SEC Network's Paul Finebaum told The Opening Drive on WJOX in Birmingham:
".@finebaum: "The LSU game at home is going to be very critical to see which way the Auburn program is going to go this year."
— Opening Drive (@openingdrive) June 6, 2016"
Is LSU for real? Can Auburn get back in the mix? What will happen with Gus Malzahn?
Those questions will be answered when the two Tigers from the SEC West get together.
9. Ole Miss vs. Florida State: Sept. 5 in Orlando, Florida
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When Ole Miss and Florida State square off on Labor Day night in Orlando, it will serve as a measuring stick for both teams and could eliminate the loser from the College Football Playoff mix.
The new-look Rebel offensive line will go up against one of the best front sevens in the country, while the Rebel defense will look to solve the riddle of Seminole running back Dalvin Cook—who could launch to the front of the Heisman Trophy pack with a strong showing on the national stage with no other games to distract viewers.
On top of that, the distractions of the NCAA investigation have dogged Ole Miss all offseason, and it will be interesting to see if that has become a distraction or if it'll be a relief for head coach Hugh Freeze's crew when toe meets leather.
Simply put, Labor Day night will be a fun one in central Florida.
8. Georgia vs. Florida: Oct. 29 in Jacksonville, Florida
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Florida has won two straight over Georgia, which is a big reason why former Bulldog head coach Mark Richt is no longer employed in Athens. On top of that, the Gators have won 20 of the last 26 meetings in the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" between the two border rivals.
Can first-year head coach Kirby Smart reverse the trend and bring rivalry glory back to the Bulldogs, or will second-year Gator head coach Jim McElwain keep the ball rolling in the direction of the orange and blue?
This game is always one of the games you write down in ink before the season as one that you can't miss. With fresh coaching blood, division title implications hanging in the balance and possibly new quarterbacks starting for both teams, this year's cocktail party should be no different.
7. Alabama vs. USC: Sept. 3, in Arlington, Texas
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USC has a loaded rushing attack, one of the best receivers in the country in JuJu Smith-Schuster and a defense that, while somewhat inexperienced, is loaded with talented players like defensive back Adoree' Jackson and tackle Rasheem Green.
They will bring a new quarterback—either Max Browne or Sam Darnold—to Jerry World on opening night to take on defending national champion Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are loaded on defense and have one of the best receivers in the country in Calvin Ridley and a dangerous weapon at tight end in O.J. Howard. Who will play quarterback and how will the new-look offensive line come together? Will Bo Scarbrough be able to handle the road at running back?
Those questions must be answered against the Trojans in what is one of the top out-of-conference games of a loaded Week 1 slate around the country.
6. Auburn at Alabama: Nov. 26
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What list of top SEC games is complete without the Iron Bowl?
Auburn and Alabama will close out the 2016 regular season in Tuscaloosa, with the Crimson Tide looking to extend their winning streak over their intrastate rival to three.
For the Tigers, it could be a game that makes or breaks head coach Gus Malzahn's future, while Alabama could be fighting for its third straight SEC West crown in a game that's more intense than any other that the sport has to offer.
The last time these two teams met in Bryant-Denny Stadium, it was a 55-44 Crimson Tide win in one of the wildest games of the 2014 season. A repeat would be a lot of fun prior to heading into the SEC title game.
5. Tennessee at Georgia: Oct. 1
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Tennessee roared back from a three-score deficit to stun Georgia last year in Neyland Stadium, and the Bulldogs will look to get revenge between the hedges during the first weekend of October.
This game will be a huge factor in the race for the SEC East title.
The Vols will already have the game vs. Florida in its rearview mirror. Wins over the Gators and Bulldogs will all but assure the Vols a spot in the SEC title game, while Georgia will try to take a lead in the race for Atlanta with a win over head coach Butch Jones' crew prior to squaring off against Florida later in the month.
Georgia has questions at quarterback and along the offensive line, while Tennessee boasts one of the best front sevens in the country. Is that enough to overcome the home-field advantage that Georgia will enjoy?
We'll see.
4. Alabama at LSU: Nov. 5
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When LSU topped Alabama 9-6 in November 2011 in the "Game of the Century," it signaled a turning point in the power of the SEC West, right?
Nope. Not at all.
Since that point, the Crimson Tide have ripped off five straight wins over the Tigers, including the 2012 BCS National Championship Game following the 2011 season and last year's 30-16 shellacking in Tuscaloosa in which Tiger running back Leonard Fournette was held to just 31 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Despite the five-game losing streak the Tigers are mired in, this game typically serves as one of the swing games in the SEC West, with the winner moving on to have a chance and the loser being all but out of the running for the SEC title game.
Is this the year that Tiger head coach Les Miles solves the Crimson Tide riddle? If he doesn't, he might be looking for work a month later. LSU will likely land in the Top 10 before the season, but a sixth straight loss to the Tide would bring back all of those calls for Miles' head that were prevalent in late November 2015.
3. Alabama at Tennessee: Oct. 15
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Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd scored from 12 yards out with 5:49 to go in last year's matchup with Alabama to give the Vols a 14-13 lead in Tuscaloosa. But former quarterback Jacob Coker and former running back Derrick Henry led the Crimson Tide on a drive for the ages, Henry found the end zone and the Tide won the "Third Saturday in October" 19-14 in one of the best games of the year.
Now, the Vols get their chance at revenge in Neyland Stadium.
Alabama will be fresh off a punishing matchup with Arkansas, while Tennessee will be at home after visiting Texas A&M the week before. Both teams should be in the mix for division titles at the time, even if either or both have suffered setbacks along the way.
It's one of the biggest rivalry games in the SEC, and it could have huge implications for both teams and the College Football Playoff.
What more do you want?
2. Florida at Tennessee: Sept. 24
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Florida stormed back from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter of last year's matchup with Tennessee, and capped it off with a 4th-and-14 touchdown from Will Grier to Antonio Callaway with 1:26 to play.
We didn't know it at the time, but that game—and that play—decided the SEC East title.
Since that time, though, Florida's offense headed south, saw several stars depart Gainesville and Tennessee ripped off six straight wins with a very experienced roster that, for the most part, returns intact.
Plus, there's been a pretty solid back-and-forth between Gator and Vols players on Twitter this offseason, including Gator cornerback Jalen Tabor's shot at the Vols on Sunday night:
"Florida DB throwing hot fire at UT on Twitter.
— Jayson Swain (@SwainEvent) June 6, 2016"
I can not wait until the #Tennessee-#Florida this year! pic.twitter.com/lnCnWPDX7A
Oh, and there's that whole 11-game winning streak Florida has over Tennessee hanging over the head of the Volunteers.
Early SEC East implications, revenge, bragging rights and national title hopes—this game will have all of it.
1. Alabama at Ole Miss: Sept. 17
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Ole Miss has stunned Alabama in each of the last two seasons, but has seen the Crimson Tide move on to not only win the SEC West in each, but also make the College Football Playoff.
Why?
A loss to Auburn in 2014 and a fluke loss to Arkansas in 2015 had a lot to do with it.
"I own some difficult losses that kept us out of [the SEC title game in] Atlanta," Freeze said at SEC spring meetings last month. "Two that kept us out of Atlanta, in a broken leg [to former wide receiver Laquon Treadwell] to Auburn and a 4th-and-25 last year that would have given us a shot to go to Atlanta. I have to own all of those."
In Week 3 in Oxford, the Rebels will look to make it three straight despite some significant roster turnover. Does that matter, though? Ole Miss beat Alabama—which boasted one of the best front sevens in the country—last year in Tuscaloosa without star tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was suspended. They have a veteran quarterback in Chad Kelly, an experienced wide receiving corps and a proven offensive system that has given Alabama fits.
Meanwhile, Alabama is still loaded with talent, will have revenge on its mind and the ability to get into and win shootouts provided that it doesn't dig itself too big of a hole.
Get your popcorn ready.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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 SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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