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B/R SEC Preseason Poll 2020: Schedule and Rules for B/R App Users
August 2, 2020
Bleacher Report is preparing to survey fans in the B/R App to develop a 2020 SEC preseason poll ahead of the college football season.
The weeklong event will feature two teams, one from the East and one from the West, spotlighted each day beginning Monday. App users can vote where they believe each program is going to finish within its respective division. The final results will be announced Aug. 10.
Here's a look at the complete schedule:
- Monday, Aug. 3: Tennessee and Texas A&M
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: South Carolina and LSU
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Florida and Arkansas
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Vanderbilt and Alabama
- Friday, Aug. 7: Missouri and Auburn
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Kentucky and Mississippi State
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Georgia and Ole Miss
- Monday, Aug. 10: Voting results announced
The SEC announced Thursday its teams are going to play a 10-game, conference-only schedule this season. It followed similar decisions by the Big Ten and Pac-12 as conferences around the country try to chart the safest path forward amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the season is going to look and feel a lot different, especially with the fate of potential fan attendance still unsettled, the SEC will once again feature several top national title contenders, led by Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU.
EAST DIVISION
Florida Gators
2019 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 9 (National); No. 6 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
CB C.J. Henderson, WR Van Jefferson, DE Jabari Zuniga, LB Jonathan Greenard
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
DT Gervon Dexter
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina
Away: Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Quarterback Kyle Trask returns for his redshirt senior season after throwing 25 touchdowns in 2019. He should lead a high-powered Gators offensive attack, but the season may hinge on the defense's ability to replace Henderson, Greenard and leading tackler David Reese.
Georgia Bulldogs
2019 Record: 12-2 (7-1)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 1 (National); No. 1 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
OT Andrew Thomas, OT Isaiah Wilson, RB D'Andre Swift
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
CB Kelee Ringo, OT Broderick Jones, DT Jalen Carter, ATH Darnell Washington
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina
Head coach Kirby Smart has guided the Bulldogs to 36 wins over the last three seasons, which is tied for the fourth-highest total in the nation. His top-ranked recruiting class should put UGA on the fast track toward title contention despite some high-profile losses along the offensive line.
Kentucky Wildcats
2019 Record: 8-5 (3-5)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 25 (National); No. 9 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
QB/RB Lynn Bowden, OG Logan Stenberg
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Away: Auburn, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee
Losing Bowden, who was a one-man show for the Kentucky offense at times last season, could prove difficult to overcome. The Wildcats otherwise return most of their high-impact players, however, and could be a sleeper if a solution emerges at quarterback.
Missouri Tigers
2019 Record: 6-6 (3-5)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 51 (National); No. 13 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DT Jordan Elliott, TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Away: Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee
Eliah Drinkwitz guided Appalachian State to a 12-1 record in 2019 during his first season as a collegiate head coach and now takes over the Missouri program. It'll likely be a rebuilding year for the Tigers, whose number of high-end playmakers is limited on both sides of the ball.
South Carolina Gamecocks
2019 Record: 4-8 (3-5)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 19 (National); No. 8 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DT Javon Kinlaw, WR Bryan Edwards, DE D.J. Wonnum
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
DT Jordan Burch
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Away: Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Vanderbilt
Head coach Will Muschamp is under immense pressure to show progress in his fifth season leading the program. Quarterback Ryan Hilinski will need to take a major step forward in his second year as the starter for South Carolina to seriously compete, though.
Tennessee Volunteers
2019 Record: 8-5 (5-3)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 10 (National); No. 7 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DE Darrell Taylor, WR Jauan Jennings
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri
Away: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
Tennessee will be strong in the trenches, and Henry To'o To'o showed flashes as a freshman of developing into one of the country's best linebackers. Whether there's enough explosiveness on the offense is the key question when it comes to keeping pace with the SEC elite in 2020.
Vanderbilt Commodores
2019 Record: 3-9 (1-7)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 53 (National); No. 14 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee
Away: Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M
Vanderbilt hasn't posted a winning record since 2013, and that hurdle could prove difficult to jump once again in 2020 with questions throughout the offensive skill positions. Dayo Odeyingbo and Dimitri Moore lead a more proven defense that could keep the Commodores in games.
WEST DIVISION
Alabama Crimson Tide
2019 Record: 11-2 (6-2)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 2 (National); No. 2 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Henry Ruggs III, WR Jerry Jeudy, OT Jedrick Wills, S Xavier McKinney, CB Trevon Diggs, DT Raekwon Davis
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
QB Bryce Young, DE Will Anderson, DE Chris Braswell, ATH Drew Sanders
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M
Away: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Tennessee
The remarkable rate of turnover at Alabama continued as head coach Nick Saban and his staff delivered one of the nation's best recruiting classes to compensate for nine players being drafted, including four inside the top 15 picks. In turn, the Tide should find themselves in the title mix once again.
Arkansas Razorbacks
2019 Record: 2-10 (0-8)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 30 (National); No. 11 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DT McTelvin Agim, SS Kamren Curl
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Alabama, LSU, Mississippi, Tennessee
Away: Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas A&M
The Razorbacks have endured two straight winless seasons in SEC play. New quarterback Feleipe Franks, a graduate transfer from Florida, gives an otherwise talented offense plenty of upside, but new defensive coordinator Barry Odom must improve a unit that allowed the seventh-most points per game in 2019.
Auburn Tigers
2019 Record: 9-4 (5-3)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 7 (National); No. 5 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DT Derrick Brown, CB Noah Igbinoghene, DE Marlon Davidson
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State
Auburn may have the widest range of potential outcomes among SEC teams. That said, if quarterback Bo Nix improves in Year 2, a strong possibility with Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz at his disposal, and the defense can fill a few key voids, the Tigers could contend for the conference title.
LSU Tigers
2019 Record: 15-0 (8-0)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 4 (National); No. 3 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
QB Joe Burrow, LB K'Lavon Chaisson, WR Justin Jefferson, LB Patrick Queen, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, FS Grant Delpit, CB Kristian Fulton
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
TE Arik Gilbert, CB Eli Ricks, WR Kayshon Boutte
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Alabama, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina
Away: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M
LSU is coming off a dream season with Burrow producing one of the best statistical years in college football history to lead the Tigers to the program's fourth national title. Matching that type of success will likely prove impossible, but the team should still be among the SEC's best.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
2019 Record: 6-7 (3-5)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 28 (National); No. 10 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
LB Willie Gay, CB Cameron Dantzler, OG Tyre Phillips
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri, Texas A&M
Away: Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi
Mississippi State hired Mike Leach as its new head coach after he led the Cougars to the nation's seventh-ranked offense last season. His arrival makes running back Kylin Hill, who totaled 1,530 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns last year, an under-the-radar Heisman candidate.
Ole Miss Rebels
2019 Record: 4-8 (2-6)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 34 (National); No. 12 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
SS Jalen Julius, DT Benito Jones
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
None
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State
Away: Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Like its rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss hired a lauded offensive mind in Lane Kiffin to lead a program resurgence. The Rebels have a lot of talent on offense, but there's uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball, which could lead to plenty of shootouts.
Texas A&M Aggies
2019 Record: 8-5 (4-4)
2020 Recruiting Rankings: No. 6 (National); No. 4 (SEC)
Notable NFL Departures
DT Justin Madubuike, P Braden Mann
Incoming 5-Star Prospects
DB Jaylon Jones, WR Demond Demas
2020 Announced Opponents
Home: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi, Vanderbilt
Away: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Texas A&M isn't generating nearly as much hype as some of the conference's other top contenders, but this veteran-laden, well-rounded roster has the potential to compete with anybody in the SEC. The Aggies' hopes are raised by the lack of offseason activities, which has hurt teams going through mass changes.