Celebrating the start of fall practice this week, there’s no better time to begin our SEC game-by-game predictions series breaking down each and every contest during the regular season.

We pride ourselves on knowing college football’s most competitive conference as well as anyone and as one reader pointed out this summer using a weighted point system based on accuracy against other preseason prognosticators, our annual ‘Crystal Ball’ ranks among the nation’s most precise.

RELATED: 2015 preseason bowl projections | SDS’ best and worst 2014 predictions

We called a couple big-time upsets last fall including Mississippi’s win over Alabama, but whiffed on South Carolina’s abrupt fall from grace in the East along with Mizzou’s second consecutive division title.

We’re ready for another exciting season of SEC football, aren’t you?

2015 CRYSTAL BALL SERIES

MISSOURI TIGERS

2014 Crystal Ball Projection: 8-4, 4-4
2014 Actual: 11-3, 7-1

THE 2015 BATTLEFIELD

Sept. 5 vs. Southeast Missouri (W): Russell Hansbrough begins his 1,000-yard plus final season with 150 in a lopsided opener.

Sept. 12 at Arkansas State (W): Mizzou’s new-look defensive line starts coming into their own, creating mischief in the backfield for the Red Wolves.

Sept. 19 vs. UConn (W): Through three weeks, the Tigers remain untested.

Sept. 26 at Kentucky (W): The first time we’ll truly see what Mizzou is made of this season comes in Lexington against a team in need of as many early-season wins as possible.

Oct. 3 vs. South Carolina (W): Will the Head Ball Coach pull one out of the hat like he did at Faurot Field during the 2013 campaign? Connor Shaw’s not walking through that door for the Gamecocks.

Oct. 10 vs. Florida (W): The Tigers cap a fantastic start to SEC play (3-0) with a narrow win over the upset-minded, but offensive-challenged, Gators.

Oct. 17 at Georgia (L): A potential College GameDay featured matchup of Top 10 unbeatens, Mizzou’s first loss of the season comes between the hedges.

Oct. 24 at Vanderbilt (W): There’s no need for a road hiccup here sandwiched between challenging matchups against ranked teams. Mizzou makes quick work of the Commodores.

Nov. 5 vs. Mississippi State (L): Home teams win these Thursday night affairs almost 80 percent of the time, but we project this game to turn into a shootout with Dak Prescott getting the ball last — and prevailing — in a hostile environment. The Bulldogs reach bowl eligibility with a victory and snap Mizzou’s seven-game November winning streak.

Nov. 14 vs. BYU (W): Mizzou finishes its non-conference slate with a hard-fought win over the Cougars to improve to 8-2 on the season.

Nov. 21 vs. Tennessee (W): With second-place up for grabs in the division, the Tigers win their fourth straight over the Vols since joining the SEC in what could make for a wild finish like the 2012 game.

Nov. 28 at Arkansas (L): An East title no longer in the picture, Mizzou falls flat away from home in a showdown of evenly-matched, Top 25 teams.

2015 PROJECTED FINISH: 9-3, 5-3; Tied for Second in the East

THE LOWDOWN: Considering the personnel losses on both sides of the football, nine wins during the regular season (with a chance at 10 in the bowl game) would be a job well done for the Tigers this season. Winning a third consecutive division crown will be difficult, but the schedule’s favorable by SEC standards. If Mizzou indeed starts the season 6-0 and beats Georgia for win No. 7, it’ll have the upper hand down the stretch in getting back to Atlanta. A loss pre-Georgia however complicates the journey and leaves little to no margin for error.