This is the first year the SEC will mandate that every team must play an ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 or major independent each season.

That limits the possibility of some of the upsets of recent years (such as Toledo over Arkansas last year), but there are still some giant killers on the schedule this year.

Southern Miss

After winning just four games in three years, the Golden Eagles roared back into gear during the second half of last season, punking Louisiana Tech in the regular-season finale to earn a spot in the C-USA title game. Quarterback Nick Mullens threw for nearly 4,500 yards last season. Although Southern Miss features a new head coach and a new cast of offensive playmakers around Mullens, there’s enough talent for the team to challenge for a 10-win season. The defense takes an uber-aggressive approach, trading big plays to occasionally force third-and-long situations and turnovers. Much like a giant killer in the NCAA Tournament that takes a ton of 3-point shots, it leads to variance — with the right big plays, Southern Miss could at least give Kentucky trouble.

Mark the calendar: Sept. 3 at Kentucky, Oct. 15 at LSU

Louisiana Tech

On the plus side, Jeff Driskel and Kenneth Dixon are gone, so the Bulldogs are replacing a 4,000-yard passer and a career 4,400-yard rusher. On the negative side, Louisiana Tech won 18 games the last two years under Skip Holtz, and they’re not going to be intimidated by SEC competition. Arkansas has lost several games early in the last two seasons, including to Toledo and Texas Tech in 2015. Louisiana Tech potentially fits in that same class. The Razorbacks will be breaking in a new starter at quarterback and running back. So this is a crucial matchup for the Razorbacks early in the season.

Mark the calendar: Sept. 3 at Arkansas

Arkansas State

The Red Wolves have had a reputation in recent years of serial coaching turnover, but Blake Anderson actually has developed some continuity in Jonesboro, Ark. The 247Sports Composite ranked Arkansas State the third-best recruiting class in the Sun Belt this year. But the Red Wolves picked up Oklahoma transfer QB Justin Hansen, Alabama transfer DL Dee Liner and TCU transfer Cameron Echols-Luper. Arkansas State returns 13 starters — mostly on defense — including DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones.

Mark the calendar: Sept. 10 at Auburn

Jacksonville State

The near-upset of Auburn last year is fresh on the mind, but the Gamecocks took care of Ole Miss in 2010, 49-48. So they have the capability of repeating that kind of jolt to the blue bloods of the SEC. That comes from the addition Georgia transfer Tramel Terry and a slew of other FBS transfers, including Al Harris Jr. from South Carolina, TEs B.J. Hammond from Mississippi State and Jonathan Curry from Purdue, and WR Kevin Spears from LSU. It’s possible that LSU could be looking ahead to the toughest schedule in America, according to Phil Steele.

Mark the calendar: Sept. 10 at LSU

East Carolina

As the outside world adjusts to the seemingly surprising firing of Ruffin McNeill, East Carolina moves on to 2016 with new coach Scottie Montgomery and 11 starters who return from a 5-7 campaign. They key will be to duplicate the success he had as Duke’s offensive coordinator. While the Pirates are searching for a new quarterback, running back and the bulk of the offensive line, they return their leading receiver (Isaiah Jones) and virtually every key player on special teams.

Mark the calendar: Sept. 17 at South Carolina

 

Western Carolina

The Catamounts are coming off of two straight seven-win seasons where they’ve also finished in the top three in the Southern Conference. Western Carolina returns five of its top six tacklers, but has to replace an all-time quarterback with either a junior or a redshirt freshman. The late season game in Columbia, S.C., could be ripe for the Catamounts to break their 0-for-the-SEC record with the Gamecocks looking ahead to Clemson. It’s a long shot — Western Carolina is an FCS opponent — but we all know how that turned out last year vs. The Citadel.

Mark the calendar: Nov. 19 at South Carolina.

Louisiana-Lafayette

NCAA sanctions and a four-win season left a lot to be desired for coach Mark Hudspeth, but that’s just the motivation needed for the former Mississippi State assistant. Four seasons of a 9-4 record and wins in the New Orleans bowl put Hudspeth’s name on almost every athletics director’s hiring list. He was even thought to be a potential replacement for Dan Mullen at Mississippi State if Mullen went elsewhere. The Rajun Cajuns had about everything go wrong that could last season, including injuries. But that’s the kind of team a non-conference foe could take for granted. All that for a team that fell at Kentucky just 40-33. Returning four-fifths of the offensive line and a great spring from Arkansas transfer LB Otha Peters is reason for optimism.

Mark the calendar: Nov. 19 at Georgia.