Hype and expectations are synonymous in Tuscaloosa. Both are as omnipresent as the number on the side of those crimson helmets.

Elsewhere around the SEC, it’s varying degrees of hype and hope.

Nearly half of the SEC’s teams are popping up in various way-too-early preseason polls. Athlon Sports just listed four in its top 10, led, of course, by No. 1 Alabama.

Is the hype real? Let’s take a team-by-team look:

Playoff bound, baby!

  • Alabama
  • Tennessee
  • Ole Miss
  • LSU

Alabama is the only team to reach the first two playoffs, and given everything the Tide returns on defense, it’s easy to understand why many are picking them to make it three straight. Ole Miss is a wild card. It’s beaten Alabama each of the past two years but also suffered puzzling upset losses that Alabama almost always avoids. Tennessee has everything in place — including Alabama and Florida visiting its place. LSU also has everything in place — except its quarterback isn’t as proven — — and also gets Alabama and Ole Miss at its place. The hype couldn’t be any more real or deserved for those four.

Atlanta … ahead on right

  • Texas A&M
  • Georgia
  • Florida

Texas A&M isn’t getting enough hype. Its defense is loaded with difference-makers. Its receiving corps is the best in the league. Its quarterback situation is better than Alabama’s. The schedule is difficult — the Aggies face Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU — but only Alabama is on the road. If Texas A&M gets some help, it could win the West with a 7-1, 6-2 mark.

Georgia isn’t getting enough hype, either, in part because we’re not sure when Nick Chubb will return. He looked great on the treadmill and we know how unstoppable the healthy version is. If he’s ready to go against North Carolina in the opener — far from a guarantee — Georgia is a serious threat to win the SEC East. If he’s not able to go until later in the season, the hype then turns to Jacob Eason.

Florida overachieved in 2015 and then addressed its primary concerns in the offseason. Talent-wise, the Gators rank behind Tennessee and a healthy Georgia, but the Vols still have to prove they can beat Florida. A 5-3 third-place finish might seem more realistic, but it’s not out of the question to see Florida finishing 6-2 and getting to Atlanta on a tiebreaker.

Atlanta … traffic jam ahead

  • Auburn
  • Arkansas
  • Mississippi State

Auburn has as much skill talent as anyone, but they still have issues on offense. It’s clear they don’t have a clear favorite at quarterback, so now it’s on the coaches to come up with a clear plan somebody can execute. Either way, we’ll see a lot of John Franklin III running the football this fall.

Bret Bielema has a history of overachieving. His Wisconsin teams were relatively overlooked because they lacked the brand-name appeal and recruiting star power of Ohio State. It’s a similar situation at Arkansas. Expectations are low because of all of the key pieces lost, but the system is in place. And the system is sustainable.

It’s a wonder Mississippi State is fielding a team this season, what with Dak Prescott leaving and all. Right? The reality is Dan Mullen found ways to generate offense before Prescott and he’ll continue to do so without Prescott. The Bulldogs missed an opportunity to cash in on the recent success with a sizable recruiting bump, but they’ve never relied on five-stars, anyway.

Each team is capable of pulling off a surprising upset in 2016 that could wreak havoc on the West standings.

Bowl hype counts, too

  • Kentucky
  • Vanderbilt
  • Missouri
  • South Carolina

First things first. All four missed out on the bowl fun last season. All would need at least a two-game improvement to reach .500 in the conference in 2016.

Divisional play started in 1992. Only twice has an SEC East team won the title a year after finishing with a losing record. South Carolina went 3-5 in 2009 and won the division with a 5-3 record in 2010, and Missouri followed up a 2-6 debut in 2012 with a 7-1 finish in 2013.

For these four, the hype is about returning to a bowl game. And in every case, it’s real.

Kentucky feels much better about its offense, and it should.

Vanderbilt thinks if it gets anything from its offense, it can win seven games. And the Commodores are right.

South Carolina’s coaching change has renewed hope and Brandon McIlwain seems to have the talent and poise to energize a stagnant offense.

Missouri isn’t that far removed from winning two SEC East titles. Last year was a disaster, but just like in tennis, sometimes it’s easier to recover from losing a set 6-0 than 7-6 in a tiebreaker. Flush it, forget it, and move on.