It’s never too early to begin looking at several assumptions that surround SEC teams as they prepare for the 2016 season. Like all assumptions, however, many are incorrect.

Here are a few and why they might not necessarily ring true.

Alabama’s running game will reload because it’s what they do

Derrick Henry obliterated the Alabama records books in 2015 en route to steamrolling his way to a Heisman Trophy. The reaction? “Meh. It’s Alabama. They always have a great running back. If it weren’t Henry, it’d be Kenyan Drake or someone else. They’ll do the same next year.”

While that very well might be true, assuming the rushing offense will be as dynamic as it was in 2015 could be a bit specious.

Nick Saban and running backs coach Burton Burns — who enters his 10th year in that role — have a stable of talent, albeit untested talent. The Tide will choose between Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris, who combined for 64 carries, 251 yards and a touchdown apiece as freshman, or 2016 recruits B.J. Emmons and Joshua Jacobs.

Adding intrigue to Alabama’s lack of depth out of the backfield was Saban’s admittance this week that the Tide could be in the market for a senior graduate-transfer to arrive at the Capstone to rescue the unit. Some names that have been bantered around as possible candidates include Barry Sanders Jr. of Stanford and Michigan’s Derrick Green.

Whoever is taking handoffs will do so behind an offensive line that also has holes to fill, most notably at center and right tackle where Ryan Kelly and Dominick Jackson, respectively, have moved onto a shot at the professional ranks. The offensive line was strong in 2015, but it wasn’t the Tide’s strongest line during their title-run years. Henry’s 999 yards after contact dilute the unit’s numbers some.

If there’s any team that can revamp a unit with all new personnel, it’s Alabama. But it won’t be easy.

It’ll take Muschamp forever, if ever, to turn around South Carolina defense

The assumption in Columbia is that Steve Spurrier’s dubious exit from South Carolina — including recent comments about how he should have fled after 2014 — have set back the Gamecocks for the irreparable short-term. The biggest disparity being on the recruiting trail, where Dabo Swinney is thumping South Carolina when it comes to luring home-state talent to don orange rather than garnet.

Will Muschamp is tasked with pointing the program back in a northerly direction. A polarizing mountain of volatility, Muschamp’s first recruiting class was South Carolina’s lowest since the 2011 class, which 247Sports.com’s composite also ranked No. 26. And while there are 102 other schools who would kill to have a No. 26-ranked class, in the SEC, that means they’re behind the pack — 10th in this case.

You can’t fault Muschamp, though, who signed-on as head coach in early December.

If anything, you have to hand it to him for landing a class that topped the likes of Iowa and Oregon, as well as Oklahoma State and Wisconsin. And there are signs in this class that point to Muschamp already molding the defense in his own image, including eight defensive linemen among his dozen recruits on defense.

Three flipped on signing day to join Muschamp’s inaugural South Carolina defense – as four-star defensive tackle Stephon Taylor, SDE Aaron Thompson and ILB T.J. Brunson eschewed former commitments. Muschamp also flipped four receivers on signing day, but that’s a different story for a different day.

It’s a testament to the coach and the staff he put together. The staff is simply younger and more aggressive. And most important, they have a clear future laid out, unlike the uncertainty that hung over Spurrier in recent years.

Among the young coaching staff and top recruiters is defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson. Robinson, 34, is credited with landing four-star Taylor and is well familiar with Muschamp’s style. Robinson joined Muschamp on two separate stints at Auburn, including in 2015 as his defensive backs coach — the same position Robinson held for Muschamp during the head coach’s four-year tenure at Florida.

Auburn’s defense never truly gained much of a foothold in the lone season Muschamp and Robinson piloted the defense. But the corps he crafted while the head coach of Florida is essentially the unit that won the SEC East and finished No. 8 in total defense nationally this season.

That comes with all due respect to new Florida head coach Jim McElwain, of course.

Muschamp has a long way to go to lift the South Carolina defense out of the SEC basement in terms of total defense. It won’t always be pretty in 2016, but the foundations appear to be forming into place.

Auburn can’t compete for a division title in 2016

Auburn was among the biggest disappointments in 2015 and with uncertainties prevailing at quarterback and weaknesses at wide receiver and along the defensive line, to name a few, the 2016 campaign could be just as mediocre as Gus Malzahn has seen his win total drop in each of this first three seasons with the Tigers.

Or so the assumption goes.

The luxury afforded to Auburn is that it can finish last in the SEC West and still land a top-10 recruiting class — replete with the five-star defensive end that the program sorely needs to bolster its pass rush, which finished only ahead of Kentucky in the SEC and tied for No. 102 nationally in team sacks.

Aside from one-sided losses to Alabama and LSU in 2015, the Tigers’ (7-6, 2-6 SEC) other four losses all came by a touchdown (and sometimes 2-point conversion) deficit.

With the country’s No. 9 overall recruiting class (247Sports) plugging some holes and former Florida State Seminole John Franklin III pushing Jeremy Johnson and Sean White to be better at quarterback, the turnaround in Auburn could be quick.

After all, according to OddsShark, there are only 13 teams in the nation with better odds than Auburn to win the national title. That’s national title, not SEC West. To win one, you almost certainly have to win the other.