ESPN has predicted that four SEC teams are worthy to be ranked in its early 2017 preseason top 25: No. 1 Alabama, No. 9 LSU, No. 11 Auburn and No. 13 Georgia.

Alabama will enter the season as the No. 1 team in the country in most polls, but even the Crimson Tide have flaws. Nick Saban would say there are more than he can count, but he likes to sandbag it and motivate his team. The reality is Alabama doesn’t have many weaknesses, but what’s the biggest?

ESPN recently identified the biggest weakness for every SEC preseason top 25 team, and the crew identified Alabama’s as the passing game. While Jalen Hurts was the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, he has a ways to go in the passing game. But let’s cut the guy some slack: he was playing on the biggest stage on the best team in the country as a true freshman. Still, Alabama was loaded with talent everywhere, and I’m sure it did hide some of his shortcomings. But the poise, leadership and athletic ability are all innate. He’ll improve in the passing game, and we usually see rather large jumps from freshmen to sophomore seasons. We could see a bigger jump because he gained so much valuable experience in 2016. A “bigger jump” isn’t throwing for 3,500 yards, but the efficiency and completion percentage should improve.

It’s also normal for freshman to hit a wall at some point during the season, too. The demands of practice and school tend to catch up to younger players. Maybe we won’t see Alabama coming out and throwing it all over the yard, but higher efficiency in the passing game would make this already loaded Alabama team more explosive.

ESPN also identified LSU’s biggest weakness as its schedule. Let’s face it: LSU’s biggest weakness has been having to play Alabama every year. Sure, the Tigers have had some issues at quarterback, but having to play its own division week-in and week-out continue to keep the program out of Atlanta. With a new coach and revived and refocused goal under Ed Orgeron, we look for the Tigers to make a run this season. The Alabama game is circled again this season.

Don’t look now, but ESPN ranks Auburn at No. 11 and cites its biggest weakness along the defensive line. While Carl Lawson and Montravious Adams are gone, Auburn does return Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, Dontavius Russell and Byron Cowart. Cowart was the former No. 1 player in the country who has moved to defensive tackle this spring to help jumpstart his career. Davidson could blow into the best defensive lineman in the conference; he’s that good. An emerging Derrick Brown could make this line just as good as last season. But anytime Gus Malzahn’s defensive unit is better than its offensive unit, that’s a concern for me. I think that changes in 2017, and the Tigers should have a pretty good team, especially if QB Jarrett Stidham works out. Sure, Auburn needs a defense to complement an explosive offense, but when Auburn’s motoring on offense, it’s a good thing for the program and usually equals a lot of wins.

Finally, ESPN lists Georgia’s biggest weakness as its schedule in 2017. I would actually tend to agree with this, but the offensive development in the passing game is a concern all around. Jacob Eason’s development as a passer, along with wide receivers stepping up, is a big concern for me. Georgia will enter the season as the preseason favorite to win the SEC East over Florida and Tennessee, and its loaded backfield with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel could be the best the country has to offer. The defensive unit should be very good, assuming Trenton Thompson returns and Roquan Smith gets healthy.