The SEC released its 2024 schedule on Wednesday and, predictably, predictions ensued.

Can we get through 2023 first?

It’s more than just picking games. It’s reading schedules and trends, and identifying potential trap games.

What could be now, and in Week 0, and in November will be completely different at every stage. Teams grow and develop and sustain critical injuries.

But that doesn’t mean it’s throwing darts when picking the winner of every game of the SEC season.

The predicted record for every team, including ceiling and floor, for the last season of division play in the SEC in 2023:

East Division

1. Georgia (11-1, 7-1)

Wins: UT-Martin, Ball State, South Carolina, UAB, Auburn, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech.

Loss: Tennessee.

The ceiling (national title): Coach Kirby Smart takes the final step in recreating Alabama at Georgia, replacing 1 elite quarterback (Stetson Bennett) with another (Carson Beck) — and the Dawgs win their 3rd straight national championship.

The floor (10-2, 2nd in East Division): Beck doesn’t play to his potential, and a long offseason full of off-field distraction finally takes its toll.

2022 prediction: 11-1, 7-1.
2022 finish: 12-0, 8-0.

2. Tennessee (10-2, 6-2)

Wins: Virginia, Austin Peay, UTSA, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Kentucky, UConn, Missouri, Georgia, Vanderbilt.

Losses: Florida, Alabama.

The ceiling (Playoff): QB Joe Milton III had 10 TD and 0 INT in 2022, and triples those numbers as the starter while the Tennessee defense gets more stops.

The floor (8-4): Milton isn’t as much of a run threat as Hendon Hooker, and isn’t as accurate or efficient at avoiding bad plays — leading to a QB change (freshman Nico Iamaleava) and a step back from 2022.

2022 prediction: 9-3, 5-3.
2022 finish: 10-2, 6-2.

3. South Carolina (7-5, 4-4)

Wins: North Carolina, Furman, Mississippi State, Florida, Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky.
Losses: Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Missouri, Clemson.

The ceiling (9-3): Gamecocks are just about maxed out, unless QB Spencer Rattler has a Heisman Trophy-worthy season. In that scenario, 11 wins isn’t out of the question.

The floor (4-8): Rattler plays more like the first 2 months of 2022, and holes in the South Carolina defense are exposed.

2022 prediction: 7-5, 4-4.
2022 finish: 8-4, 4-4.

4. Kentucky (7-5, 3-5)

Wins: Ball State, EKU, Akron, Vanderbilt, Florida, Missouri, Louisville.

Losses: Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama, South Carolina.

The ceiling (10-2): Just how good can QB Devin Leary be — and can UK protect him? If he plays like he did in 2021 at NC State (with UK’s elite receivers), it’s going to be a fun season in the Commonwealth.

The floor (6-6): The SEC isn’t the ACC, folks. The defenses are bigger and faster, and the coverage windows tighter. And if UK doesn’t improve pass protection? Yikes.

2022 prediction: 9-3, 5-3.
2022 finish: 7-5, 3-5.

5. Florida (6-6, 4-4)

Wins: McNeese, Tennessee, Charlotte, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Missouri.

Losses: Utah, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, LSU, Florida State.

The ceiling (7-5): QB Graham Mertz has the best season of his uneven career, and significantly reduces turnovers. A young team isn’t intimidated by playing fistfight SEC games.

The floor (4-8): The Gators were a handful of plays from losses to Utah and USF in 2022, and that would’ve translated to 4 wins. Here we are again, and a lot has to go right on both sides of the ball to avoid a 4-win season.

2022 prediction: 7-5, 4-4.
2022 finish: 6-6, 3-5.

6. Vanderbilt (4-8, 1-7)

Wins: Hawaii, Alabama A&M, UNLV, Missouri

Losses: Wake Forest, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee.

The ceiling (7-5): The Commodores could beat Auburn at home, and Florida and Kentucky again (like 2022). With QB AJ Swann, every game will be interesting.

The floor (2-10): The UNLV game on the road won’t be easy, and Vandy will more than likely be an underdog — just like the Commodores will be in every SEC game.

2022 prediction: 3-9, 0-8.
2022 finish: 5-7, 2-6.

7. Missouri (4-8, 1-7)

Wins: South Dakota, Middle Tennessee, Memphis, South Carolina.

Losses: Kansas State, Vanderbilt, LSU, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas.

The ceiling (8-4): 8 starters return from 1 of the SEC’s best defenses in 2022. If Mizzou finds a QB (Sam Horn?) who can stretch the field accurately, there are at least 4 more wins on the schedule.

The floor (3-9): No matter the QB, the defense alone will get Missouri through 3 non-conference games. If you’re going to win SEC games, you better have a legit quarterback.

2022 prediction: 4-8, 1-7.
2022 finish: 6-6, 3-5.

West Division

1. LSU (11-1, 7-1)

Wins: Florida State, Grambling, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Missouri, Auburn, Army, Alabama, Florida, Georgia State, Texas A&M.

Losses: Ole Miss.

The ceiling (national title): Coach Brian Kelly says QB Jayden Daniels wants to be the best at his position. If he is — with significant improvement on the lines of scrimmage — no one beats LSU.

The floor: (9-3): There are 3 teams with enough talent to beat LSU: FSU, Alabama and Texas A&M. But if Daniels makes the same jump this season that he did last year and increases from an impressive 2022 (28 total TDs, 3 INT), it will be difficult.

2022 prediction: 8-4, 4-4.
2022 finish: 9-3, 6-2.

2. Alabama (9-3, 6-2)

Wins: Middle Tennessee, USF, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Chattanooga, Auburn.

Losses: Texas, Texas A&M, LSU.

The ceiling (Playoff): It all has to work out perfectly for whoever plays QB, like 2015 when Jake Coker was a caretaker early and developed into a dominant player in the last month of the season.

The floor (8-4): As long as Alabama doesn’t have a problem with ball security at quarterback, it will simply out-talent 8 teams on the schedule. The one potential hiccup: Tennessee.

2022 prediction: 11-1, 7-1.
2022 finish: 10-2, 6-2.

3. Texas A&M (9-3, 5-3)

Wins: New Mexico, Miami, Louisiana-Monroe, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Abilene Christian.

Losses: Arkansas, Tennessee, LSU.

The ceiling (10-2): I’m going all in on the impact of OC/QBs coach/play caller Bob Petrino and his development of talented sophomore QB Conner Weigman. This is a Playoff team in 2024.

The floor (7-5): How do we get here? An ugly loss at Miami in Week 2 will absolutely make coach Jimbo Fisher rethink the idea of giving Petrino full control of the offense and play calling. Then egos clash, and then it gets interesting.

2022 prediction: 9-3, 5-3.
2022 finish: 5-7, 2-6.

4. Ole Miss (8-4, 4-4)

Wins: Mercer, Tulane, Georgia Tech, LSU, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State.

Losses: Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Georgia.

The ceiling (10-2): I really like this team with the addition of QB Spencer Sanders, and the improvement of QB Jaxson Dart. They’ll both play and make significant contributions, and the transfer portal has helped fortify the defense.

The floor (6-6): Tulane could get tricky in New Orleans, as could Arkansas after back-to-back games against Alabama and LSU. But this team will win 1 big game it shouldn’t, and I’m convinced it’s LSU in Oxford.

2022 prediction: 7-5, 3-5.
2022 finish: 8-4, 4-4.

5. Arkansas (8-4, 4-4)

Wins: Western Carolina, Kent State, BYU, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Auburn, FIU, Missouri.

Losses: LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida.

The ceiling (10-2): The Hogs could have won 11 games last season, but lost 4 games by a combined 7 points. QB KJ Jefferson’s adjustment to new OC/QB coach Dan Enos can change everything — 1 way or the other.

The floor (6-6): Don’t underestimate the loss of OC/QB coach Kendal Briles. He not only developed Jefferson, his play-calling was impactful. Also: how do the Hogs adjust to 18 transfers?

2022 prediction: 9-3, 5-3.
2022 finish: 6-6, 3-5.

6. Auburn (6-6, 3-5)

Wins: UMass, Stamford, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State.

Losses: California, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, Arkansas, Alabama.

The ceiling (8-4): A big jump from 2022, yes. But the defense will be strong again, and the offense will be more consistent and coherent. Auburn will play with confidence for the first time in 2 years.

The floor (5-7): There’s a huge chasm between what could be at quarterback and what will be. There were times over the past 2 years when Payton Thorne make game-changing plays at Michigan State — and game-turning mistakes.

2022 prediction: 7-5, 3-5.
2022 finish: 5-7, 2-6.

7. Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7)

Wins: SE Louisiana, Arizona, Western Michigan, Kentucky, Southern Miss.

Losses: LSU, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss.

The ceiling (8-4): QB Will Rogers adjusts to a brand new offense, and the Bulldogs adjust to a new head coach and philosophy. New OC Kevin Barbay can’t get too far away from what made the Bulldogs a threat every week under the late Mike Leach: the arm of Rogers.

The floor (4-8): Coach Zach Arnett is quickly turning over the roster (37 new players, including 10 transfers), and it will take time. What will it look like? Arkansas in 2022 — with too many close losses.

2022 prediction: 7-5, 3-5.
2022 finish: 8-4, 4-4.