Predicting when every SEC team loses its first game in 2020
No preseason, no Week 1 cupcakes. It’s just 10 games of SEC on SEC football in 2020. The bad news is that half of the SEC will have a loss in Week 1. Like the negative Nellys we sometimes are, we break down that newly-released schedule … and predict when your team will take its first L.
Week 1: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina
OK, some of these feel like no-brainers. Vandy gets crushed by A&M. State and Mizzou don’t have the firepower to keep up with Alabama and LSU. Arkansas similarly is overwhelmed by Georgia.
The last 3 get interesting. The Rebels host Florida, but the Gators look like a solid pick. Kentucky could well have enough in the tank to pull the upset at Auburn, but the Tigers usually open the season strong. Lastly, Carolina hosting Tennessee feels like a coin toss, but given COVID defections, we’ll give a fingernail advantage to the Vols.
Week 2: Texas A&M, Auburn
The Aggies go from home against Vandy to at Alabama in Week 2. Looks like a likely drop-off spot from here.
If Auburn survives UK in Week 1, it won’t get past Georgia in Athens in Week 2. (Meanwhile, if Kentucky pulls the Week 1 upset, the Cats could slide by for a month).
After 2 weeks, that leaves Bama, Florida, Georga, LSU, and Tennessee as the ranks of the undefeated.
Week 3: Tennessee
The Vols might not escape Week 1, but they sure don’t get past a Week 3 trip to Athens.
The much tougher call is Florida at Texas A&M.
Since the Aggies are coming off a trip to Bama, the attrition advantage probably goes to the Gators, so we’ll keep them undefeated for now — along with Bama, Georgia, and LSU.
Week 4: Georgia, Florida
Alabama hosts Georgia in Week 4, and while the Bulldogs have the easiest schedule in the SEC, this looks like the place where they stumble.
Florida hosting LSU is a much tougher call. The advantage went to the Tigers, mostly because Florida is coming off a trip to A&M, while LSU opens with Mississippi State/Vandy/Mizzou.
Accordingly, we’re left with Bama and LSU.
Week 6: LSU
Auburn hosts LSU on Halloween, and for some reason, this feels like a game that LSU overlooks. That would be understandable. The Tigers have an open date the following week and then host Alabama in Week 8. The last team to beat Alabama in back-to-back years was Ole Miss in 2014 and 2015. Everybody has been wondering whether LSU can join that list in 2020.
Auburn, meanwhile, after a tough first 2 games, will have played Arkansas, South Carolina and Mizzou heading into this game. Which should get them healthy and clicking while LSU has played Florida in what will likely be a barn-burner 2 weeks before.
If Auburn upsets LSU, that leaves Alabama as the last team standing. Must mean they win out … wait …
Week 8: Alabama
LSU hosts Bama in Week 8 in what looks like the draw-even in the West revenge game for the Tigers. Both teams come in off a bye week, and the Tigers will pull a minor upset in picking up the victory. They’ll become the most recent team to beat Nick Saban in consecutive years and perhaps join Alabama as the only programs the West to play in back-to-back SEC title games.
Where does all of this leave the SEC?
Do another 9-1 SEC West team get into a CFP field that has no Big Ten or Pac-12 to weigh it down? Will there even be a CFP? Sorry, we’re out of prediction time for this week.
Well you screwed up right out of the gate. Tennessee plays South Carolina in Columbia. I don’t know that your predicted outcome will be any different, but it certainly could on the road for the Vols. Tennessee was still a 1 point favorite the last time I heard, so hopefully the Vols will be on your projected course after week 1.
Carolina hosting Tennessee feels like a coin toss,
clearly says its in SC
What if…Bear with me now, what IF UGA by some miracle, becomes the first sec team to beat Bama back To back since Ole Miss?? I think this site would break at minimum.
Then one of the West teams would beat UGA in the playoffs and we would go back to reality.
Hah! That’s funny.
UGA beat Bama back-to-back? Dawg, they have to win ONE to have a chance at that. And the last time Jawja beat Bama was 2007. And this year your bullpups will lose in Tuscaloosa AND in Jacksonville so there won’t even BE a second game, let alone a W for you guys. Sorry to hit you with reality.
Then UGA would find itself in the middle of an NCAA investigation and would likely get the death penalty.
I don’t know… Cam’s father tried to sell him and Auburn ended up on..
To Miss St…you conveniently leave that out.
Give us a minute. Our backup quarterback is warming up.
I think he meant back to back like regular season and then SECCG
I know. I’m just playing.
Yeah. But I’m putting the Gators in the SEC Championship so the Bullies will have to—drumroll please—wait till next year! LoL
I don’t know why I clicked on that headline. This just in: somebody picked bama to beat A&M week 2. Shocking!
“Alabama hosts Georgia in Week 4, and while the Bulldogs have the easiest schedule in the SEC, this looks like the place where they stumble”.
The lone SEC team with only 4 home games and 6 straight weeks away from Athens between the ones they do have. Easiest schedule in the SEC?????
Yeah the Barn, UT(k), Bama, UK, UF stretch is a bit tough. I’m not sure how that would translate to one of the easiest schedule in the SEC.
So where is the by week being played that’s right before Florida?
Bye*
Bye Week = no home game….UGA regularly has bye week prior to WLOCP just like Florida does. But because UGA is the “home” team this year in Jax, I guess the SEC considered that the 5th “home” game.
The 2013 Auburn game location was swapped for some reason, which did at least help alleviate the every other year dead home game period on the tail end of UGA’s schedule.
Auburn crying about playing UGA/Bama either both at home, or both away, to close their schedule, resulted in an extended away game sequence again late in UGA’s schedule.
UGA never got the back-to-back return game from Auburn, which I can’t understand why CKS agreed to that.
I don’t care about Auburn… UGA has a bye week before Florida so they aren’t away from Athens for 6 straight weeks…
Stop being so Fing pedantic. You know exactly what he meant. Georgia isn’t playing in Sanford for 6 straight games and there is no debating that.
UGA isn’t away from Athens for 6 straight weeks which is what was said.. There is no debating that…
By nature of playing in the East, we have an easier schedule in general, but saying that Auburn and @Bama are easier than LSU and @A&M is ridiculous. The only way we have an easier schedule than Florida is because they have to play UGA and we have to play them.
Auburn is not an opponent that LSU would overlook. They could still beat us, but it won’t be because LSU overlooked them.
They’ll be overlooking Auburn because they will likely be 2-3 or 1-4 if you read the opinions of all these SDS guys.
You’re dead right. Seems like everyone with a Florida or Bama logo next to their name is willing to bet that they would name their first born after Mike the Tiger if LSU does better than 6-4 this season. It’s like they take the “taking a step back” comment as falling off the map without any possible chance of recovery.
What Bama fan has said they expect four losses from LSU during the season?
I’m not sure what covid defections he is referring to. The fans?? Great matchup with the Vols to start the season. I’m really excited about it. Could get ugly for Will to start with a home loss, though.
I’m with you on that, I have no idea what covid defections he’s talking about. This game will be exciting, never a dull moment when these two teams play!
I just like he uses the term defections instead of “opting out”
Just heard freshman RB Marshawn Loyd out with torn ACL. Well, everybody said he would be the next Lattimore, but I don’t think this is what they meant. Best of luck in his recovery
snort
Sounds like Zeus in his freshman year. Wishing full recovery soon.