All 14 SEC football teams will open their season on Labor Day weekend.

One team (LSU) will play a road game, 3 others (Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss) will play at neutral sites and everyone else will open at home.

Tennessee will kick things off when it plays host to Bowling Green on Thursday, Sept. 2. About 100 hours later the end of Ole Miss’ game against Louisville will conclude the weekend action late on Labor Day night.

Alabama will begin defense of its national championship, a half dozen SEC teams will get their first opportunity to demonstrate why they enter their openers with a preseason Top 25 ranking and 4 teams will make their debut under a new head coach.

It will be a long, full and interesting first weekend for SEC football.

Here’s a ranking of the attractiveness of the SEC openers:

14. Central Michigan at Missouri

When/TV: 4 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC Network

The Tigers broke even at 5-5 last season, which included victories against LSU and Kentucky. This gives them an opportunity to demonstrate that they’re headed toward relevance in the East in head coach Eli Drinkwater’s second season.

13. East Tennessee State at Vanderbilt

When/TV: 8 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC+/ESPN+

There’s plenty here to get the interest of Commodores fans. It’s the debut of former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea (a Nashville native and a Vandy alum) as head coach, and the opponent, which went 4-2 in the Southern Conference’s 2021 spring season, might provide the Commodores with their first victory since 2019. That last win was a 38-0 thrashing of ETSU.

12. Rice at Arkansas

When/TV: 2 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC+/ESPN+

The Razorbacks were just 3-7 but mostly competitive in Sam Pittman’s first season as head coach in 2020. This could be a sign that he has them headed in the right direction, or a tussle against the Owls (2-3 last season) could be a sign that’s there’s much more work to be done.

11. Eastern Illinois at South Carolina

When/TV: 7 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC+/ESPN+

The Gamecocks’ program might not be in as bad a shape as the 2-8 record in Will Muschamp’s final season suggests. Or maybe it is. This is new head coach Shane Beamer’s first chance to demonstrate which one it is against a team that went 1-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference’s spring season.

10. Florida Atlantic at Florida

When/TV: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC Network

The defending East Division Gators get a chance to put an in-state upstart in its place and rid themselves of the bad taste from a 3-game losing streak to end last season.

9. Akron at Auburn

When/TV: 7 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC+/ESPN+

Three years ago, this would have been compelling as Terry Bowden returned to The Plains to face another program he used to lead. But now he’ll be otherwise engaged in Lexington, which is OK because this game is all about Bryan Harsin making his debut as Auburn’s new head coach and how much progress Bo Nix has made.

8. Kent State at Texas A&M

When/TV: 8 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, ESPNU

Though Kent State went 3-1 last season, this could be one of the more lopsided openers involving SEC teams. But Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies are worth watching, coming off a 9-1 season in which they narrowly missed the Playoff, and this will be the debut of Kellen Mond’s successor, presumably Haynes King or Zach Calzada.

7. Louisiana-Monroe at Kentucky

When/TV: Noon EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, SEC Network

Mark Stoops is the first coach to lead the Wildcats to bowl games in 5 consecutive seasons. This will be the first hint of whether a 6th might be in the offing. This matchup has the added curiosity of former Auburn head coach Terry Bowden’s debut as the Warhawks’ head coach, Rich Rodriguez as Bowden’s OC and Rodriguez’s son, Rhett, as ULM’s QB.

6. Bowling Green at Tennessee

When/TV: 8 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Sept. 2, SEC Network

Will Josh Heupel be a better Volunteers head coach than Jeremy Pruitt or Butch Jones or Derek Dooley or Lane Kiffin? This game against a team that went 0-5 in the MAC last season won’t give a definitive answer, but it might give Rocky Top some needed encouragement. If nothing else, it ends the long drought of SEC football.

5. Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State

When/TV: 4 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, ESPNU

It’s Year 2 for Mike Leach and his Air Raid offense in Starkville, which should be fun to keep an eye on. Will he play both quarterbacks or will the competition between Will Rogers and Jack Abraham be settled? But the other set of Bulldogs can put on a pretty good show too. This could be an entertaining matchup.

4. Louisville vs. Ole Miss in Atlanta

When/TV: 8 p.m. EDT, Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN

These teams can score a lot of points. They can give up a lot of points, too. If nothing else this should be a fun shootout to finish off the weekend. It could also give a hint as to whether the Rebels can be a West Division dark horse in Lane Kiffin’s second season.

3. LSU at UCLA

When/TV: 8:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, FOX

The Tigers aren’t just the only SEC team playing a true road game, they’re also the only SEC team facing an opponent that has a game under its belt as the Bruins open their season a week earlier against Hawaii. So this will be a challenging opener for Ed Orgeron’s group as Max Johnson tries to build on his success in 2 QB starts to finish last season.

2. Alabama vs. Miami in Atlanta

When/TV: 3:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, ABC

The Crimson Tide begin yet another national title defense – against a big-name opponent in a familiar building. Bryce Young makes his debut as Bama’s QB as the Hurricanes try to give their turnover chain a workout and send a message that they could be a Playoff contender.

1. Georgia vs. Clemson in Charlotte, N.C.

When/TV: 7:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday, Sept. 4, ABC

This has the look of a CFP semifinal matchup. JT Daniels is entrenched as the Bulldogs’ starting QB, and the Tigers move on from the Trevor Lawrence era. This isn’t just the marquee matchup among SEC games on opening weekend, it’s the top game on the entire weekend schedule.