SEC media picks preseason favorite, predicts 2016 order of finish
HOOVER, Ala. —- The Alabama Crimson Tide enter the 2016 SEC season as the media’s preseason favorite.
But Nick Saban’s team shouldn’t get too comfortable, because the media is rather poor at picking the champion — only been right five times in 24 years. That’s an incredible stat.
RELATED: Here’s how SDS voted at SEC Media Days
What does that say about Alabama in 2016? Well, not much. However, last year, the media whiffed on picking Auburn, as the Tigers finished seventh in their own division.
Here’s the entire predicted order of finish, according to the media, for 2016:
SEC Champion
Alabama (223 points)
LSU (59)
Tennessee (29)
Georgia (7)
Florida (5)
Ole Miss (4)
Texas A&M (1)
South Carolina (1)
Vanderbilt (1)
Arkansas (1)
Eastern Division
Tennessee (2167 points)
Florida (1891)
Georgia (1860)
Kentucky (933)
Vanderbilt (810)
Missouri (807)
South Carolina (800)
Western Division
Alabama (2220 points)
LSU (1984)
Ole Miss (1479)
Texas A&M (1130)
Arkansas (1047)
Auburn (890)
Mississippi State (518)
Who the hell Actually voted for ark, vandy, and scar to win the sec. They should be barred from voting again.
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance…?”
In the case of those teams only if they sacrifice a virgin goat and pay the carolina panthers to dress in thier uni’s.
If only Arkansas played Rocky Flop so that statement could be quantified… Like if only Arkansas came to Neyland and played UT… The last two times… WAIT A MINUTE!!!!
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance…?”
LOL, nice one !
Probably someone who watched Arkansas win at Tennessee last year.
Ha Ha goteeem
With a senior qb that is no longer there and two rbs that are no longer there and half the o line is gone. But yes they won last year good job. But the overall series is 19-5 tennessee. Still have a lot of catching up to do.
Yep, last year it was 14-0… Then we caught up!
Burnt. Arkansas spanked ’em.
Believe it or not there are people who supports their favorite team whether they win 12 games or 2 games. That is who voted for them. Just like I do with my team.
LOL a butthurt TN fan. You have to go back to ’02 for the last time the Vols were able to beat Arkansas, and that took TN 6 overtimes on their home turf to win by a field goal. The 3 meetings since then, Arkansas had no trouble beating them, including last season @TN… even after all of the preseason hype your team was given. The same thing is going on this preseason. Your team needs to actually live up to this hype if they want any respect. Until they can prove themselves, everyone will just continue to laugh when reading predictions for them to win the East or anything else.
Not that I think Arkansas has anything better than a long shot at winning the West, but it’s just funny seeing that it’s still upsetting someone that much.
Neyland, 2007, 34-13 Vols. If you’re gonna preach you should at least get your facts straight. You lose all credibility because you don’t know what you’re talking about.
It has nothing to do with arkansas winning last year its simply i look at what the teams have coming back and coming in and anyone will tell you there is a serious drop into the unknown this year for all but maybe vandy of the three teams i listed. Again not butthurt at all just my observation of next year
So what’s it been for you guys? 9 years or so?
Who in the hell voted for Tennessee. Arkansas did beat Tennessee last year didn’t they?
When they did select the correct team what year and what team was it?
Good question. Here they are: 94: Florida, 95: Florida, 07: LSU, 08: Florida, 14: Alabama
So if they say florida is good they are good for it.
Thank you for the reply. I knew the last 3 but didn’t know 94/95. Good info…
So, not speaking from a fan perspective just not understanding something. Florida has a better chance of winning the East than UGA, but UGA has a better chance of winning the SEC championship than Florida……I’m not really seeing how that is possible.
Same as last year they said bama wins the west and aubarn wins the sec.
It would be impossible for bama to win the west and auburn win the sec.
I know but that was the tallied results at media days last year.
The media is asked 3 separate questions: 1) order of sec west 2) order of sec east 3) sec champion — hence, why you can get different results.
I’d put Florida ahead of Tennessee. Luke Del Rio is going to be better than good. Josh Dobbs has never progressed and I hate when people act like he’s elite, same with Jalen Hurd. Both have their moments. Bama/LSU/AM vs. Florida in SECCG.
As far as dobbs not being elite, there are three sec quarterbacks with a game with 300 yards passing and 100 yards running two are heisman winners ( tebow, manziel) and only one has done it twice and thats dobbs. Does he need work on passing yes but he is still at a high level compared to other fbs qb’s.
Prescott has done it, at least once, but it was against Kentcucky. Dobbs is good, and great in that offense, but not elite. There are probably 5 other quarterbacks in the conference you could plug in and not miss a beat. He’s really not an elite rusher, either. Good playmaker, but only above average so far as a quarterback.
Kelly did it too..sorry to burst your love bubble for Dobbs but time to come back down to Earth
Dobbs is still the only QB to do it twice. Sure his passing needs work, but the kid is a top ten QB in the country.
Ok brainiacs lets all give the Media Nazis our picks. Then we save them and see who does best at years end. We know the Nazis suck but do we? I’ll start:
Sec East; SEC West; SEC Champ;
Georgia Alabama Alabama Auburn
Florida Arkansas Georgia Miss State
Tennessee LSU LSU South Carolina
Kentucky Auburn Florida Missouri
South Carolina Ole Miss Tennessee Texas A&M
Missouri Miss State Arkansas Vanderbilt
NO NEED TO ARGUE OR RESPOND TO MY LIST JUST MAKE YOUR OWN. This is just my opinion. At years end we will cross check each other. Very simple.
Vanderbilt Texas A&M Ole Miss
This is a random counter of words. Good god i have no club what you just did.
No Fair….you will obviously win since you picked EVERY TEAM TO WIN EVERYTHING!
I thought I really didn’t like the Aggies. You got me beat.
West East SEC Champ 1-7 SEC champ 8-14
LSU Tennessee LSU Kentucky
Bama Florida Bama UGA
Miss State Kentucky Tenn AU
Ole Miss UGA Florida aTm
Arkansas Vandy Miss State Vandy
Auburn USC Ole Miss USC
aTm Mizzou Arkansas Mizzou
Dang thing reformats.
As a Florida fan, I actually think this is quite fair. Tennessee returns the most, Florida is reloading on defense with some unproven offensive and special teams players, and UGA is breaking in a new coach with a question mark at QB for now. The East comes down to Knoxville on September 24 and Jacksonville on October 29.
As far as the West, until someone takes Alabama off the king’s chair, they’ve earned the right to sit on top. The West comes down to November 5 in Baton Rouge, September 17 in Oxford and October 22 in Baton Rouge. LSU’s bye is place dvery nicely between the two must-win’s for them.
Should be an interesting year.
Oh, and whoever selected Vandy and SC to win the SE needs to not be invited back to the party next year. Go home, you’re drunk.
Actually the winner of the east has come from spots 3-6 in the preseason polls 5 out of the last 6 times. Only once in that timeframe has a number 1 won the east and the number has not done it in the last 6 years. So by doing the math, the averages point to Vandy or SC having a better shot than TN or FL, but more than likely it will be GA representing the east.
Number two*
Vandy and USCe!!!??? Thanks I needed a good laugh. The loser in Week 1 will finish last in the East and the entire conference.
Stats don’t lie, only once in 6 years has the favorite won the east, the same number of times last place has finished first in the East. So as you chuckle about SC and Vandys chances let it set in that it’s more laughable to think TN is going to break that tradition.
SEC CHAMPION
Alabama
EASTERN DIVISION
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
Kentucky
Missouri
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
WESTERN DIVISION
Alabama
LSU
Arkansas
Ole Miss
Texas A&M
Auburn
Mississippi State