In recent years, there have been some fantastic nonconference games in the first few weeks of the regular season, and that will once again be the case in 2019.

What that also means, though, is that contenders for the College Football Playoff face some immediate tests to try to keep their postseason dreams alive.

This week, Sports Illustrated named a number of potential September stumbling blocks for Playoff contenders. That included three games involving SEC teams:

  • Sept. 21 — Notre Dame at Georgia
  • Sept. 7 — Texas A&M at Clemson
  • Aug. 31 — Auburn vs. Oregon

How will the SEC fare in those three games? We won’t have to wait much longer to find out, as the start of the season is only eight Saturdays away.

Read SI writer Joan Niesen’s full list of potential stumbling blocks here.