The 2020 SEC released its Week 1 football schedule with seven games. Here are the first reaction predictions and thoughts.
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The SEC is still on with a fall football season in 2020. Here’s the first reaction and quick predictions for Week 1 on September 26th.
We’ll dive in deep when we get closer to the date, but like they tell you in third grade, though, always go with your first answer.
The first knee-jerk reactions and predictions are …
Alabama at Missouri
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Hey, Eliah Drinkwitz. Welcome to the SEC. The new Missouri head man gets Bama in Columbia in just the seventh meeting ever between the two – Bama is 3-0 in SEC play but just 4-2 overall.
Will the Tiger offense go anywhere? The running game should be fine overall, but this feels like an early statement moment for a Tide D that wasn’t exactly its normal self last year. Mizzou’s defense keeps this from getting out of hand, but the Bama offensive skill parts take over.
First Thought Prediction: Alabama 34, Missouri 13
First Thought Line Guess: Alabama -21.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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2020 SEC Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | Missouri
South Carolina | Tennessee | Vanderbilt
West Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | LSU
Miss State | Ole Miss | Texas A&M
CFN Preview 2020: All Team Previews
Florida at Ole Miss
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Just think for a moment about the potential storylines if Lane Kiffin comes out and pulls off a win over Florida in his debut as the Ole Miss head man.
The problem will be a Rebel secondary that’s going to give up way too many third down chances, all while getting less than zero help from a D line that doesn’t get to QB Kyle Trask enough to matter. It’ll be methodical, but the Gators come up with a balanced attack to get out with a good Week 1 road win.
First Thought Prediction: Florida 38, Ole Miss 16
First Thought Line Guess: Florida -14
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Georgia at Arkansas
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: New Georgia starting QB Jamie Newman – that’s a projection, by the way – looks the part right out of the gate as he carves up the Arkansas secondary on the way to an easy win. The downfield passing game will get Dawg fans fired up right out of the gate.
It’s not that Arkansas will be awful; it’s that Georgia is that good with a defense that will shut everything down hard in the second half after Newman generates a few big plays early.
First Thought Prediction: Georgia 41, Arkansas 10
First Thought Line Guess: Georgia -26
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Kentucky at Auburn
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: This might be the sneaky-good gem on the Week 1 SEC calendar. Auburn can’t afford to give away anything at home, and Kentucky is going to be just sound enough make this a fight.
The UK secondary will give Auburn QB Bo Nix a long day, and the game itself will be mucked up as everything grinds down into the Wildcat style, but the home side – and Nix – will come up with one late drive to pull this out of the fire.
First Thought Prediction: Auburn 23, Kentucky 20
First Thought Line Guess: Auburn -7.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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NEXT: Mississippi State at LSU, Tennessee at South Carolina, Vanderbilt at Texas A&M
Mississippi State at LSU
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: This is where all of the offseason bullspitting hits the fan – at least, my bullspitting. I’ve said from the start that Stanford transfer KJ Costello in the Mike Leach offense could be this year’s high-rising – not going to say this year’s Joe Burrow – NFL superstar prospect, and he gets to start against what might be the best secondary in college football.
The Bulldogs are better than you might think, but so are the Tigers. The Leach offense will have all of its fancy schmancy pyrotechnics, and then the Tiger O will go off in the second half on a huge day behind transfer QB Justin Fields – joking, sort of. MSU won’t let this get ugly, but the LSU secondary will be terrific when it has to be in the second half. LSU will crush the time of possession battle in the fourth.
First Thought Prediction: LSU 34, Mississippi State 17
First Thought Line Guess: LSU -15.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Tennessee at South Carolina
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: OOOOOOOH, an elimination game right out of the gate. Okay, no, the loser isn’t totally out of the SEC East title chase, but it’s in big, big trouble – and so if the coach of the losing side, at least in terms of pressure going forward.
The Tennessee O line vs. the South Carolina D line will be one of the most interesting battles in Week 1, with the two sides playing to even. It’s not going to be a high-scoring thill show, but the Gamecocks pull out a desperately necessary early win for Will Muschamp thanks to a big overall defensive effort.
First Thought Prediction: South Carolina 20, Tennessee 17
First Thought Line Guess: South Carolina -2.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Vanderbilt at Texas A&M
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: No one’s going to be happy.
It’s a home game for Texas A&M against Vanderbilt, so the home fans are going to want and ugly blowout that won’t come. The Commodore defense is good enough to keep this relatively in range throughout, but A&M will control the tempo with its style and with enough methodical scoring drives to take over early on.
It won’t be anything pretty, but the Aggies win and move on after Vandy struggles to score on empty drive after empty drive.
First Thought Prediction: Texas A&M 30, Vanderbilt 13
First Thought Line Guess: Texas A&M -24
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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