SEC football power rankings: Top 5 teams to watch
By Mike Luciano
The SEC promises to once again be the best conference in college football.
Even amidst all the turmoil in between the 2019 and ’20 college football seasons, the SEC’s position on top of the hypothetical totem pole is once again secure.
Not only will Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers look to defend a national title, but there are at least three other teams in this conference that have all the tools needed to take down the Tigers and compete for a national title themselves. Even after star quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jake Fromm departed for the NFL, the SEC figures to be every bit as elite as it has been in past seasons.
Built on the backs of a never-ending stream of 5-star recruits, future star NFL quarterbacks, and defenses that will send half of their players to the pros, these five teams should be the betting favorites in the SEC.
Don’t be surprised if any of these five teams squeak into the College Football Playoff after dominating the best conference in football.
These are the best five teams in the SEC ahead of the 2020 season.
player. 842. . . . Auburn Tigers. 5
Texas A&M just missed out on cracking the top five in favor of Bo Nix and the Tigers.
While calling Nix’s performance last year “uneven” is being extremely generous, there is some well-earned optimism about the SEC Freshman of the Year as he prepares for his second season in charge of Gus Malzahn’s attack.
Outside of Nix, this offense has plenty of star power worth keeping an eye on, even after Boobie Whitlow entered the transfer portal. Receivers like Biletnikoff Award watch list nominee Seth Williams and world-class sprinter Anthony Schwartz should have the Tigers offense flying high again.
Chris Steele’s defense, even after losing stars like Derrick Brown, Noah Igbinoghene, and Marlon Davidson to the NFL, should be able to slot at or near the top of most SEC rankings. Look for much-hyped recruits like the eloquently named Big Kat Bryant and Smoke Monday to morph into stars now that they have finally secured full-time starting roles.
Ultimately, however, the success of this team will come down to Nix, and they could slide down to .500 if he fails to improve or regresses.