Texas A&M vs South Carolina
The first SEC matchup of the year is always highly anticipated and this year is no exception. To some extent, the teams are similar, which should make for an even more interesting game. Both have lost their star quarterback, have incredibly talented running backs, and a shaky defense. Of course, each statement is slightly more true for one another, especially in regards to the quarterback situation, but generally, they are comparable. That being said, A&M has better offensive talent at every position aside from running back. Quarterback Kyle Allen, although a freshman, will be better than South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson, who has yet to prove much in his handful of years as an on/off starter. Likewise, Allen’s offensive line and receiving corps is much better, especially the offensive line because it has two future first round picks on the edges in Cedric Ogbuehi and Germain Ifedi.
Unfortunately for South Carolina, they do not have the better defense either. Now, that is not to say that A&M does, because theirs is poor as well, but the South Carolina defense will take a step back after losing most of their defensive front, namely Jadeveon Clowney. Though it will be a fun game to watch, Texas A&M should come out on top.
Arkansas vs Auburn
It does not take a football guru to know that Auburn should be heavily favored in this matchup, but that does mean it will not be entertaining? Certainly not. Most notably, the game will be a haven for rushing talent. For Auburn, that is more related to their quarterback than anything else. Nick Marshall is an incredible athlete regardless of position, but as a quarterback, his athleticism opens up a plethora of wonderful run schemes and concepts. Of course, running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are talented in their own right as well. Arguably most importantly, Auburn’s interior offensive line is the best in the conference.
On the other hand, Arkansas just has the running back talent. That said, their running back talent is much better. Alex Collins is a stunning talent that deserves more recognition, and his relief back, Jonathan Williams, is an impressive runner, too. To Arkansas’s demise, those two alone will not be enough to win the game for them, especially considering that Arkansas’s defense is inferior to Auburn’s.
Georgia vs South Carolina
Yes, South Carolina is on the list once again. Mike Davis and Shaq Roland are too talented of skill players not to make this list twice. That being said, Davis may have his toughest game of the year against Georgia’s front. Luckily, the same can not be said for Roland in regards to the Georgia secondary. That does not mean that Georgia’s defensive backs are subpar, but they are still young and will be able to be taken advantage of by a player of Roland’s caliber.
As all college football fans know, Georgia has a monster running back of their own. Todd Gurley, the freakiest and most talented running back in college football, will tear up South Carolina’s front seven. Relatively, it will not even be much of a challenge for a runner of his maturity and physical ability. Sadly, the offense around Gurley is a huge question mark. The passing offense is full of fresh starters, most importantly at quarterback. More so than any other game on the list, this game has the chance to go either way.
Florida vs Alabama
“But Florida was 4-8 last year!” That they were, but injuries plagued the Florida Gators and they eventually hit a point where they had lost the drive for success. Thankfully, new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper has made a huge difference. The offense is much more player friendly (which Jeff Driskel so desperately needed), but at the same time, it is more difficult for defenses to stop. The offenses do not necessarily function identically, but the “theme” of the offense is reminiscent of Chip Kelly’s. On top of that, Florida’s defense is primed to improve, especially with the imminent emergence of stud edge player Dante Fowler.
Despite Florida’s improvement, Alabama is still Alabama. New quarterback Jacob Coker has the potential to outplay AJ McCarron immediately, their running back corps is loaded with immense talents, their skill players are impressive, and so on and so forth. Alabama is simply more talented at nearly every position on both offense and defense. For the first time in a while, Florida will put up an incredible fight, but will ultimately lose to the powerhouse that is Alabama.
Mississippi State vs LSU
For the most part, LSU has the player-to-player advantage at every position aside from quarterback. LSU seems to be favoring freshman Brandon Harris for the starting quarterback job and, while the raw talent is certainly there, an early game against a defense as reputable as Mississippi State’s defense will be tough on him. On the other hand, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott is lowkey the better version of Nick Marshall, though not quite as athletic.
Although, as stated previously stated, LSU has the advantage at nearly every other position. More so than any other position, LSU’s running back advantage is most obvious because of freshman Leonard Fournette, who many believed to be the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. That is not necessarily true, but he certainly deserves the nomination. To bolster that corps, Terrence McGee is a terrific change of pace back for Fournette. On a more general note, LSU’s defense is better than Mississippi State’s, especially because of their famed defensive back talent.