SEC Football: Five teams with the most experience from juniors

Oct 11, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Travin Dural (83) reacts as it becomes the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. LSU Tigers defeated the Florida Gators 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Which SEC football teams have the most sophomore experience entering the 2015 season?

We are now just weeks away from the start of the 2015 SEC football season and by now you’ve seen numerous polls, read all the explanations into the thought process of those polls and more.

More from Alabama Crimson Tide

• #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
• College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 2
• Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 2
• Alabama football: Is the Nick Saban Dynasty officially over?
• Alabama football: 3 bold predictions vs. No. 11 Texas in Week 2

Returning starters is always a big deal when talking about a team’s potential for success during a football season and it is without a doubt a “talking point” and for good reason. But, when discussing returning starters that can get dicey and sometimes misleading.

For instance, if a team finished 3-9 in 2014 and returns 20 starters, does it really matter? Will that team automatically win 10 ballgames in 2015; probably not.

Today we go beyond the numbers of returning starters and look at the top five SEC teams with the most sophomore experience from 2014, as we head into 2015. Dave Bartoo with the College Football Matrix does a great job breaking down the numbers part of college football and provided this study over the summer. You can see all his work and his breakdown of total games played in 2014 by sophomores.

While starters on a depth chart can be important, who you have in your starting twenty-two and beyond is as equally important. How much depth does your team really have and how much playing time and experience are you bringing back?

Today we look at that from a standpoint of sophomore players – guys that either played last year as true sophomores, or guys that went the redshirt route and now have a true three years on campus.

Next: Begin Slideshow