SEC Football: Season preview and final standings predictions
SEC East
| Georgia | 1 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Tennessee | 3 |
| South Carolina | 4 |
| Kentucky | 5 |
| Missouri | 6 |
| Vanderbilt | 7 |
The SEC East figures to be a much more interesting race than the West. Over the course of the past six years a trend has emerged in this division of back-to-back champions. Georgia won the East in 2011 and 2012, Missouri followed in 2013 and 2014 and Florida rounds of the final two years as winners of the 2015 and 2016 divisional titles. If history is to repeat itself, someone else will claim the crown in 2017.
That someone else looks to be the Georgia Bulldogs. A year ago they beat Auburn, the SEC’s Sugar Bowl participant, without scoring an offensive touchdown. With one more year of experience under his belt, Jacob Eason will be ever more dangerous as a passer. It won’t hurt that he has two of the better backs in the SEC lining up behind him Sony Michel and Nick Chubb.
Florida has invited Notre Dame transfer Malik Zaire to compete for the starting quarterback job. Whomever takes the job needs desperately to elevate the level of play of the Gator offense. Florida finished dead last in the conference in total offense a year ago and 12th in total scoring.
More: Florida Gators 2017 season preview
Butch Jones’ seat in Tennessee is getting hotter. If he couldn’t get things done with Joshua Dobbs and Alvin Kamara last year he’s going to struggle to improve his team with either Quinten Dormady or Jarrett Guarantano in the shotgun, even with John Kelly in the backfield.
South Carolina and Kentucky both have legitimate dark horse consideration to pull off an upset or two and win the division. The Gamecocks’ Jake Bentley has an experienced cast around him and could compete for the SEC passing title. Missouri and Vanderbilt have some pieces, but won’t be real contenders, not this year.