College Football: 2018 Saturday Blitz staff season projections

SEC

Champion: Alabama

East: Georgia

In the most unsurprising, uncreative result in preseason poll history, Alabama is projected to win the SEC. But, just like last season, there was at least one dissenter on staff elected to pick someone else to win the most dominant division in the past decade of college football. After all, Auburn did upset the Tide and win the West in 2017. They’ll be in the mix once again, but we’re kidding ourselves if we don’t admit this is Nick Saban’s world and we’re all just living in it.

One person that won’t buy into that narrative is Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. The Nick Saban disciple came dangerously close to besting his mentor on the sport’s biggest stage and returns a roster buoyed by the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

Georgia was picked No. 3 in the preseason AP Poll, two spots behind No. 1 Alabama. In a vacuum, both of these teams look to be as strong, if not stronger, than they were at the end of last season.

One more thing

The SEC, predictable or not, could be a lot of fun this season. South Carolina and Auburn will both have a shot to knock off one of the top dogs, and the middle tier of the conference will be full of interesting storylines. How will new head coaches Jimbo Fisher, Dan Mullen, Joe Moorhead and Jeremy Pruitt fair?