Sports

Media picks Georgia to win SEC by wide margin over Alabama, LSU

Associated Press ·
Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders responds during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Two-time defending national champion Georgia is the overwhelming preseason pick to win the 2023 Southeastern Conference title.

Media covering the SEC’s media days that concluded Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee, gave coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs 181 points to win the title Dec. 2 in the poll released Friday. Alabama received 62 while LSU, which lost the title to Georgia last December, was third (31).

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Tennessee was a distant fourth, tied with in-state rival Vanderbilt despite the Commodores never winning the league championship. Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and South Carolina received at least one point to win the SEC title.

The team picked as the preseason champ at SEC media days has won the SEC championship game only nine times since 1992.

Georgia also led the SEC with 11 players selected to the league’s preseason first-team. Alabama had seven with defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry also listed as a return specialist along with kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Kneeland Hibbett.

SEC Preseason Media Poll

SEC East

  1. Georgia (265 first-place votes) — 2011 points
  2. Tennessee (14 first-place votes) — 1682 points
  3. South Carolina (3 first-place votes) — 1254 points
  4. Kentucky (1 first-place vote) — 1204 points
  5. Florida — 911 points
  6. Missouri — 658 points
  7. Vanderbilt (8 first-place votes) — 428 points

SEC West

  1. Alabama (165 first-place votes) — 1899 points
  2. LSU (117 first-place votes) — 1838 points
  3. Texas A&M (1 first-place vote) — 1144 points
  4. Ole Miss — 1128 points
  5. Arkansas (3 first-place votes) — 958 points
  6. Auburn (4 first-place votes) — 685 points
  7. Mississippi State (1 first-place vote) — 496 points

SEC champions

Georgia (181 points)
Alabama (62 points)
LSU (31 points)
Tennessee (5 points)
Vanderbilt (5 points)
Arkansas (2 points)
Auburn (2 points)
Texas A&M (1 point)
Mississippi State (1 point)
South Carolina (1 point)