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There are no conference games in Week 1, so there will be very little direct impact on the SEC championship picture in the first week of the season.
But what we will know after Week 1 is how to frame some of the games going forward as conference play, as six of the league’s 14 teams begin conference play in Week 2.
With teams like Missouri, Ole Miss and LSU playing FCS opponents, it will be tough to draw too many conclusions from their games this week.
Here are some things we can learn about the SEC championship picture in Week 1:
SEC WEST
- Alabama: We should know pretty quickly if the Crimson Tide has the look of a national title contender on offense, or if they are actually going to need some time for guys to gain experience. While history says to bet on the former, if it happens to be the latter, not only are they in danger of losing to No. 20 Wisconsin, but their status as one of the favorites in the highly contested SEC West has to be brought into question moving forward.
- Auburn: There is so much information to gather from Auburn’s neutral-site meeting with Louisville that could impact the SEC championship picture. Is Jeremy Johnson as good as advertised? Does Will Muschamp have this defense in championship form? Louisville should be stiff enough competition to really hash out these concerns in Week 1.
- Texas A&M: The Aggies will face a major test in Week 1, drawing a neutral-site game against No. 15 Arizona State. There is good reason to believe that the Aggies offense will again be one of the SEC’s top offensive teams, so if Texas A&M’s new-look defense is able to keep a powerful Sun Devils offense in check, it may be a sign that this team is ready to compete for a SEC West title in 2015.
SEC EAST
- Florida: If the SEC East is truly as wide open as most experts think it will be, we have to entertain the idea that Florida could be a contender this season. While New Mexico State shouldn’t be too tough of a test to pass in Week 1, the Gators game makes the list this week more for the information we can gather about how their quarterbacks will perform. We have a pretty good idea that their defense will remain solid. If the new-look offense shows it can be effective, this is a team that should be in most games it plays this year.
- Georgia: Everyone’s eyes will be on transfer QB Greyson Lambert in Athens on Saturday. As the overwhelming preseason favorite to win the SEC East, there are very little concerns about the Bulldogs defense and rushing attack this season. That’s why early indications of the type of performance they may get from the former Virginia quarterback may determine whether this season is one where they again struggle to emerge from a winnable division, or one where they may turn the corner and be a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
- Tennessee: At the beginning of any sort of speaking engagement during the last two years, the first words out of Butch Jones’ mouth have likely been about how young his football team is. Entering his third season, the expectation level is through the roof. While Bowling Green is by no means a top-shelf opponent, they are a quality mid-level FBS program that should be capable of pushing Tennessee enough to give us a glimpse at just how much Jones’ young squad has improved during the offseason.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
