College football is back. And honestly, the opening weekend couldn’t be much better.
There are a ton of great games around the SEC, with several SEC giants facing difficult challenges right out of the gate.
How will all of the games play out in the conference?
Let’s get to the Week 1 predictions.
Note: These are straight up predictions with no betting advice. Don’t blame me if you lose millions.
Thursday, September 1
Appalachian State at No. 9 Tennessee – 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network
Appalachian State is a really good team. The Mountaineers won 11 games a season ago, so Butch Jones better hope his team doesn’t see this as a pushover (just ask 2007 Michigan).
But this is Tennessee’s year to win the East, and the Vols will win the game.
Prediction: Tennessee 38, Appalachian State 17
South Carolina at Vanderbilt – 8 PM ET on ESPN
A lot of people are picking against Vanderbilt because “it’s Vandy.” This is lazy logic.
From top to bottom, the Commodores are the better team. The defense is loaded, and if Kyle Shurmur can take a step forward, the offense will be just fine.
There’s a ton of inexperience on both sides of the ball for the Gamecocks, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Vandy win this game by double digits.
Prediction: Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 10
Saturday, September 3
South Alabama at Mississippi State – Noon EST on SEC Network
The least interesting game on the Week 1 schedule. Why? Because Mississippi State has a lot of work to do to replace Dak Prescott, and that process won’t be pretty early on.
Still, the Bulldogs aren’t losing to South Alabama.
Prediction: Mississippi State 41, South Alabama 10
Missouri at West Virginia – Noon EST on FOX Sports 1
This game will tell us a lot about where Missouri stands as a program.
The Tigers lost Walter Brady and Harold Brantley on the defensive line in the preseason, but have way more concerns on offense.
I can’t see Missouri scoring enough points to keep up with West Virginia.
Prediction: West Virginia 30, Missouri 16
No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin – 3:30 PM ET on ABC (Green Bay, WI)
Leonard Fournette should be good to go after suffering an ankle injury in practice. That means we’ll see the smashmouth run game for both teams on full display.
Here’s the deal: Everyone wants to see improvement from Brandon Harris. If Harris can limit mistakes in the passing game, the Tigers are going to win a lot of games.
Although the setting is difficult for LSU, it’ll make enough plays to down the Badgers.
Prediction: LSU 27, Wisconsin 17
UCLA at Texas A&M – 3:30 PM ET on CBS
The incredible games just keep on coming.
Josh Rosen is obviously the real deal for UCLA, and the A&M defense has been known to be shaky.
However, I’m high on the Aggies heading into the season. We know how good Trevor Knight can be when he’s on, and he has a ton of playmakers on offense.
Points will be scored, and it’s Kevin Sumlin’s squad that earns a big win to start the year.
Prediction: Texas A&M 31, UCLA 27
Louisiana Tech at Arkansas – 4 PM ET on SEC Network
Louisiana Tech has too many question marks on both sides of the ball to win this game.
The Razorbacks do have to figure out how to replace some productivity on offense, but it’ll all work itself out in a blowout win.
Prediction: Arkansas 45, LA Tech 7
No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 22 North Carolina – 5:30 PM ET on ESPN (Atlanta, GA)
9/1 UPDATE: Greyson Lambert has been announced as the starter for Georgia. I’ll still stick with my prediction.
Now this game will be fun. Both teams are hoping to play a role in their conference title picture this season, and this is a great way to test their strength.
Of course, the biggest storyline heading into the game is Kirby Smart saying that Nick Chubb is a full go. That takes care of the running back situation.
The question is, what about quarterback? Reports suggest that freshman Jacob Eason will start, and while he’s a tremendous talent, a freshman going up against an outstanding North Carolina team is no easy task.
There are certain gut picks that you have to make, and my gut says the Tar Heels win this game. North Carolina feels like the better team right now, but Georgia is the better team by season’s end.
This might be the best game of the weekend.
Prediction: North Carolina 34, Georgia 31
UMass at No. 25 Florida – 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network
We go from the best game of the weekend to one of the worst of the weekend.
Let’s save you some time and move right along.
Prediction: Florida 42, UMass 6
Southern Miss at Kentucky – 7:30 PM ET on ESPNU
This will not be the pushover that some expect it to be. Southern Miss will be a major player in Conference USA, so the Wildcats better be ready.
The offense for Kentucky will be fine. The defense for Kentucky is where the concerns come in.
Southern Miss has an offense that can score plenty of points. And with Mark Stoops on the hot seat, this one may make Kentucky fans a bit uneasy.
It goes right down to the wire, with the Wildcats scoring a late field goal to survive.
Prediction: Kentucky 37, Southern Miss 34
No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 20 USC – 8 PM ET on ABC (Arlington, TX)
Could Clay Helton ask for a better opportunity to prove that he’s the right head coach for USC? A win over the defending national champions in Arlington would be quite a statement.
And while many people have jumped on the “Alabama has no quarterback” train, it’s best to pump the brakes.
We’ve heard the same thing over and over throughout the years. That hasn’t stopped Nick Saban from leading the Crimson Tide to several national titles. There’s enough talent around the quarterback situation for Alabama to win plenty of games.
The Trojans have the potential to be great. Alabama is great.
Prediction: Alabama 30, USC 20
No. 2 Clemson at Auburn – 9 PM ET on ESPN
Gus Malzahn enters the season on the hot seat, so this isn’t an ideal way to kick things off.
Deshaun Watson is back for Clemson, which immediately causes problems for the Auburn defense. As for the Auburn offense, Sean White was surprisingly named the team’s starting quarterback. Many expected it to be John Franklin III, who seems to be the best fit for Malzahn’s scheme.
I simply can’t see Auburn scoring enough points to keep up here.
Prediction: Clemson 31, Auburn 20
Monday, September 5
No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Florida State – 8 PM ET on ESPN (Orlando, FL)
The Seminoles could be scary good this season. They have national title aspirations and have a ridiculous talent in running back Dalvin Cook.
I think Ole Miss takes a slight step back in 2016, but the Rebels will be far from terrible.
Chad Kelly is the real deal, but he won’t be enough to get Ole Miss past this extremely talented Florida State team.
Prediction: Florida State 24, Ole Miss 17
Who are you picking to win this week’s SEC games? Log into Facebook to comment below or hit me up on Twitter (@theblakelovell) to share your thoughts.
Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.