By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
The SEC always seems to be wild and Auburn isn’t quite the juggernaut they were last season. With more parity in the conference, this could easily be the most exciting conference to watch. Let’s see how the ADs see it.
Note: These rankings were created by asking every AD to rank their conference (except their team). Those rankings were compiled to create this list.
| Rank | Team | First Place Votes |
| 1 | Auburn | 5 |
| 2 | Alabama | |
| 3 | Kentucky | 1 |
| 4 | Georgia | |
| 5 | Florida | |
| 6 | Tennessee |
Auburn is still picked to be the favorite. Last season they went a perfect 8-0 in the regular season. It would be tough to replicate that, but I am sure AD Justin Duke and his team wouldn’t be upset with another conference title regardless of record.
Alabama may not have received a first-place vote, but they did finish second in the rankings. The Crimson Tide would love nothing more than to unseat their rival. I am looking forward to the Iron Bowl this season.
6-4 is a good record for most teams, but it was the worst finish Kentucky had had since Season 17. Now the Wildcats come into Season 21 hungry to get back to their winning ways. The ADs see them as an auto-playoff team. Knowing Devan Davis and his teams, that isn’t good enough.
Georgia is an interesting team. They had a roller coaster of a season last year. They were close to beating Auburn, and did beat Kentucky, but also lost to Florida. I am not sure what to make of them this year either. I wonder if the ADs had the same thought when they placed them fourth in the rankings.
Florida is a team on the rise, but they need to trust the process. Great teams aren’t built overnight. This season should be better than the last for the Gators, but they will have to pull off some stellar upsets to put pressure on the top-end teams.
Tennessee killed the losing streak last season with a great win over Syracuse. However, it seems they struggled to channel that momentum into the offseason. Could the quiet recruiting cycle be a bad sign or a mislead? Time will tell, but the ADs in the SEC still left them in the last spot.
