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The Power Five officially kicked off its 2020 season last night as Miami beat UAB at Hard Rock Stadium, but everyone else in the ACC and Big 12 has to wait until Saturday get their seasons underway.
In anticipation of the first weekend of major college football, USA TODAY Sports released its predictions for the season. Several of their writers like the Gators’ chances to win the SEC, or at the very least make the College Football Playoff in addition to the SEC champion.
While most of the staff picked Alabama or Georgia to win the league title, writer Eddie Timanus chose Florida.
SEC: Florida – Ah, now this one’s a bit of a flyer. But the Gators look poised to overtake Georgia in the East, and that air of inevitability from Alabama has taken a hit.
Timanus was the only one that picked UF to win the conference, but others had it in the College Football Playoff field.
Digital Producer Jace Evans predicted an Alabama victory in the SEC Championship, with Florida making the CFP as the second team from the SEC. Columnist Dan Wolken did the same.
Jace Evans: Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida.
The three Power Five conferences that are playing this fall will get their champs in the Playoff. But what about the fourth position? Since we’ve already seen the committee pick two SEC teams in a normal year, I feel like they will have no hesitation doing so again.
Eddie Timanus: Clemson, Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama – There’s been some speculation that this might be the year the American champ – or maybe even another contender from the Group of Five – cracks the playoff field with the Big Ten and Pac-12 out of the picture and the SEC beating itself up with its conference-only approach. The bet here, though, is there will still be a pair from the mighty SEC. Sorry.
Dan Wolken: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame.
All of the writers picked either Clemson or Alabama to win the national title, and their Heisman pick was unanimously Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
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