CFN SEC Preview 2020: Top Players, Games, Thoughts On Each Team – Page 2

4. SEC Surprise, Disappointment

SEC Team That Will Surprise

LSU Tigers

Okay, so it’s hard to be a surprise when you’re a top five team coming off a national title in what might have been the greatest one season run in college football history. However, next to no one will have LSU repeating as the SEC champion, much less win the College Football Playoff.

It’s hard to lose a Heisman-winning quarterback (Joe Burrow) and 13 other players to the NFL Draft, and a slew of other parts of the puzzle including your defensive coordinator (Dave Aranda) and star offensive coaching mind (Joe Brady) – unless you recruit like the superstar program LSU is.

There’s talent back, and the schedule won’t be that bad – all things considered

The Tigers have to go to Florida, but they miss Georgia. They have to go to Auburn and Texas A&M, but they get Alabama at home. Out of the four teams from the East to play, three – South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Missouri, who went 6-6 and had NCAA issues – didn’t go bowling last year.

SEC Team That Will Disappoint

Tennessee Volunteers

They’ll be fine, but even with a scheduled date at Oklahoma, this would’ve been the year to have the non-conference games on the slate.

Originally, the Vols had to go to Norman, but they also had Charlotte, Furman and Troy to go along with Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and home games against Missouri and Kentucky. They probably would’ve been 7-5 to 8-4 with the original slate, and now it might be a fight to get to 5-5.

Again, they’re going to be good, but this won’t be the breakthrough campaign Vol fans have been so patiently waiting for. At Georgia, Alabama, Florida, at Auburn, Texas A&M – win two of those and it’ll be amazing. Win three and the excitement will be off the charts for 2021.

Throw in Kentucky, Missouri, and a trip to South Carolina, and again, just getting to five wins might be more impressive than it might seem.

NEXT: SEC Game of the Year, Hot Seat Coaches

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