3. The non-conference games
Oh yeah … non-conference games.
The SEC is going to do those again after taking a year off for a whole slew of reasons – more on that in Part 2 of this whole thing.
Everyone likes to rip on the SEC playing an FCS team and a slew of other layups all while not really travelling to too many other houses unless it’s a neutral site game.
But give the conference credit – just about everyone has one fantastic date against a Power Five big name. This matters for a league full of teams that can’t afford to drop even one game in a league full of landmines, or risk being out of the College Football Playoff hunt.
So how do all of the SEC non-conference slates look?
SEC East
Florida
Is Florida State going to be any better? The rivalry game is in Gainesville, and so are the in-state games against Florida Atlantic and USF – even if the date with the Bulls is on the road. Samford is the FCS free space date.
Georgia
Not one word about the late November game against Charleston Southern. Why? The Bulldogs are facing defending Conference USA champion UAB, they finish up in Atlanta against Georgia Tech, and … oh yeah. The season opens against Clemson in Charlotte.
Kentucky
There’s nothing to get excited over – ULM, Chattanooga, New Mexico State – until the regular season-ender at Louisville.
Missouri
There’s a fun, dangerous date at Boston College at the end of September, but that’s it. Central Michigan, SE Missouri, and North Texas all have to come to Columbia.
South Carolina
You can forgive South Carolina for Eastern Illinois, at East Carolina – watch out for that, by the way – and Troy with the Clemson rivalry back on.
Tennessee
The layups against Bowling Green and South Alabama are forgiven a wee bit considering the Vols are also hosting a dangerous Pitt team.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores are stretching themselves a bit with a dangerous date at Colorado State and home game against Stanford in between – in non-conference play – scrimmages against ETSU and UConn.
SEC West
Alabama
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Alabama playing Southern Miss, New Mexico State, Mercer makes the world a lesser place, but there season-opener against Miami sort of makes up for it.
Arkansas
The Southwest Conference days are back on with the Hogs facing Texas and Rice. Georgia Southern is a dangerous letdown game, but Arkansas-Pine Bluff is a nice break.
Auburn
Rip on the dates against Akron, Georgia State and Alabama State all you want. The Tigers are doing something most of the rest of the SEC isn’t and going on the road for a dangerous non-rivalry date: at Penn State.
LSU
Starting the season out at UCLA will be a blast. Go ahead and enjoy doing something else with your day with the other three against McNeese State, Central Michigan and ULM.
Mississippi State
Going up the road to Memphis is interesting, and hosting NC State should be a fight. Watch out for the opener against a Louisiana Tech team that might be the best in Conference USA. Tennessee State is the layup.
Ole Miss
Opening up against Louisville in Atlanta is a big deal for both teams. Tulane isn’t a two-foot putt, and let’s get the head coaching chatter going when Liberty comes to town. Austin Peay is the FCS game.
Texas A&M
Kent State, New Mexico, and Prairie View A&M are the gimmes, but the trip to Colorado is at least a restaurant quality road game – even if it’s technically a neutral site date in Denver.