On Friday, the SEC’s 2024 preseason media poll was released following the conclusion of SEC media days.
While the ultimate picks to win each of the conference’s divisions and the conference title were as expected, some surprises were involved.
Before getting into those surprises, a look back at last year’s media poll shows similar results.
Last year, Georgia was the favorite to win the SEC East, while Alabama was the favorite to win the SEC West; both were voted to do so by large margins, receiving 170+ first-place votes each. Many, however, expected Alabama to reclaim its crown at the top of the conference after knocking off Georgia 41-24 in the 2021 SEC Championship game.
Georgia would have something different to say about that, as the Bulldogs were unbeatable last season. They would run wild through their regular season schedule and SEC Championship game win over LSU en route to defeating Ohio State and TCU in the College Football Playoffs to win their second straight national championship while finishing a perfect season.
On the other hand, programs last year, such as Tennessee, South Carolina, and LSU, outperformed expectations set by the 2022 preseason poll. While Kentucky, Texas A&M, and Arkansas, all receiving first-place votes, failed to meet high expectations.
While it will take a few months to see which programs have met expectations, surpassed them, or failed to meet them, there are several takeaways in the immediate to take from this year’s preseason media poll.