The 2020 SEC released its Week 1 football schedule with seven games. Here are the first reaction predictions and thoughts.
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The SEC is still on with a fall football season in 2020. Here’s the first reaction and quick predictions for Week 1 on September 26th.
We’ll dive in deep when we get closer to the date, but like they tell you in third grade, though, always go with your first answer.
The first knee-jerk reactions and predictions are …
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Alabama at Missouri
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Hey, Eliah Drinkwitz. Welcome to the SEC. The new Missouri head man gets Bama in Columbia in just the seventh meeting ever between the two – Bama is 3-0 in SEC play but just 4-2 overall.
Will the Tiger offense go anywhere? The running game should be fine overall, but this feels like an early statement moment for a Tide D that wasn’t exactly its normal self last year. Mizzou’s defense keeps this from getting out of hand, but the Bama offensive skill parts take over.
First Thought Prediction: Alabama 34, Missouri 13
First Thought Line Guess: Alabama -21.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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2020 SEC Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | Missouri
South Carolina | Tennessee | Vanderbilt
West Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | LSU
Miss State | Ole Miss | Texas A&M
CFN Preview 2020: All Team Previews
Florida at Ole Miss
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: Just think for a moment about the potential storylines if Lane Kiffin comes out and pulls off a win over Florida in his debut as the Ole Miss head man.
The problem will be a Rebel secondary that’s going to give up way too many third down chances, all while getting less than zero help from a D line that doesn’t get to QB Kyle Trask enough to matter. It’ll be methodical, but the Gators come up with a balanced attack to get out with a good Week 1 road win.
First Thought Prediction: Florida 38, Ole Miss 16
First Thought Line Guess: Florida -14
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Georgia at Arkansas
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: New Georgia starting QB Jamie Newman – that’s a projection, by the way – looks the part right out of the gate as he carves up the Arkansas secondary on the way to an easy win. The downfield passing game will get Dawg fans fired up right out of the gate.
It’s not that Arkansas will be awful; it’s that Georgia is that good with a defense that will shut everything down hard in the second half after Newman generates a few big plays early.
First Thought Prediction: Georgia 41, Arkansas 10
First Thought Line Guess: Georgia -26
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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Kentucky at Auburn
Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: This might be the sneaky-good gem on the Week 1 SEC calendar. Auburn can’t afford to give away anything at home, and Kentucky is going to be just sound enough make this a fight.
The UK secondary will give Auburn QB Bo Nix a long day, and the game itself will be mucked up as everything grinds down into the Wildcat style, but the home side – and Nix – will come up with one late drive to pull this out of the fire.
First Thought Prediction: Auburn 23, Kentucky 20
First Thought Line Guess: Auburn -7.5
Actual Initial Line: COMING
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