The final season outlook is the SEC, who is entering a rough patch. Once known as a conference in it's own league, is now scrambling trying to figure out where else to go. Alabama won the title in 2015 and 2017, LSU won in 2019, Alabama won again in 2020, and then Georgia went back to back in 2021 and 2022, and that is just in the CFP era. After that, Big Ten has won three in a row and has created a real conversation on which conference is better that currently seems like the edge is with the Big Ten right now. Either way, this is do or die for the SEC to return to the top and if they can't get there this year and the Big Ten wins again then they have lost their grip.

1. Georgia (CFP)

It's just hard to go against Georgia at this point. There are other teams in the SEC that could absolutely win the conference, but until someone proves they are better than HC Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, they are going to be my pick to finish at the top.

2. Alabama (CFP)

People are making Alabama's schedule sound much harder than it actually is and I think that is going to work in their favor. There are some tough games on there, obviously, but this is a schedule where Alabama can get through the season with one or two losses and comfortably make the CFP.

3. LSU (CFP)

Congratulations, Lane! You finally did it! After years of getting close at Ole Miss, I have HC Lane Kiffin finally breaking through and getting LSU into the CFP in his first season, and he has the talent around him to make some noise once they get there.

4. Texas (CFP)

Texas makes the CFP, but I don't think it will be the dominant season some are expecting. HC Steve Sarkisian has struggled getting the most out of his transformational QB's before, just look at Quinn Ewers, and I think we see some of those same growing pains this season before Texas eventually gets it figured out.

5. Florida

Florida will be one of the first teams left out of the CFP, but that shouldn't take away from what will be a great season. They are going to be in the playoff conversation late into the year and finally have a campaign that makes Florida fans feel like they are legitimately heading somewhere.

6. Texas A&M

I don't think Texas A&M falls off a cliff, but I do have them regressing from last season. They will still be a good football team and probably beat somebody they aren't supposed to, but they won't be able to replicate the success that put them among the SEC's best.

7. Tennessee

The regression has officially hit Tennessee and now they are entering the season with a true freshman starting at QB. There is still enough talent around him to keep the Volunteers competitive, but asking a true freshman to navigate an SEC schedule is why I can't put them any higher than this.

8. Mississippi State

Here is my biggest surprise team in the SEC. I think Mississippi State is going to catch a lot of people sleeping and turn themselves from a team everyone automatically checks off as a win into one of the biggest pains in the ass to play in the conference.

9. Ole Miss

The fantasy world is over in Oxford. QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy are good players, but neither are "put the entire team on my back" good, and I think last year's CFP run was fueled by the emotional high of losing HC Lane Kiffin right before the playoffs just as much as talent.

10. Oklahoma

Welcome back to another episode of the Brent Venables roller coaster. Oklahoma has been so up and down under Venables that I can't trust them to put together an entire season, and eventually those inconsistent performances are going to cost them games they should win.

11. South Carolina

South Carolina improves, but HC Shane Beamer is basically Brent Venables in opposite years. Every time it looks like South Carolina is ready to take off they fall back down, and every time people start giving up on them they improve again, so I have them trending back upward without making a massive jump.

12. Missouri

This isn't necessarily because I dislike Missouri's roster, but the length of time Hardy is expected to miss is going to hurt them. They should still be competitive, but losing someone that important for a significant chunk of the season is enough for me to have the Tigers regressing.

13. Auburn

And here is my final SEC bowl team. Auburn will look solid and show that there is something to build around, but there are still enough holes on this roster that they are probably another offseason away from being a serious threat in the SEC.

14. Kentucky

Kentucky will be better than their record shows and there will be some promising moments throughout the season. Unfortunately, promising doesn't automatically get you six wins in the SEC and I have them just barely missing out on a bowl game.

15. Vanderbilt

Diego Pavia has to be smiling ear to ear watching what happens to Vanderbilt without him. The Commodores had an incredible run with Pavia leading the offense, but now we are going to see just how much of that success was Vanderbilt building something sustainable and how much of it was simply having the perfect QB for that team.

16. Arkansas

Nobody should be surprised to see Arkansas sitting dead last, and I don't even think that necessarily means they are the worst team in the SEC. Sometimes you look at a schedule and wonder who you pissed off at the conference office, and Arkansas has one of those schedules where I just don't see enough wins available to put them anywhere else.

All SEC First Team

QB - Gunner Stockton, Georgia

RB - Jadan Baugh, Florida

RB - Nate Frazier, Georgia

WR - Ryan Coleman Williams, Alabama

WR - Mario Craver, Texas A&M

WR - Anthony Evans, Mississippi State

TE - Brett Norfleet, Missouri

C - Drew Bobo, Georgia

G - Dontrell Glover, Georgia

G - Patrick Kutas, Ole Miss

T - Trevor Goosby, Texas

T - Jordan Seaton, LSU

DE - Colin Simmons, Texas

DT - Tavion Gadson, Kentucky

DT - David Stone, Oklahoma

DE - Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

LB - Xavier Atkins, Auburn

LB - Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss

LB - Whit Weeks, LSU

LB - Raylen Wilson, Georgia

CB - Zabien Brown, Alabama

CB - Kelley Jones, Mississippi State

S - Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma

S - Bray Hubbard, Alabama

K - Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

P - Grant Chadwick, LSU

LS - Hudson Powell, Auburn

KR - Nyck Harbor, South Carolina

PR - Ryan Niblett, Texas

Offensive Player of the Year - Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida

Defensive Player of the Year - Dylan Stewart, Edge, South Carolina

Coach of the Year - Jon Sumrall, Florida