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College Football Betting: SEC Season Preview
1-2 Punch Atop SEC
Surprise, surprise, Alabama and Georgia are favored to win their respective divisions and meet for the Southeastern Conference title once again. Perhaps the conference rivals will also square off in the national title game, as they did in 2021.
While Alabama’s Nick Saban and Georgia’s Kirby Smart will return with the hopes of more SEC and national titles in their future, some new coaches have come into the conference. Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to take over at LSU while Billy Napier went from Louisiana to Florida. Ten of the 14 head coaches in the conference have been in those roles for three years or less.
Here’s a look at how the college football betting lines favor the SEC race playing out. Alabama (+200) and Georgia (+375) are also first and third in the odds to win the national championship.
Alabama Crimson Tide
- 2021 record: 13-2
- 2021 conference record: 7-1
- Head coach: Nick Saban
- Odds to win conference title: -145
Alabama could have the best player in the country on both sides of the ball.
Quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy in his first season as the starter after a year learning from current New England Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones. Young completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,872 yards to go with 47 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
He will be without both of his 1,000-yard receivers as Jameson Williams and John Metchie headed off to the NFL. Perhaps that is why the college football predictions list Young second in the current Heisman odds.
Tight end Cameron Latu (26 catches, 410 yards) could have a larger role in the passing offense, especially with the transfer of fellow tight end Jahleel Billingsley. The Crimson Tide did bring in Jermaine Burton, the No. 2 receiver on Georgia’s national championship team.
There is also a key transfer at running back with former Georgia Tech star Jahmyr Gibbs set to take over as the lead back now that 1,000-yard rusher Brian Robinson is in the NFL.
Evan Neal was a top 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but the Crimson Tide brought back offensive line starters Javion Cohen, Darrian Dalcourt, Emil Ekiyor and Damian George. JC Latham was a highly touted recruit while Tyler Steen transferred in from Vanderbilt.
Anderson led the country with 33½ tackles for loss and 17½ sacks. Leading tackler Henry To’oTo’o (112) and Dallas Turner team with Anderson to form perhaps the best group of linebackers in the nation.
DeMarcco Hellams (88 tackles, three interceptions) is joined in the secondary by Jordan Battle, Brian Branch and LSU transfer Eli Ricks.
Georgia Bulldogs
- 2021 record: 14-1
- 2021 conference record: 8-0
- Head coach: Kirby Smart
- Odds to win conference title: +150
Georgia loses nine of its top 10 tacklers. However, linebacker Nolan Smith, defensive lineman Jalen Carter and defensive back Kelee Ringo give the Bulldogs playmakers at all three levels of the defense.
4⃣ Dawgs were named to the @AP Preseason All-American teams.#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/EdUcotAzQX
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 22, 2022
Quarterback Stetson Bennett narrowly missed becoming the first Georgia quarterback with at least 3,000 yards in a season since Aaron Murray in 2013. He finished with 2,862 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions despite attempting a total of 41 passes in Georgia’s first five contests.
The key player in the passing game figures to be Brock Bowers, perhaps the best tight end in the nation. Bowers averaged 15.8 yards on his 56 catches as a freshman. He added 13 touchdown grabs.
Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell figure to be targeted more often than they were as freshmen when they combined for 60 catches, 873 yards and nine touchdowns. Could this be the year when Arian Smith, considered one of the 10 best receivers in the Class of 2020, emerges into an elite pass catcher?
Starting offensive linemen Warren Ericson, Warren McClendon, and Sedrick Van Pran do return.
Texas A&M Aggies
- 2021 record: 8-4
- 2021 conference record: 4-4
- Head coach: Jimbo Fisher
- Odds to win conference title: +1600
With Isaiah Spiller off to the NFL, Devon Achane could emerge as the unquestioned No. 1 back for the Aggies. Among SEC players with at least 100 rushing attempts during the 2021 season, Achane led the conference with an average of seven yards per carry.
There is a change at quarterback. Starting QB Zach Calzada is now at Auburn while former LSU starter Max Johnson is with the Aggies after throwing 35 touchdown passes with just seven interceptions in his two seasons in Baton Rouge.
Ainias Smith is back after leading Texas A&M with 47 receptions a season ago.
Antonio Johnson and Demani Richardson return after combining for 144 tackles. Johnson is being touted as a potential top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Something to consider for those who bet online: The odds to win the SEC title have moved from +850 to +1600 since early June.
Florida Gators
- 2021 record: 6-7
- 2021 conference record: 2-6
- Head coach: Billy Napier
- Odds to win conference title: +4000
There is a tremendous amount of buzz around quarterback Anthony Richardson, even though he has completed a total of 40 passes in his two seasons with the Gators. He is in the top 15 in the current Heisman Trophy odds and is being projected as a potential first-round pick.
Florida’s top three rushers are gone. Nay’Quan Wright was named to the Doak Walker preseason watch list. He hasn’t had more than nine carries in a game in his three seasons with the Gators.
Offensive linemen O’Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites played for new Florida coach Billy Napier at Louisiana and should strengthen the Gators’ offensive front. Ricky Pearsall was Arizona State’s leading receiver with 48 catches and 580 receiving yards. Running back Montrell Johnson also comes in from Louisiana after rushing for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman.
The defense will be led by safety Trey Dean, who had a team-high 91 tackles to go with nine pass breakups last season. Safety Rashad Torrence (87 tackles), defensive linemen Gervon Dexter (51 tackles), linebacker Amari Burney and Brenton Cox also return. Torrence is being viewed as a possible first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kentucky Wildcats
- 2021 record: 10-3
- 2021 conference record: 5-3
- Head coach: Mark Stoops
- Odds to win conference title: +4000
Offensive guard Kenneth Horsey (21 career starts) and running back Chris Rodriguez team with quarterback Will Levis to lead what could be an explosive offense.
Levis is being touted as a potential top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The college football picks lists Levis (+4000) among the top 20 candidates for the Heisman Trophy.
Not only is Rodriguez back after rushing for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior but so is Kavosiey Smoke (416 rushing yards). Levis ran for nearly 400 yards as well. Ramon Jefferson, who ran for 1,155 yards and 13 touchdowns for Sam Houston, gives Kentucky another talented running back to work into the rotation.
Keep an eye on Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson. He had 44 catches a season ago and also averaged 12.6 yards on 26 punt returns.
Seven of the top 10 tacklers are back, led by leading tackler Jacquez Jones (85 tackles), fellow linebacker DeAndre Square (80 tackles, three sacks), defensive backs Carrington Valentine and Tyrell Ajian.
Tennessee Volunteers
- 2021 record: 7-6
- 2021 conference record: 4-4
- Head coach: Josh Heupel
- Odds to win conference title: +4000
Quarterback Hendon Hooker had eight games with multiple touchdowns and no interceptions last season, with the Volunteers going 6-2 in those games. He is currently tied for 16th in the Heisman Trophy odds. His top receiver, Cedric Tillman, is showing up on 2023 mock drafts as a potential first-round selection.
Add in former USC receiver Bru McCoy and Hooker will have options when he drops back to pass.
A key will be to protect Hooker better than a season ago. Jeremiah Crawford, Darnell Wright and Cooper Mays also return but three offensive linemen did transfer.
Leading rusher Jabari Small is back after rushing for nearly 800 yards a season ago.
Ole Miss Rebels
- 2021 record: 10-3
- 2021 conference record: 6-2
- Head coach: Lane Kiffin
- Odds to win conference title: +5000
With quarterback Matt Corral now in the NFL, the offense will be turned over to USC transfer Jaxson Dart. Dart threw for 391 yards and four touchdowns in his first game as a freshman at USC. He did have five interceptions in his six games.
Jonathan Mingo and Dannis Jackson opted to return so this will be the fourth season for both of them to be in the offensive rotation. Mingo had 346 yards in six games while Jackson averaged 20.3 yards on his 12 receptions in 2021. Tight end Casey Kelly (17 catches, 150 yards) is also coming back.
The Rebels added running backs Zach Evans from Texas Christian and Ulysses Bentley from SMU.
Defensive backs Otis Reese (91 tackles), E.J. Finley (90 tackles) and Tysheem Johnson are the top returning players on defense.
Arkansas Razorbacks
- 2021 record: 9-4
- 2021 conference record: 4-4
- Head coach: Sam Pittman
- Odds to win conference title: +6600
KJ Jefferson is a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. However, he can not do it alone. The Razorbacks lost two of the three games when Jefferson had the most yards of total offense. He is tied for 18th in the current odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
He will be aided by the return of starting offensive linemen Beaux Limmer, Brady Latham, Dalton Wagner and Ricky Stromberg.
Arkansas loses its top two receivers, including NFL first-round pick Treylon Burks (66 catches, 1104 yards). Adding former Oklahoma receiver Jadon Haselwood (39 catches, 399 yards and six touchdowns) as well as former Toledo receiver Matt Landers, who averaged 25.7 yards on his 20 receptions last season, will help.
Leading tackler Bumper Pool returns but the Razorbacks do lose four of the top five tacklers. Jalen Catalon has earned a reputation as one of the better coverage safeties in the SEC.
Arkansas hit the transfer portal in an attempt to improve the defense.
Linebacker Drew Sanders comes in from Alabama, cornerback Dwight McGlothern (32 tackles, five pass breakups) and defensive end Landon Jackson transferred in from LSU, safety Latavious Brini had 38 tackles and eight pass breakups for national champion Georgia while defensive end Jordan Domineck had 38 tackles and 3½ sacks a season ago at Georgia Tech.
Louisiana State Tigers
- 2021 record: 6-7
- 2021 conference record: 3-5
- Head coach: Brian Kelly
- Odds to win conference title: +6600
LSU added former Arizona State starting quarterback Jayden Daniels while last year’s starter, Max Johnson, headed to Texas A&M.
Kayshon Boutte was on pace for a huge season with 38 catches and nine touchdowns in the first six games of the season before missing the final seven games. LSU struggled to replace Boutte, who still finished with more receiving yards than any other LSU player.
Second-leading tackle Micah Baskerville (83 tackles, nine tackles for loss) tops the list of returning players on defense. Defensive end BJ Ojulari (53 tackles, 11½ tackles for loss, seven sacks) is being touted as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft while safety Jay Ward (70 tackles, two interceptions) will be the player to watch in the secondary. Ojulari has been awarded the prestigious No. 18 at LSU.
The key to the defense could be the incoming transfers.
Oklahoma State cornerback Jarrick Bernard (51 tackles, 11 pass breakups), Missouri defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo, Arkansas safety Joe Foucha (74 tackles) and Arkansas cornerback Greg Brooks (48 tackles, four pass breakups) are among the new additions.
Auburn Tigers
- 2021 record: 6-7
- 2021 conference record: 3-5
- Head coach: Bryan Harsin
- Odds to win conference title: +10000
The big question on the playing field is how the offense will look now that three-year starting quarterback Bo Nix is at Oregon. Zach Calzada comes in from Texas A&M and he had similar stats in 2021 to what Nix put up with the Tigers.
Leading rusher Tank Bigsby is back after rushing for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Shedrick Jackson (40 catches, 527 yards) and tight end John Samuel Shenker (33 catches, 413 yards) are the top returning pass catchers.
Having standout linebacker Owen Pappoe for more than five games should help the defense. He had 93 tackles during the 2020 season. Top pass rushers Colby Wooden (61 tackles, five sacks) and Derick Hall (54 tackles, 12½ tackles for loss, nine sacks) are other top returnees on defense.
South Carolina Gamecocks
- 2021 record: 7-6
- 2021 conference record: 3-5
- Head coach: Shane Beamer
- Odds to win conference title: +10000
South Carolina finished 13th out of 14 teams in the Southeastern Conference in both scoring offense and total offense. The hope that the arrival of former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler will help make the offense significantly more explosive in 2022.
Tight end Austin Stogner, Rattler’s former teammate at Oklahoma, is also now at South Carolina. He will join Corey Rucker, Arkansas State’s top receiver in 2021, and Antwane Wells (83 catches 1,250 yards at James Madison in 2021) as key options in the passing game.
Running back Lovasea Carroll comes in from Georgia while Wake Forest leading rusher Christian Beal-Smith is also a running back to watch.
Receiver Josh Vann led USC with 43 catches and 679 yards while tight end Jaheim Bell was second on the team with 30 catches and 497 receiving yards.
Second-leading tackler Brad Johnson returns for his sixth season. R.J. Roderick is another top returning player on defense.
If not for the arrival of Rattler, the transfer of former Central Michigan safety Devonni Reed might have received more attention. Defensive lineman Terrell Dawkins (4½ sacks during the 2020 season) is another newcomer to keep an eye on after he transferred in from North Carolina State.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
- 2021 record: 7-6
- 2021 conference record: 4-4
- Head coach: Mike Leach
- Odds to win conference title: +12500
Will Rogers returns as quarterback after passing for 4,739 yards. Ten of the top 14 tacklers a season ago were juniors so perhaps the defense will show signs of growth.
Running backs Dillon Johnson and Jo’quavious Marks return after combining for 901 rushing yards, 10 touchdown runs and 148 receptions.
Receivers Jaden Walley (55 catches, 628 yards) and Austin Williams (52 catches, 617 yards) both return..
Mississippi State returns 11 of its top 14 tacklers.
Leading tackler Jeff Johnson and Nate Watson lead the list of returnees after they had 87 and 84 tackles a season ago. Watson added five sacks. Add in Tyrus Wheat (team high six sacks) and the Bulldogs have the makings of a solid group of linebackers.
Missouri Tigers
- 2021 record: 6-7
- 2021 conference record: 3-5
- Head coach: Eliah Drinkwitz
- Odds to win conference title: +25000
Missouri will definitely miss Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher. Missouri did have four freshmen with more than 150 receiving yards. Missouri finished 13th out of 14 SEC in total defense and scoring defense in 2021 so there is work to be done.
Oklahoma State defensive tackle Jayden Jernigan, Stanford leading rusher Nathaniel Peat, Florida linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper, Baylor defensive lineman Josh Landry and former Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham join the Missouri program.
Vanderbilt Commodores
- 2021 record: 2-10
- 2021 conference record: 0-8
- Head coach: Clark Lea
- Odds to win conference title: +50000
Vanderbilt was the worst defense in the SEC during Lea’s first season at the helm. The leading rusher and passer for the Commodores were sophomores so perhaps there are better times ahead. Mike Wright won the starting quarterback job while leading rusher Rocko Griffin also returns.
