All 16 teams in the SEC will be in action this weekend. Before we get to kickoff, here’s everything you need to know for the first week of the season.
The slate
(Thursday) Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network
(Friday) UTEP at Oklahoma | 7:00 p.m. | SEC Network
East Carolina at Alabama | 11:00 a.m. | ABC
Kent State at South Carolina | 11:45 a.m. | SEC Network
Youngstown at Kentucky | 12:00 p.m. | SEC Network+
Tennessee State at Georgia | 2:00 p.m. | SEC Network+
Texas State at Texas | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
Furman at Tennessee | 2:30 p.m. | SEC Network+
Baylor vs Auburn | 2:30 p.m. | ABC
North Alabama at Arkansas | 3:15 p.m. | SEC Network
Austin Peay at Vanderbilt | 6:00 p.m. | SEC Network+
Missouri State at Texas A&M | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN
UL Monroe at Mississippi State | 6:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Clemson at LSU | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN
Florida Atlantic at Florida | 6:45 p.m. | SEC Network
(Sunday) Louisville vs Ole Miss | 6:30 p.m. | ABC
The Storylines
College Gameday returns to Baton Rouge
The biggest storyline of the entire offseason has been with the new head coach in Baton Rouge. Now the biggest game of the entire Week 1 schedule will be there as well. That also means ESPN’s College Gameday will be making its triumphant return to campus in Baton Rouge, too. Saturday will be historic for a number of reasons. It will be the 500th road trip the show has made in their nearly 35 years of existence. It will also be the 15th time the show will be live from LSU’s campus.
New faces (Coaches and QBs)
One of the most intriguing storylines of the entire season will be on full display this weekend. Outside of the last White House cabinet, there have been few things with more turnover in a single offseason than SEC coaches and quarterbacks since the close of last year. Six new head coaches will take the sidelines for various programs this Saturday.
There are also only six starting quarterbacks returning to the same school they started at a year ago. Of course that doesn’t include guys like Kamario Taylor who started games last season for their current teams. It also doesn’t include guys like Sam Leavitt and Byrum Brown who have been multi-year starters at other schools.
This past offseason over 300 players joined SEC programs in the portal. The media guides and rosters will be almost completely unidentifiable from last year’s teams for most SEC teams.
The lines
(Thursday) Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri | Missouri -54.5 | O/U
(Friday) UTEP at Oklahoma | Oklahoma -41.5 | O/U
East Carolina at Alabama | Alabama -27.5 | O/U
Kent State at South Carolina | South Carolina -35.5 | O/U
Youngstown at Kentucky | Kentucky -23.5 | O/U
Tennessee State at Georgia | Georgia -46.5 | O/U
Texas State at Texas | Texas -29.5 | O/U
Furman at Tennessee | Tennessee -46.5 | O/U
Baylor vs Auburn | Auburn -7.5 | O/U
North Alabama at Arkansas | Arkansas -40.5 | O/U
Austin Peay at Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt -29.5 | O/U
Missouri State at Texas A&M | Texas A&M -40.5 | O/U
UL Monroe at Mississippi State | Mississippi State -28.5 | O/U
Clemson at LSU | LSU -10.5 | O/U
Florida Atlantic at Florida | Florida -26.5 | O/U
(Sunday) Louisville vs Ole Miss | Ole Miss -7 | O/U 55.5
