SEC preview: With Georgia, Bama, LSU and Tennessee, it's loaded as usual (2023)

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The SEC is the undisputed champion of the college football world, with Georgia, the leading Dawg,in pursuit of a third straight national title. Heady stuff even for the best conference in the country.

And since the rich get even richer next season, when the league welcomes Texas and Oklahoma, we have one last year with the current 14-team, two-division format.

Georgia's path to another national championship -- or even a conference title -- will include challenges as old foes Nick Saban and Alabama reload, but both teams will bring in new quarterbacks. LSU and Tennessee are also considered top contenders, Ole Miss and Texas A&M areThe 25 best teams of the preseason, then South Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas ... like we said, this is the best conference in the country.

ESPN's Chris Low and Alex Scarborough break down the top newcomers, holes to fill, best early season matchups, MVP and championship picks and more.

Three (or four) transfers to know

LBOmar Speights, LSU:After last season, we know how good the outside linebacker isHarold Perkinscan rush the passer and generally be a threat all over the field. And, if you have a long memory, you will remember how the defensive lineman dominatedMaason Smithcan be when healthy, whether it's suffocating the run game or using his speed to hunt down running backs. But the difference for LSU this season, if good becomes great, will be the addition of former first-team All-Pac 12 middle linebacker Speights, who coach Brian Kelly believes has an NFL future, from Oregon State. --Alex Scarborough

WRsRara ThomasiDominic Lovett, Georgia:This will be a new-look Bulldogs offense. Not only is quarterback Stetson Bennett gone, but so is perennially underrated offensive coordinator Todd Monken. All-American tight endBrock Bowersis back along with the All-SEC receiverLadd McConkey, but it will take more than that to supportCarson Beck, WHOopens season as Kirby Smart's QB1. There's Lovett and Thomas, who were Missouri and Mississippi's leading receivers last season, respectively. --Scarborough

QBGraham Mertz, Florida:It was tempting to go with the other top transfer backs in the conference --Payton Thorneu Auburnu,Devin Learyin Kentucky,Tyler Buchnerin Alabama andSpencer Sandersat Ole Miss. But Mertz is in a unique position because of the pressure he's under to turn around a Florida offense that was so bad last season that he turned up the heat on coach Billy Napier after just one year on campus. It's easy to write off Mertz, who has been poor in 32 starts at Wisconsin. But don't forget he was once the top-rated pocket passer in the 2019 class, and don't overlook the benefits of a fresh start. Napier is optimistic about Mertz's "amazing motor and work ethic." --Scarborough

Three key positions to fill

Alabama QB:If Nick Saban and his staff were convinced of anyJalen MilroeorTy Simpson, why did they bring in Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame after spring practice ended? --Scarborough

LSU WR:Not only would the Tigers offense take the next stepJayden Danielsmust improve as a passer downfield, needs more playmakers to thrive at receiver, be itMalik Nabers,Kyren LacyorBrian Thomas ml. --Scarborough

Georgia QB:Carson Beck entered preseason camp asthe favorite to replace Stetson Bennettand was approved on Saturday, butBrock VandagriffiTopnik Stocktonwill grab him by the heels. --Scarborough

Three freshmen with immediate impact

SCaleb Downs, Alabama: Spring practices were enough for the Alabama coaches to know that Downs would be one of their top four defensive backs. He was the No. 1 ranked safety in the class of 2023 by ESPN -- the No. 11 overall -- and is ready to fill a big hole for the Crimson Tide. --Chris Low

RBRueben Owens, Texas A&M:After rushing for more than 7,000 yards during his high school career, Owens transferred late to Texas A&M after originally committing to Louisville. Jimbo Fisher liked what he saw from Owens in the spring with his agility, speed and work ethic. It won't take long for him to be a key component in Bobby Petrino's offense. --Short

OLBDamon Wilson, Georgia:The Bulldogs needed outside linebackers, which is why the win over Ohio State for Wilson in the early signing period was such a big deal for Georgia. Wilson was everything Kirby Smart and the staff hoped he would be in spring practice with his ability to rush the passer and be a disruptive force off the edge. --Short

Three must-see games in September

Texas at Alabama, September 9:Alabama needed a late field goal to pull away from the Longhorns 20-19 in Austin a year ago, and that was with Bryce Young at QB. The scene shifts to Tuscaloosa this year as Alabama adjusts to life without Young and with a new quarterback. Even though it's only the second week of the season, this game will have a big impact on the playoff race. The winner gets a very important non-conference win over what will likely be a nationally ranked opponent at the end of the season. --Short

Tennessee at Florida, September 16:The Vols finally broke through against the Gators last season after losing 16 of the previous 17 meetings in the series. Tennessee last won in the Swamp in 2003, so it's been a while. Florida needs to build some early momentum in Year 2 under Napier, and a loss to the Vols in the SEC opener would be a great way to do that. I think we're going to hear a lot about the Tennessee quarterbackJoe Milton III'I'm not losing in Florida' proclamation leading up to the game? --Short

LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 30:LSU is getting tons of love this preseason, but it won't be an easy September for Brian Kelly's Tigers. The trip to Ole Miss will be their third road game in the first month of the season. For Ole Miss, it's the second leg of a grueling two-game stretch in which the Rebels travel to Alabama a week earlier. Both teams should be dynamic offensively, and the loser of this game faces a steep climb. --Short

MVP selection

Low: RBQuinshon Judkins, Ole Miss

Judkins was Mr. Consistency for Ole Miss last season as a freshman in leading the SEC in rushing with 1,567 yards. Lane Kiffin will always have a powerful running game, and there's no reason to believe Judkins won't put up similar numbers again this season.

Scarborough: DL Maason Smith, LSU

What's the fun of preseason screenings if you follow the rules? That's boring. And that's why I'm picking Smith, who has been under the radar after missing all of last season with an injury. When healthy, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound sophomore destroys the game Jalen Carter-style, possessing the size and strength to clog running lanes and the speed to rush the passer. I asked the LSU running backJosh Williamsabout Smith and he told me this: "He's going to dominate. He's the one everyone should be worried about."

On the hot seat

Low: Billy Napier, Florida

It's crazy to think that Naper is (or should be) on the hot seat in just his second year at Florida, but if the Gators hover around the .500 mark again after going 6-7 in his first season, the upset in Gainesville will reach an uncomfortable level for all involved.

Scarborough: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

Don't tell me about Fisher's buyout, which is currently over $70 million. My bet is that the Aggies, with rival Texas poised to join the conference next season, will cut that check if they finish second below .500. A manageable September slate will either be a springboard for better ones with games against Austin Peay, Miami, Louisiana Monroe, Auburn and Arkansas, or it will be the beginning of the end for Fisher.

A team of sleepers

Low: Texas A&M

The Jimbo Fisher-Bobby Petrino pairing will be the story everyone is fixated on in the season opener, but the real story will be the Aggies, who are sorely lacking in talent, putting it all together, rebounding from a losing season and making some real noise in the West division race.

Scarborough: Tennessee

Why aren't more people talking about the Vols after they beat Alabama, LSU and had an all-around successful season? Josh Heupel's offense won the SEC last year and all anyone wants to discuss is how Georgia will run away with the East again. With running back Hendon Hooker gone to the NFL, Joe Milton steps in with a cannon for a right arm and the perspective of a senior who knows this is his last chance.

Conference title game

Low: Alabama 28, Georgia 24

For the 10th straight season, the SEC championship game will feature either Alabama or Georgia, and it's the third time in the last six years they've faced each other. Both teams will throw in new quarterbacks, but the difference is Alabama playing in the fourth quarter.

Scarborough: Alabama 21, Georgia 20

Despite all the questions facing the Crimson Tide -- the running back, the offense under a new coordinator and the defense, which has slipped somewhat in recent years -- I think Nick Saban will find a way to beat LSU at home and return to Atlanta. And if they do, I bet Alabama is more battle-tested than Georgia, whose schedule is mediocre at best.