By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

College football in the SEC is back operational again with players being back on campus and working out getting ready for the 2020 football season. Here is my predicted finish for the SEC East this fall.

1.Georgia: The Georgia Bulldogs have out-recruited everyone in the SEC East by a mile lately.

The roster is stacked with the only legit question is what will UGA do at the QB position.

The QB room is stocked from a talent perspective. Will JT Daniels be granted a waiver to play immediately like Justin Fields was at Ohio State? We all know UGA has that road trip to Alabama on 9/19. Many think that will be a loss.

The QB job looks like it is Jamie Newman’s to lose right now. If Newman lives up to the hype this team will be in the national title hunt.

Games of concern for 2020: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina. Final regular season record: 11-1 with a loss at Alabama or Auburn.

2.Florida: The Gators are on the way back and are the trendy pick in the SEC East this fall.

Why is that the case? They don’t have a more talented roster than UGA and Dan Mullen is 0-3 against Kirby Smart as a head coach.

I see question marks at running back, wide receiver, and defensive line for Florida.

Florida should be recruiting at a higher level than they currently are.

Can Brenton Cox live up to his five-star hype and be the pass rusher the Gators need?

Dan Mullen is regarded as a great game day coach. I don’t think the Gators are there yet. Close but not there.

Games of concern this fall: Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia, and FSU. Final regular season record 10-2 with losses to LSU, and Georgia. Ole Miss is a trap game.

3.Tennessee: I was on vacation in North Georgia this week and I saw Tennessee shirts everywhere on tourists. I haven’t seen that in years, which means the Tennessee fan base is getting excited again about Tennessee football.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited because Jeremy Pruitt is turning this thing around in Knoxville.

Tennessee has been a dumpster fire for a decade now. QB is a concern along with roster depth across the board. We will know all we need to know about the Vols when they travel to Oklahoma in week 2.

Games of concern this fall: Oklahoma, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia. Final regular season record 8-4 with losses to Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

4.Kentucky: The Cats have as many as 18 starters returning and will be a thorn in the side of just about everyone they play, but this is not March and Kentucky finds ways to lose football games they can win. Games of concern this fall: Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia. Final regular season record 8-4 with losses to Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia.

5.South Carolina: Will Muschamp is on the hot seat in Columbia.

The schedule is brutal once again. Can Carolina get six wins and a bowl game?

Games of concern this fall: Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, Clemson. Carolina will have to beat Kentucky in Lexington to go 6-6. I see Carolina losing all of the games above and finishing 5-7 with a decent football team.

6.Missouri: The Tigers are in full rebuild mode.

Games of concern this fall: Every SEC contest. I see the Tigers going 4-8 with its lone SEC win being over Vanderbilt.

7.Vanderbilt: The only win I can see on Vandy’s schedule this fall is opening day against Mercer.

Final record 1-11 and the firing of Derek Mason. Good football coach at an impossible place to win.

Labor Day weekend can’t get here quick enough.