ARKANSAS
What to like: After reaching the league title game three times within its first 15 seasons as an SEC member, Arkansas is experiencing its roughest patch, as the Razorbacks have gone 0-8 in league play twice in the last six years, including last season. The Razorbacks shouldn't have as many unknowns under second-year coach Chad Morris, who has upgraded the quarterback play by bringing in graduate transfers Ben Hicks (SMU) and Nick Starkel (Texas A&M). Arkansas fans are waiting to see what running back Devwah Whaley can do when he's totally healthy, and the Razorbacks have two potential All-SEC defenders with McTelvin Agim up front and De'Jon Harris at middle linebacker.
Cause for worry: When it comes to talent across the board, the Razorbacks and Ole Miss are lagging behind every other SEC West counterpart, and that was reflected a year ago when Arkansas and Ole Miss combined to go 1-15 in league contests. The Razorbacks were very competitive during 24-17 losses to both Texas A&M and LSU, but their last two games resulted in humiliating defeats against Mississippi State (52-6) and Missouri (38-0). Arkansas finished last in the SEC in scoring offense and next-to-last in total offense, and that was with guard Hjalte Froholdt, who became a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots. A minor bowl game may be more realistic than a 2-10 repeat, but it's also a stretch.
AUBURN
Auburn running back Boobie Whitlow had 19 carries for 170 yards in last year's 31-16 win at Ole Miss.
What to like: Auburn could have the nation's finest defensive front with a collection that includes Derrick Brown, Big Kat Bryant, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe. The Tigers return all five starters on their offensive line, and they possess a solid running back tandem with Boobie Whitlow and Kam Martin. Auburn also has an underrated receiving corps containing the physical Seth Williams, the speedy Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove and the reliable Will Hastings. The Tigers had hoped for something better than 8-5 last season, but they did close with a 63-14 humbling of Purdue in the Music City Bowl with head coach Gus Malzahn calling the plays again. It's an odd-numbered year, so games with Alabama and Georgia will be at home.
Cause for worry: This time last year, Auburn's hopes began with Jarrett Stidham, who was a rare returning quarterback under Malzahn. The concern was a lot of youth up front, but now those roles are reversed. Taking over this year's offense will be either redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood or true freshman Bo Nix, with the slight edge based off spring practices going to Gatewood. The biggest worry, and this has become an annual factor, is a schedule that contains six of the nation's top 11 teams in the Amway coaches preseason poll. Auburn is opening with Pac-12 favorite Oregon in Arlington, Texas, and there also are trips to Texas A&M, Florida and LSU. It's been 20 years since Auburn has prevailed in Baton Rouge.
FLORIDA
Florida junior CJ Henderson is expected to be one of the nation's top cornerbacks this year on a Gators team eager to build off a 10-3 season.What to like: The Gators looked the part of a top-10 team at the end of last season, routing Florida State (41-14) in Tallahassee and Michigan (41-15) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. They wound up tied for No. 7 with rival Georgia in the final Associated Press poll. Quarterback Feleipe Franks took huge strides in his first season under coach Dan Mullen and should continue to do so, and there are quality running backs with Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce and veteran receivers with Tyrie Cleveland, Trevon Grimes and Josh Hammond. The defense has potential All-SEC performers at every level with end Jabari Zuniga, linebacker David Reese and cornerback CJ Henderson.
Cause for worry: This time last year, Florida appeared light years behind Georgia. The Gators lost 42-7 to the Bulldogs in 2017 and actually led last season's game 14-13 early in the third quarter before Georgia pulled away for a 36-17 win. Florida had a lot of turbulence with its 2019 signing class, but the returning roster looks solid with the exception of the offensive line, which is where Georgia is loaded. The Gators return one starter up front, leaving second-year offensive line coach John Hevesy with a sizable task. Due to Florida having already played its opener against Miami in Orlando, the Gators will have a unique 12-game regular-season schedule over an NFL-like 15 weeks.
KENTUCKY
What to like: Mark Stoops was 2-10 in his first season as coach of the Wildcats, and his second and third years yielded 5-7 records with teams that faded in the stretch run. Stoops then produced consecutive 7-6 teams that broke through from a postseason standpoint, with last year's Wildcats erupting for a 10-3 season containing a long-awaited win over Florida and a 27-24 topping of Penn State in the Citrus Bowl. Terry Wilson returns at quarterback, and Troy transfer Sawyer Smith could be a quality backup. Quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw recently said the Wildcats may throw 35 to 40 times a game, so look for receiver Lynn Bowden to be featured after setting a UK sophomore record with 67 catches.
Cause for worry: The duo of running back Benny Snell and outside linebacker Josh Allen will not be replaced overnight or even all season. Snell set the school record for career rushing yardage in the bowl game, a feat he accomplished in just three seasons, and Allen was the seventh overall pick in April's NFL draft. The loss of those two have many projecting Kentucky to slip back to the 7-6 range, but senior middle linebacker Kash Daniel is a spirited leader who isn't shabby as a player, either. The Wildcats should open with feastings of Toledo and Eastern Michigan before Florida arrives to try to avenge last season's result. That outcome could determine whether Kentucky can make another run at 10 wins.
LSU
What to like: This space last year discussed how a brutal schedule coupled with the unknown at quarterback could result in the Tigers being a 7-5 or even a 6-6 team. Then Ohio State graduate transfer Joe Burrow took charge and helped the Tigers knock off four top-10 teams and attain a 10-3 season. Burrow didn't have dizzying numbers, but he was consistent and was intercepted just five times. LSU has Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who shredded Georgia, and five-star freshman John Emery at running back, while Justin Jefferson headlines a respected receiving corps. The defense no longer has linebacker Devin White, but safety Grant Delpit is the star of what may be the nation's deepest and finest secondary.
Cause for worry: LSU has won at least eight games in every season this century, and there are no signs whatsoever of that streak ending this year. Yet eight or nine wins would be disappointing after last season, and an early September game at Texas could be an early gauge as to whether this team is good or great. The loss of White could be felt early on, but LSU is loaded at linebacker, especially given that K'Lavon Chaisson was emerging as a pass-rushing menace when he was lost for the season in last year's opener. Alabama has defeated LSU eight consecutive times, and this year's game is in Tuscaloosa. If the Crimson Tide make it nine, would the Tigers slip up and lose another late game like last season?
MISSISSIPPI STATE
What to like: The Bulldogs had the nation's No. 1 defense last season, and not everybody left. All four starters on the defensive front last season have moved on, including tackle Jeffery Simmons and end Montez Sweat. Senior defensive end Chauncey Rivers, who started his SEC career at Georgia, appears ready to erupt after making 7.5 tackles for loss last season, while junior linebacker Erroll Thompson racked up 87 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two interceptions, and his 88.5 coverage grade led all SEC linebackers. Quarterbacks Keytaon Thompson and Tommy Stevens, a grad transfer from Penn State, are both experienced and could give the Bulldogs an improved passing game from a year ago.
Cause for worry: For all the talent Mississippi State had defensively and the experience of quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, an 8-5 season that ended with an Outback Bowl loss to Iowa fell short of most expectations. Projections have been tempered this season with a fifth-place pegging in the SEC West, so this should be a better measuring stick for second-year Bulldogs coach Joe Moorhead. The offensive line has an anchor with senior center Darryl Williams, but the rest of the starting five needs to provide consistency, and the receivers have to improve to challenge some of the West's elite defensive backs. A 10th straight bowl game should be a lock, but this could be another 8-5 team that isn't quite as impressive.
MISSOURI
What to like: The Tigers were 5-13 through Barry Odom's first 18 games as head coach and are 14-6 since, including last year's 8-5 season that ended with a last-minute loss to Oklahoma State in the Liberty Bowl. Drew Lock guided Missouri in Odom's first three seasons, but Clemson graduate transfer Kelly Bryant has the reins this year. Bryant does not have Lock's arm strength but has a running element that could make him dangerous under second-year offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, who has returning 1,000-yard rusher Larry Rountree and mammoth tight end Albert Okwuegbunam as complementary pieces. Jordan Elliott had eight tackles for loss last season and could be that next great Mizzou defensive lineman.
Cause for worry: Missouri was brutal in pass defense last season, allowing a league-worst 262 aerial yards per game, and that could be the biggest factor in keeping the Tigers from challenging for the East crown. The schedule basically guarantees a third straight bowl trip under Odom, as the Tigers open at Wyoming before hosting West Virginia, Southeast Missouri State, South Carolina, Troy and Ole Miss. In other words, Mizzou could be 6-0 at the midway mark. Improved special teams play will be needed after the Tigers allowed a pair of punt returns for touchdowns last season, including one in the 15-14 loss to Kentucky. If Dooley and Bryant mesh and produce, this could be a 9-3 or 10-2 team.
OLE MISS
Ole Miss running back Scottie Phillips rushed 16 times for 204 yards in last season's 47-27 opening win over Texas Tech.What to like: Matt Luke is only 11-13 after two seasons as head coach in Oxford, but the former Rebels center seems to have held things together better than most might have, given the NCAA sanctions that were leveled. Ole Miss can go to a bowl this season, but getting to six wins could be an adventure. The quarterback room consists of redshirt freshman Matt Corral and three true freshmen, but Corral was a prospect everybody wanted. The running backs are led by senior Scottie Phillips, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry last season, and star freshman Jerrion Ealy is certain to be a fan favorite. The nonconference schedule has Memphis, Southeastern Louisiana, California and New Mexico State, so a sweep is possible.
Cause for worry: The Rebels were hit incredibly hard by departures off the offensive line with Greg Little and Javon Patterson and at receiver with A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge and DK Metcalf. Sanctions have ravaged the roster overall, as Ole Miss was the only school that didn't have a first-, second- or third-team pick at last month's SEC Media Days. In their six opportunities against SEC West foes last season, the Rebels surrendered at least 31 points in every game, with a 62-7 home loss to Alabama being the toughest. Ole Miss would have to sweep the nonconference and win home games against Arkansas and Vanderbilt to reach a bowl, but this team doesn't have a lot of last year's talent.
SOUTH CAROLINA
What to like: The Gamecocks have a trio of senior offensive leaders with quarterback Jake Bentley, running back Rico Dowdle and receiver Bryan Edwards, who could own multiple program records by the end of the year, and the defensive line should be the strongest of the Will Muschamp era. Bentley must overcome his inconsistent play, which was reflected by a five-touchdown performance at Clemson followed by a disastrous showing in a 28-0 Belk Bowl loss to Virginia. Dowdle also must make the most of his final year, as the Gamecocks have produced just two 1,000-yard rushers in the last 18 years. The schedule contains Alabama and Clemson, who must each come to Williams-Brice Stadium.
Cause for worry: Defeating North Carolina in Charlotte in the season opener is a must for South Carolina, which later has Alabama, Florida and Clemson at home, as well as trips to Georgia and Texas A&M. This could be a 7-5 team that is very solid, but this could also be a 5-7 team if the Gamecocks struggle with Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. South Carolina has won three straight against both Mizzou and Tennessee but has lost five in a row to Kentucky. The defense could use more pass-rushing presence, and the second-string secondary is filled with true freshmen, but this is now-or-never time for Bentley, who was expected to do great things after his freshman season but has been mostly decent since.
TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M punter Braden Mann is the reigning Ray Guy Award winner after averaging 51.1 yards per attempt last season for the Aggies.What to like: The Aggies closed last season with a seven-overtime outlasting of LSU and a 52-13 demolishing of North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl to finish 9-4. Texas A&M had lost all six meetings to LSU since joining the SEC, so it was a significant win that resulted in a lot of optimism for Jimbo Fisher's second year as coach. The high hopes start with junior quarterback Kellen Mond, who threw for six touchdowns and rushed for another in the 74-72 defeat of LSU and finished last season with 29 total touchdowns. Touted 2019 signees such as offensive tackle Kenyon Green and defensive tackle DeMarvil Leal are causing excitement for Aggies fans, and no punter nationally is more impactful than Braden Mann.
Cause for worry: Texas A&M has struggled defensively in its brief SEC history, and the Aggies have only four defenders returning. The Aggies had a solid rushing attack last season that averaged 219 yards a game, but Trayveon Williams was the primary reason for that, leading the league with a healthy 135.4 per contest. In the Gator Bowl, Williams ran for 236 yards, but he is now a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. To attain a 10-win season, Texas A&M must conquer an incredibly demanding schedule that includes trips to Clemson, Georgia and LSU. Alabama and Auburn both come to College Station, but the Aggies have yet to beat either at home since bolting from the Big 12 following the 2011 season.
VANDERBILT
What to like: Vanderbilt is experiencing its greatest run of success as an SEC member from a postseason standpoint, as the Commodores have been to five bowl games in the last eight seasons after going to four in the previous 78 years. The Commodores also have three consecutive double-digit wins over Tennessee, which includes last season's 38-13 drubbing in Nashville with a bowl bid at stake. The return of three offensive seniors - running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn, receiver Kalija Lipscomb and tight end Jared Pinkney - should make Vandy formidable against many SEC defenses. Vaughn rushed for 1,244 yards last year, while Lipscomb is on the verge of potentially setting multiple school records.
Cause for worry: Vaughn, Lipscomb and Pinkney must move on without quarterback Kyle Shurmur and three starters on the offensive front. Shurmur often was overlooked around the SEC but not in the Volunteer State, as he repeatedly was brilliant against Tennessee. Those are the primary offensive concerns, and Vandy's defense simply has to be better across the board after ranking 13th in the conference by allowing 438.9 yards per game. The schedule contains just three opponents - Northern Illinois, UNLV and East Tennessee State - that Vandy will be heavily favored to beat, and key tossup games against Purdue, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee are all on the road.