Alabama, Georgia dominate preseason SEC college football media poll
Reigning national champion Alabama has been picked to win the Southeastern Conference championship in a preseason media poll.
Alabama was selected by 193 of the 284 voters this week at SEC media days. Georgia, last year’s SEC champion which lost to Alabama in the national championship game, was second with 69 votes.
Only six times since 1992 has the predicted champion at SEC Media Days proceeded to win the SEC championship.
Auburn received 14 votes. South Carolina, the choice of four voters, and Florida, with two, were the only other teams named on more than one ballot.
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The predicted order of finish in the SEC West was Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Georgia was picked first in the East, followed by South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Alabama had seven first-team picks on the media’s preseason all-SEC team.
The Crimson Tide enters the 2018 campaign having won a league-leading 26 SEC Championships in program history, including three of the last four conference titles.
SEC Media Days preseason poll
East Division
1 Georgia (271)*: 1,977 points
2 South Carolina (8): 1,535
3 Florida (4): 1,441
4 Missouri: 1,057
5 Kentucky (1): 874
6 Tennessee (1): 704
7 Vanderbilt: 392
West Division
1 Alabama (263): 1,971
2 Auburn (19): 1,664
3 Mississippi State (2): 1,239
4 Texas A&M: 1,091
5 LSU: 1,025
6 Ole Miss: 578
7 Arkansas: 412
*first-place votes in parentheses
2018 preseason All-SEC team
OFFENSE
First team
QB Drew Lock, Missouri
RB Damien Harris, Alabama
RB Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky
WR A.J. Brown, Ole Miss
WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
OL Jonah Williams, Alabama
OL Greg Little, Ole Miss
OL Martez Ivey, Florida
OL Trey Smith, Tennessee
C Ross Pierschbacher, Alabama
Second team
QB Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia
RB Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M
WR Terry Godwin, Georgia
WR Ryan Davis, Auburn
TE Isaac Nauta, Georgia
OL Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OL Lester Cotton, Alabama
OL Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas
OL Garrett Brumfield, LSU
C Lamont Gaillard, Georgia
Third team
*QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
*QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
RB Aeris Williams, Mississippi State
RB Jordan Scarlett, Florida
WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
WR Emanuel Hall, Missouri
TE C.J. Conrad, Kentucky
OL Matt Womack, Alabama
OL Zack Bailey, South Carolina
OL Javon Patterson, Ole Miss
OL Marquel Harrell, Auburn
C Erik McCoy, Texas A&M
DEFENSE
First team
DL Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DL Cece Jefferson, Florida
DL Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
DL Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State
LB Devin White, LSU
LB Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
LB Mack Wilson, Alabama
DB Deandre Baker, Georgia
DB Greedy Williams, LSU
DB J.R. Reed, Georgia
DB Deionte Thompson, Alabama
Second team
DL Jonathan Ledbetter, Georgia
DL Terry Beckner, Missouri
DL Derrick Brown, Auburn
DL Isaiah Buggs, Alabama
LB Josh Allen, Kentucky
LB Deshaun Davis, Auburn
LB D'Andre Walker, Georgia
DB Mike Edwards, Kentucky
DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida
DB Jamel Dean, Auburn
DB CJ Henderson, Florida
Third team
DL Dontavius Russell, Auburn
DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU
DL Marlon Davidson, Auburn
*DL Kingsley Keke, Texas A&M
*DL Landis Durham, Texas A&M
LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
LB David Reese, Florida
LB De'Jon Harris, Arkansas
DB Mark McLaurin, Mississippi State
DB Marco Wilson, Florida
DB Javaris Davis, Auburn
DB Santos Ramirez, Arkansas
SPECIAL TEAMS
First team
P Corey Fatony, Missouri
PK Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia
RS Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
AP Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
Second team
P Joseph Charlton, South Carolina
PK Daniel LaCamera, Texas A&M
RS Mecole Hardman, Georgia
AP Trevon Diggs, Alabama
Third team
P Zach Von Rosenberg, LSU
PK Tucker McCann, Missouri
RS Trevon Diggs, Alabama
AP Kadarius Toney, Florida
* - Indicates a tie