Crimson Tide Favored To Win 2021 SEC Title; UK Predicted for 3rd Place
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Alabama has been predicted to win the 2021 SEC championship, according to a preseason poll of media covering SEC Media Days.
Coach Nick Saban's Alabama club received 84 votes to be crowned SEC champion on December 4 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while Georgia was second with 45 votes.
The Bulldogs were selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 923 points, including 124 first-place votes, while Florida was second with 784 points and seven votes to win the division. Kentucky was third with 624 points. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
Alabama was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 932 total points, followed by Texas A&M with 760 and LSU with 633. Alabama received 130 first-place votes in the SEC West.
Eight times since 1992 has the predicted champion prior to the season proceeded to win the SEC Championship Game.
Alabama also led the way with 16 representatives on the preseason All-SEC teams, including eight on the first team -- six on defense. Georgia and Auburn had 10 members selected to the preseason All-SEC teams, while Texas A&M had seven.
Kentucky has five players on preseason All-SEC teams. Senior offensive tackle Darian Kinnard was named first-team offense and senior defensive end Joshua Paschal was named to the second-team defense. Junior running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and senior offensive lineman Luke Fortner were listed on the third-team offense, while senior safety Yusuf Corker was a third-team defense selection.
