JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to the calendar the first full weekend of college football games are still eight weeks away. However the unofficial start to the 2017 season kicks off this week in Hoover, Alabama at the SEC Media Days. Every school in the conference will be represented throughout the week by their head coach and three players. Both the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs will address the media on Tuesday.
Florida head coach Jim McElwain will look to lead the Gators to their third appearance in the SEC title game in as many years. He will be joined by senior defensive backs Duke Dawson and Marcell Harris as well as junior offensive lineman Martez Ivey Jr.
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Kirby Smart is entering his second year at Georgia and his Bulldogs are one of the early favorites to win the SEC East. Joining Smart on the podium will be senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. On the other side of the ball the Bulldogs will be represented by junior linebacker Roquan Smith who led the team in tackles last season.
There isn’t an exact time frame for each school but SEC media day will be televised on Tues. July 11 from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 5:30 – 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
The week of interviews and season previews wraps up on Thursday. On Friday the league will release its preseason media poll and all-SEC teams.
Those predictions can be taken with a grain of salt. Over the past 25 seasons the media’s pick to win the SEC has only come true a grand total of six times (24%).
It would be a surprise if Alabama isn’t once again the runaway favorite to repeat as the SEC Champion. An SEC East team hasn’t won the league since Florida in 2008.