Georgia media’s pick to win SEC title by wide margin over Alabama, LSU

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Two-time defending national champion Georgia is the overwhelming preseason pick to win the 2023 Southeastern Conference title.

Media covering the SEC’s media days that concluded Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee, gave coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs 181 points to win the title Dec. 2 in the poll released Friday. Alabama received 62 while LSU, which lost the title to Georgia last December, was third (31).

Tennessee was a distant fourth, tied with in-state rival Vanderbilt despite the Commodores never winning the league championship. Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and South Carolina received at least one point to win the SEC title.

The team picked as the preseason champ at SEC media days has won the SEC championship game only nine times since 1992.

Georgia also led the SEC with 11 players selected to the league’s preseason first-team. Alabama had seven with defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry also listed as a return specialist along with kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Kneeland Hibbett.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25