SEC Picks: The media has spoken. It might as well be a murmur. Their reputation is not good.

I am a part of that group - although I chose not to pick this time (the link to the preseason selections were sent to the wrong email). Georgia is the team to beat again this year just like last year.

And last year, the Bulldogs (the media’s choice) lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

The media has picked the champion correctly just nine times since 1992. That’s good news for everybody but Georgia. It’s like the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.

Texas was second on votes received but a very distant second. Georgia got 165 first-place votes. Texas got 27. Alabama was third with 12. Ole Miss got 4.

The jokesters were in Dallas last week for Media Days. Two picked Vanderbilt to win it. The only sure thing is that Vandy won’t win it and will very likely finish dead last.

The Commodores were picked last in the SEC East in 2023. That’s where they finished with an 0-8 league record.

Even with the picks to win the whole thing this year, they are still expected to finish rock bottom in the conference with no divisions this year and 16 total teams.

Alabama and Georgia did go undefeated in SEC play last year with the Tide winning in Atlanta. If they meet again this year, at least one will have a blemish. The two meet in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28.

Georgia also goes to Texas and Ole Miss. That means the Bulldogs play the media’s No. 2, 3 and 4 picks - all on the road. Kirby Smart has run through the SEC unscathed the last three seasons up until the title game. Making it four straight is unlikely.

Without divisions, we’re going to see more good matchups in the regular season. It will be very tough to be undefeated when Dec. 7 rolls around. We could have some tie-breaking scenarios in play to determine the top two.

Auburn was picked tenth by the media, but Hugh Freeze is not concerned. He likes what he’s got.

Last year Auburn was picked sixth of seven teams in the SEC West and finished fifth. It was Freeze’s first season on the Plains.

The Tigers have a more favorable SEC schedule in comparison to some teams but do go to Georgia and Alabama in 2024.

This might be the most anticipated season ever in college football. The season is packed with big games week in and week out thanks to realignment.

We used to circle a handful of must-watch games. There will be plenty more of those this season.

More teams have expectations to be in the CFP with expansion. My best guess is the SEC could have four or five in the top 12.

That would have been the case last year based on the polls prior to the bowl season - with certainly some variations from what the media said.