Georgia media's pick to win SEC title by wide margin over Alabama, LSU
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Georgia, the reigning back-to-back national champs, are 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 votes to win the title Dec. 2 in the poll released Friday. Alabama received 62 votes. 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 vote 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.
