SEC lands 7 teams in ESPN’s 2022 Way-Too-Early college football top 25 – Saturday Down South

Keith Farner | 4 hours ago

ESPN has come out with its Way-Too-Early top 25 rankings, and some familiar names are at the top. Overall, there are 7 SEC teams in the top 25 ranking, led by Alabama at No. 1, Georgia at No. 3 and Texas A&M at No. 4.

Mark Schlabach wrote, “The 2021 college football season has just ended, with Georgia beating Alabama 33-18 in Monday night’s national title game, but it’s already time to look ahead to the 2022 season.”

The SEC teams to make the ranking are Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Even as Alabama is getting over losing the national championship, Schlabach has the Crimson Tide on top again.

“Outlook: It probably wasn’t the strongest team of the Nick Saban era, given the Crimson Tide’s struggles on the offensive line and on defense at times this past season. Nonetheless, the Tide will be favored to win it all in 2022, with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and much of the defense coming back. The Tide might dip into the transfer portal to help replace Williams’ and Metchie’s massive production. Ricks, an All-American at LSU in 2020, will help shore up the Tide’s secondary.”

Meanwhile, Georgia will again be the SEC East favorite.

“Georgia will undergo a massive facelift on defense, starting at the top with coordinator Dan Lanning leaving to become Oregon’s new coach. Former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann will work as co-coordinators in 2022. Georgia’s losses on defense will be extensive, and younger players such as Tramel Walthour, Jalen Carter and Nazir Stackhouse will have big shoes to fill on the D-line. Quarterback Stetson Bennett is eligible to return for another season; he will probably battle JT Daniels and Brock Vandagriff for the starting job next season. Georgia’s offense might have to do more heavy lifting in 2022.”

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Georgia Bulldogs
4. Texas A&M Aggies
5. Michigan Wolverines
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7. Utah Utes
8. NC State Wolfpack
9. Oklahoma State Cowboys
10. Michigan State Spartans
11. Clemson Tigers
12. Oregon Ducks
13. Houston Cougars
14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
15. Iowa Hawkeyes
16. Baylor Bears
17. Oklahoma Sooners
18. BYU Cougars
19. Cincinnati Bearcats
20. Arkansas Razorbacks
21. Kentucky Wildcats
22. USC Trojans
23. Ole Miss Rebels
24. Wisconsin Badgers
25. South Carolina Gamecocks