Vanderbilt
4-8 (1-7)
Vanderbilt finished 6-7 last season and went to a bowl game for the first time in the Derek Mason era. The Commodores won three conference games last season, including wins over Georgia and Tennessee. They also beat their SEC West rival Ole Miss for the first time since 2012.
While it seems like the Commodores are trending in the right direction, it’s hard to see them repeating their 2016 success. Vanderbilt hosts no. 20 Kansas State out-of-conference in week three of the season. Then, in the next three consecutive weeks, they host no. 1 Alabama, travel to no. 17 Florida, then host no. 15 Georgia.
The only SEC football game I see the Commodores winning is their Oct. 14 date with Ole Miss, simply because who knows what the Rebels’ psychological state will be this season.