Need An SEC Football Fix? For Fun, Let's Break Down the 2021 Schedule

Georgia vs. Clemson, Alabama vs. Miami headline a strong slate of non-conference games. And yes, the cupcakes are back.

The Super Bowl is over. National Signing Day was last week. Spring practice doesn’t start until next month. So how in the world can we get a just a little football fix?

How about this?

Each year when the SEC releases its football schedule, I enjoy breaking it down by several categories:

**--Great storylines. There’s going to be a bunch of them.

**--Conference and non-conference games I would pay to see.

**--Games against The Group of Five that may be more entertaining than the experts think.

**--My personal favorite, Trap Games.

**--And now, of course, with the SEC going back to a regular eight-game conference schedule we also get the return of the cupcakes. Those are duly noted here.

Remember, these are my lists and if you disagree then feel free to make some lists of your own.

Here we go. Have fun.

FIVE NON-CONFERENCE GAMES I’D PAY TO SEE

Georgia vs. Clemson, Charlotte, Sept. 4: These two schools are only 72 miles apart and in the 60s, 70s and 80s they played almost every year. Both will be in the preseason top five.

Alabama vs. Miami, Atlanta, Sept. 4: The defending national champions open against the Hurricanes and quarterback D’Eriq King. The two teams have not met since Jan. 1, 1993, when the Crimson Tide beat No. 1 Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship.

Texas at Arkansas, Sept. 11: An old Southwest Conference matchup and the second game for new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. Any time Arkansas plays a Texas team it is a big recruiting game.

LSU at UCLA, Sept. 4: First meeting ever for these two schools and the first time LSU has played in the Rose Bowl Stadium. The return game in the contract will be in Baton Rouge in 2024.

Auburn at Penn State, Sept. 18: Auburn and Penn State have played twice in bowl games but never met on campus. Penn State comes to Auburn in 2022.

FIVE CONFERENCE GAMES I’D PAY TO SEE

Alabama at Florida, Sept. 18: Rematch of last December’s SEC championship game in Atlanta which the Crimson Tide won 52-46. Alabama’s last trip to Gainesville was 2011.

Alabama at Texas A&M, Oct. 9: Alabama was the only team to beat the Aggies last season (52-24). The Crimson Tide has won eight straight games against Texas A&M. Both teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks.

Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville), Oct. 30: The Gators broke through with a win last season after three straight losses to the Bulldogs. The winner will again likely capture the SEC East.

Florida at LSU, Oct. 16: What’s the over/under the on number of shoes thrown?

Ole Miss at Alabama, Oct. 2: Lane Kiffin returns to T-Town which is entertaining enough. Ole Miss rolled up over 600 yards last season against the Crimson Tide but lost 63-48.

POWER FIVE VS. GROUP OF FIVE

Florida at South Florida, Sept. 11: The two teams have met only once (2010 in Gainesville). Florida has never played at South Florida. The Bulls were 1-8 last season.

Arkansas vs. Georgia Southern, Sept. 18: Georgia Southern of the Sun Belt can be a tough out. The Eagles won at Florida back in 2013.

Central Michigan at Missouri, Sept. 4. Jim McElwain enters his third season at Central Michigan after going 3-3 in an abbreviated season in 2020 and 8-6 the year before.

South Carolina at East Carolina, Sept. 11: The Gamecocks have played at East Carolina (Greenville, N.C.) only three times in history. South Carolina is 2-1 in those games.

Mississippi State at Memphis, Sept. 18. Tigers have to replace quarterback Brady White. The schools have met 44 times but not since 2011. The Bulldogs have a 12-game winning streak over Memphis.

TRAP GAMES

Sometimes it’s not who you play, but when you play them:

Liberty at Ole Miss, Nov. 6. For Ole Miss, this falls between a trip to Auburn and a home game with Texas A&M. Hugh Freeze and Liberty went 10-1 last season. It will be an interesting homecoming for Freeze, who was the Ole Miss head coach from 2012-2016.

Georgia State at Auburn, Sept. 25. For Auburn, this game falls between a trip to Penn State and trip to LSU. Georgia State won at Tennessee in 2019.

LSU at Kentucky, Oct. 9: For the Tigers this falls between home games with Auburn and Florida

Ole Miss at Tennessee, Oct. 16: Rebels should be favored but this trip to Knoxville falls in a four-week stretch that also includes Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU.

Mississippi State at Texas A&M, Oct. 2: Aggies play Arkansas in Arlington the week before and Alabama in College Station the week after.

THE RETURN OF THE CUPCAKES

Why do they play these games? Simple. The SEC teams need a break in the schedule and the cupcakes need a paycheck. Here are just five:

Eastern Illinois at South Carolina, Sept. 4: We assume The Citadel wasn’t available. The Panthers, an FCS (formerly I-AA) school, will get $400,000 for coming to Williams-Brice Stadium and helping Shane Beamer start 1-0.

Mercer at Alabama, Sept. 11: Alabama plays Miami in Atlanta the week before and will be at Florida the week after. For Mercer, this is the second game in a two-game deal with Alabama. Mercer was paid $600,000 to come to Alabama in 2017.

New Mexico State at Alabama, Nov. 13, New Mexico State at Kentucky, Nov. 20. The Aggies travel to the SEC two weeks in a row. Why? For a total payment of $3.1 million. That is a huge chunk of the school’s athletic budget.

Samford at Florida, Nov. 13: Samford of the FCS will get $525,000 to play in the Swamp between two conference games for the Gators.

Charleston Southern at Georgia, Nov. 20: Charleston Southern will get $550,000 to play between the Hedges.