A 247Sports survey ranked the University of Georgia third for best college football tailgate experiences, with the rest of the top ten largely dominated by SEC teams. That passion for pregame rituals runs deep and tailgating has a long history, stretching back more than a century.

Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins represented LSU's defense on the preseason All-SEC Coaches' team. They landed on the first and second team, respectively. Both return to Baton Rouge after recovering from injuries. Perkins went down in week four, while Weeks was carted off the field during the second quarter of LSU's bowl game against Baylor.

Now that the SEC has adopted a new scheduling model, teams in the league will play at least 10 Power 4 opponents each year. Purdue will play 11 from 2026-28.

With an additional conference game, SEC schools might look to cancel future matchups against Big 12 opponents.

With talk about future SEC schedules, future Big Ten Playoff guarantees, and future headaches in the ACC, it might be a little easy to lose sight of the tree at the forefront of the forest. College football is back.

If Doering is right, LSU could seize both the SEC crown and a national title in the same year. The No. 9 Tigers open with high hopes in a road opener against the No. 4 Clemson Tigers on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

College football famously doesn't have one person in charge. Here's a look at the cast of characters who have or are vying for some control.

The baton for the top conference in the country has been passed begrudgingly to the Big Ten. Sorry, SEC, you can't boast two consecutive national champions without getting that honor, and that's what your northern rivals currently boast.