The Southeastern Conference preseason media polls are best served with a healthy pinch of salt.

But LSU was picked to finish fifth in the newly expanded league, which with 16 teams is no longer divided into separate divisions.

Georgia was the overwhelming pick to win the conference, receiving 165 first place votes and 3,300 points from the media.

With no divisions, the top two teams will play in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.

The predictions forsee newcomer Texas facing off against the Bulldogs. The Longhorns, who won the Big 12 championship last year, were a distant second to Georgia with 27 first place votes and 3,041 points.

That’s hardly etched in stone, however.

The preseason media poll has historically missed the mark, often comically so. Vanderbilt, for instance, got its customary two first place votes despite finishing dead last in the overall poll by a wide margin.

The media also picked Georgia to win it all last year, and while the Bulldogs did win the East Division, Alabama won the SEC championship game.

That made it 22 times in the last 31 years that the media poll has gotten it wrong.

This year Alabama, with Kalen DeBoer taking over as head coach for the retired Nick Saban, is picked to finish third. The Tide got 12 first place votes.

Ole Miss was fourth with four first place votes, followed by LSU, which got two first place votes.

Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Auburn rounded out the top 10.

LSU had eight players selected to the all-conference team, including three on the first team.

Offensive tackle Will Campbell and linebacker Harold Perkins were both selected to the first team for the second consecutive year.

Joining them is newcomer Zavion Thomas, who transferred to LSU from Mississippi State and made first team as the all-purpose back. Thomas was also second-team as the return specialist.

Other Tigers on the second team include wide receiver Kyren Lacey, tight end Mason Taylor, offensive tackle Emery Jones and defensive back Major Burns.

Specialist Slade Roy is on the third team as the long snapper.

Trevor Etienne of Jennings, who transferred from Florida to Georgia in the offseason, was the league’s first team running back.

Georgia had the most first-team selections with six, with the Bulldogs getting 15 spread over the three teams.

Alabama had five first-teamers but edged the Bulldogs with 16 overall selections.

SEC Preseason  Media Poll

School (1st) Pts.

1. Georgia (165) 3330

2. Texas (27) 3041

3. Alabama (12) 2891

4. Ole Miss (4) 2783

5. LSU (2) 2322

6. Missouri 2240

7. Tennessee 2168

8. Oklahoma 2022

9. Texas A&M 1684

10. Auburn 1382

11. Kentucky 1371

12. Florida 1146

13. South Carolina (1) 923

14. Arkansas 749

15. Mississippi St. 623

16. Vanderbilt (2) 293

OFFENSE

First team

QB — Carson Beck, Georgia; RB — Trevor Etienne, Georgia; RB – Jarquez Hunter, Auburn; WR — Luther Burden, Missouri; WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss; TE — Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss; — OL Tyler Booker, Alabama; OL — Will Campbell, LSU; OL — Kelvin Banks, Texas; OL — Tate Ratledge, Georgia; C—  Cooper Mays, Tennessee

Second team

QB — Quinn Ewers, Texas; RB—  Raheim Sanders, South Carolina; *RB — CJ Baxter, Texas — *RB — Montrell Johnson, Florida; WR — Isaiah Bond, Texas; WR — Kyren Lacy, LSU; TE — Mason Taylor, LSU; OL — Emery Jones, LSU; OL — Kadyn Proctor, Alabama; OL — Xavier Truss, Georgia; OL — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia; C — Parker Brailsford, Alabama.

Third team

QB — Jalen Milroe, Alabama; RB — Justice Haynes, Alabama; RB — Ulysses Bentley, Ole Miss; WR — Deion Burks, Oklahoma; WR — Dominic Lovett, Georgia; TE — Oscar Delp, Georgia; OL — Earnest Greene, Georgia; OL — Marques Cox, Kentucky; OL — Trey Zuhn, Texas A&M; OL — Jaeden Roberts, Alabama; C — Jake Majors, Texas

DEFENSE

First team

DL — James Pearce, Tennessee; DL — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss; DL — Deone Walker, Kentucky; DL — Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia; LB — Harold Perkins, LSU; LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma; *LB — Deontae Lawson, Alabama; *LB — Mykel Williams, Georgia; DB — Malaki Starks, Georgia; DB — Malachi Moore, Alabama; DB — Billy Bowman, Oklahoma; DB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky.

Second team

DL — Shemar Turner, Texas A&M; DL — Landon Jackson, Arkansas; DL — Nic Scourton, Texas A&M; *DL — Tim Smith, Alabama; *DL — Jared Ivey, Ole Miss; LB — Debo Williams, South Carolina; LB — Anthony Hill, Texas; LB — Smael Mondon, Georgia; DB — Jahdae Barron, Texas; DB — Major Burns, LSU; DB — Andrew Mukuba, Texas; DB — Malik Muhammad, Texas.

Third team

DL — Tim Keenan, Alabama; DL — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss; DL — Trey Moore, Texas; DL — Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina; LB — Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky; LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama; — LB Eugene Asante, Auburn; DB — Domani Jackson, Alabama; DB — Daylen Everette, Georgia; DB — Jason Marshall, Florida; *DB — Keon Sabb, Alabama; *DB — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina.

SPECIALISTS

First team

P — James Burnip, Alabama; K Bert Auburn, Texas; LS — Kneeland Hibbett, Alabama; KS — Alex McPherson, Auburn; RS — Barion Brown, Kentucky; AP — Zavion Thomas, LSU.

Second team

P  — Brett Thorson, Georgia; K — Graham Nicholson, Alabama; LS Hunter Rogers, South Carolina; KS — Will Stone, Texas; RS — Zavion Thomas, LSU; AP Dillion Bell, Georgia.

Third team

P —MJeremy Crawshaw, Florida; K — Alex McPherson, Auburn; LS — Slade Roy, LSU; KS — Trey Smack, Florida; RS — Keionte Scott, Auburn; *AP — Barion Brown, Kentucky; *AP — Jaydon Blue, Texas.

*Denotes tie in voting.