Florida Gators picked to finish 2nd in SEC East

HOOVER, Ala. — The Florida Gators were picked to finish fifth in the SEC East in 2015 before winning the East outright in Jim McElwain’s first season. The Gators will once again have to exceed the media’s expectations in 2016.

Florida was picked to finish second in the SEC East behind the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols received 225 first-place votes to Florida’s 57. Georgia, with first year head coach Kirby Smart at the helm, received 45 first place votes.

Alabama was picked to win the SEC West and its third straight SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide received 246 first place votes. LSU, picked as SEC West runners up, received 76 first place votes and third place Ole Miss received five.

The media have picked the correct SEC Champion just five times since 1992, three times in the last 20 years.

SEC East (first place votes in parenthesis)
1. Tennessee (225)
2. Florida (57)
3. Georgia (45)
4. Kentucky
5. Vanderbilt (2)
6. Missouri
7. South Carolina (2)

SEC West (first place votes in parenthesis)
1. Alabama (246)
2. LSU (76)
3. Ole Miss (5)
4. Texas A&M (3)
5. Arkansas (1)
6. Auburn
7. Mississippi State

SEC Champion
Alabama

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC