LSU opens defense of SEC and national title September 26 vs. Mike Leach and Mississippi State

The Southeastern Conference announced its Week 1 college football schedule on Monday afternoon – the rest will be released Monday night at 7 ET – and probably the marquee matchup is Mike Leach's Mississippi State head coaching debut at defending national champion LSU, which begins life without Joe Burrow.

Myles Brennan takes over under center for Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner who had a record-breaking season and is now the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite with the Cincinnati Bengals as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Tigers also will be without two projected starters in cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. and defensive end Neil Farrell Jr. Both opted out of the season. There surely will be more players to do so across the conference in the coming weeks. 

Leach has one of the top transfer quarterbacks in the country in former Stanford signal-caller KJ Costello. He was a two-time captain of the Cardinal and started 25 games. Costello dealt with some injuries last year but was second-team All-Pac-12 in 2018.

Alabama is the betting favorite at William Hill sportsbook to win the SEC title and will open at Missouri on Sept. 26. Mizzou really got the short end of the stick in its two added opponents as they were the Tide and LSU. Missouri also has a new coach in Eli Drinkwitz, formerly of Appalachian State.

Lane Kiffin's coaching debut at Ole Miss will come at home vs. Florida. It's the Gators' first trip to Oxford since 2007. Sam Pittman's coaching debut for Arkansas is home against Georgia. The Razorbacks have lost 19 straight SEC games. Their last win in one was at Ole Miss on Oct. 28, 2017. Who will be UGA's starting QB for Week 1: Jamie Newman or JT Daniels?

Times and television for all SEC games are TBA. All SEC teams will play a 10-game conference schedule only.  The SEC Championship Game is scheduled to be played Dec. 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Week 1 SEC schedule

Mississippi State at LSU

Alabama at Missouri

Georgia at Arkansas

Tennessee at South Carolina

Vanderbilt at Texas A&M

Kentucky at Auburn

Florida at Ole Miss

WHICH 2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL SLEEPER SHOULD YOU SNATCH IN YOUR DRAFT? AND WHICH WR1 CANDIDATE CAN YOU WAIT ON UNTIL LATE? JOIN SPORTSLINE NOW TO GET 2020 FANTASY FOOTBALL CHEAT SHEETS FROM THE MODEL THAT WAS ALL OVER DERRICK HENRY'S HUGE SEASON, AND FIND OUT.