SEC football: Picking the best weekly games of 2015

The last out of the SEC baseball season has been recorded.

Thus, it's time to think about SEC football, right? It's just more than three months away. Before you start mapping out your summer vacation plan, you may want to save a few dollars for traveling through the SEC this fall.

Here's an early guide to the must-see games involving SEC teams:

WEEK 1: SEPT. 5

Alabama vs. Wisconsin in Dallas

There are several good non-conference games the first week of the season. South Carolina opens the schedule against North Carolina in Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 3. The rest of the conference opens on Sept. 5.

The best of those games pits Alabama against Wisconsin in Dallas at AT&T Stadium. The game will be broadcast on WKRN-2 at 7 p.m. Paul Chryst is in his first season coaching the Badgers. Will he have a game plan to stop the Crimson Tide? Who will be the coach Nick Saban's starting quarterback?

Other Games:

Sept 3 games:

North Carolina vs. South Carolina, 5 p.m., ESPN

Western Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., SEC

Sept. 5 games:

UL Monroe at Georgia, 11 a.m., SEC

UT Martin at Ole Miss, 11 a.m., SEC Alternate

UTEP at Arkansas, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU

Auburn vs. Louisville in Atlanta, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Bowling Green vs. Tennessee at Nissan Stadium, 3 p.m., SEC

SE Missouri State at Missouri, 3 p.m., SEC Alternate

UL Lafayette at Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPNU

McNeese State at LSU, 6:30 p.m., SEC Alternate

New Mexico State at Florida, 6:30 p.m., SEC

Texas A&M vs. Arizona State in Houston, 6 p.m., ESPN

Mississippi State at Southern Miss, 9 p.m., Fox Sports 1

WEEK 2: SEPT. 12

Oklahoma at Tennessee

How much have the Vols improved? We'll find out the second week of the season when the Vols host the Sooners. Oklahoma beat Tennessee 34-10 last September. It was a reality check for the Vols. But, a lot has changed since then. This Tennessee team has a lot more depth and is now set at quarterback with Josh Dobbs. Can the defense stop junior quarterback Trevor Knight? 6 p.m., ESPN

Other games:

Jacksonville State at Auburn, 11 a.m., SEC Network

Georgia at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Fresno State at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU

MTSU at Alabama, 3 p.m., SEC

Toledo at Arkansas in Little Rock, 3 p.m., SEC Alternate

East Carolina at Florida, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Missouri at Arkansas State, 6 p.m., No TV

Ball State at Texas A&M, 6 p.m., ESPNU

Kentucky at South Carolina, 6:30 p.m., SEC

LSU at Mississippi State, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

WEEK 3: SEPT. 19

South Carolina at Georgia

A year ago, the Gamecocks were the trendy pick to win the SEC East. They finished 3-5. But, somehow, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier often has his team playing at its best when Georgia pops up on the schedule. South Carolina won 38-35 in 2014 and has won four of the last five meetings. 5 p.m., ESPN

Other games:

UConn at Missouri, 11 a.m., ESPNU

Nevada at Texas A&M, 11 a.m., SEC

Auburn at LSU, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Northwestern State at Mississippi State, 3 p.m., SEC

Austin Peay at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m., SEC Alternate

Western Carolina at Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPNU

Texas Tech at Arkansas, 6 p.m., ESPN2

Florida at Kentucky, 6:30 p.m., SEC

Ole Miss at Alabama, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

WEEK 4: SEPT. 26

Tennessee at Florida

There are two good choices this week: Mississippi State at Auburn and Tennessee at Florida. If you need to choose early, head for the Swamp. If the Vols are going to contend in the SEC East, they must get past their perennial nemesis. The Gators have beaten Tennessee 10 times in a row, including the 10-9 win in Knoxville in 2014.

Other games:

Vanderbilt at Ole Miss

Mississippi State at Auburn

Missouri at Kentucky

UL Monroe at Alabama

Texas A&M vs. Arkansas in Arlington, Texas

Southern at Georgia

LSU at Syracuse

Central Florida at South Carolina

WEEK 5: OCT. 3

Alabama at Georgia

When the Tide rolls into Athens, it could be a preview of the SEC championship game. Interestingly, entering the season, both teams will have unproven quarterbacks. The game will likely be determined by the defenses. For Georgia to win the East, the Bulldogs will likely need to beat one of the two West Division teams on their schedule. But that won't be easy. Auburn is the other West foe on the schedule.

Other games:

Arkansas at Tennessee

Vanderbilt at MTSU

Ole Miss at Florida

South Carolina at Missouri

Mississippi State at Texas A&M

San Jose State at Auburn

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky

Eastern Michigan at LSU

WEEK 6: OCT. 10

Georgia at Tennessee

A week after playing Alabama, Georgia must travel to Tennessee. This game should have a big bearing on the outcome of the SEC's East Division. By this time, Georgia's quarterback situation should be settled and all of the Tennessee newcomers should have adjusted to their new roles. Both teams should be ranked in the Top 20. If the Vols do not start the season as well as expected, then the SEC die-hard fan should consider heading back to Tuscaloosa for the Arkansas-Alabama game.

Other games:

Arkansas at Alabama

Florida at Missouri

LSU at South Carolina

New Mexico State at Ole Miss

Troy at Mississippi State

WEEK 7: OCT. 17

Missouri at Georgia

Yes, Georgia again. For a third straight week. But, there are not a lot of better options. Maybe Alabama at Texas A&M. This is a weak week in the SEC schedule. If Georgia gets past Tennessee in Week 6, then this game could go a long way to deciding if the Tigers can win a third straight East championship.

Other games:

Oct. 15:

Auburn at Kentucky

Oct. 17:

Vanderbilt at South Carolina

Alabama at Texas A&M

Florida at LSU

Ole Miss at Memphis

La. Tech at Mississippi State

WEEK 8: OCT. 24

Tennessee at Alabama

Hard to pick between Tennessee-Alabama and Auburn-Arkansas. But the projection here is that coach Butch Jones' team has matured and is a viable contender in the SEC. Have they improved enough to upend the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa? Probably not quite yet. If they can, this would be the victory that pushes them up to the next level. And it will be a game that our children's children will be talking about for decades.

Other games:

Missouri at Vanderbilt

Auburn at Arkansas

Texas A&M at Ole Miss

Kentucky at Mississippi State

Western Kentucky at LSU

WEEK 9: OCT. 31

Ole Miss at Auburn

Overall, this is one of the leaner weeks of the SEC season. Auburn is expected to be one of SEC's best. If the Tigers are going to upend Alabama and win the West, they'll need this one. Entering the season, both teams had a lot of questions on offense. The guess here is new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has the Tigers' defense rolling by Week 9.

Other games:

Tennessee at Kentucky

Vanderbilt at Houston

Florida vs. Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla.

Ole Miss at Auburn

South Carolina at Texas A&M

UT Martin at Arkansas

WEEK 10: NOV. 7

LSU at Alabama

Week 10 offers one of the best schedules of the season. LSU at Alabama figures to be the best of the bunch, although by the time November rolls around, there could be a better game in the conference. Although the Tigers are just 9-7 in the SEC the past two seasons, their schedule gives them a bit of a break this year (East games against South Carolina and Florida). Are they up to the task at winning in Tuscaloosa?

Other games:

On Nov. 5:

Mississippi State at Missouri

Other games on Nov. 7:

Vanderbilt at Florida

South Carolina at Tennessee

Arkansas at Ole Miss

Auburn at Texas A&M

Kentucky at Georgia

WEEK 11: NOV. 14

Arkansas at LSU

This game will feature some of the conference's top running attacks. LSU's Leonard Fournette and Arkansas' Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins are among the league's best. Although the Razorbacks are coming off a 7-6 season, they lost four games by a touchdown or less.

Other games:

Kentucky at Vanderbilt

North Texas at Tennessee

Alabama at Mississippi State

Georgia at Auburn

Florida at South Carolina

BYU vs. Missouri in Kansas City

Western Carolina at Texas A&M

WEEK 12: NOV. 21

Texas A&M at Vanderbilt

There may be a few better games (Tennessee-Missouri, LSU-Ole Miss), but the Texas A&M-Vanderbilt game gives SEC fans an opportunity to visit Nashville to watch two teams that they may have missed during the season. Neither team is expected to challenge for the SEC title. New defensive coordinator John Chavis' defense, especially end Myles Garrett, could prove to be too much for the Commodores.

Other games:

Tennessee at Missouri

LSU at Ole Miss

Mississippi State at Arkansas

Charleston Southern at Alabama

Idaho at Auburn

Florida Atlantic at Florida

Georgia Southern at Georgia

UNC Charlotte at Kentucky

Week 13: Nov. 28

Rivalry week

Alabama-Auburn? Ole Miss-Mississippi State? Vanderbilt-Tennessee? All SEC fans should see each of these rivalries sometime during their lifetimes. You could also throw in Clemson-South Carolina, Georgia-Georgia Tech and Florida State-Florida. You can't go wrong. Pick one and go. Next season, pick a different one.

The schedule:

Vanderbilt at Tennessee

Alabama at Auburn

Missouri at Arkansas

Texas A&M at LSU

Ole Miss at Mississippi State

Florida State at Florida

Georgia at Georgia Tech

Louisville at Kentucky

Clemson at South Carolina

Week 14: Dec. 5

SEC championship

Who survives the rugged SEC schedule and meets for the SEC title game? The winner of this game is almost assured of a berth into the NCAA Final Four Playoff. One columnist's guess: Georgia vs. Alabama. Although neither is anything close to a lock.

In the East, Missouri and Tennessee figure to give Georgia a strong challenge. In the West, arguments could be made for any of the seven teams to wind up in the conference game.

Reach Dave Ammenheuser at 615-259-8352 and on Twitter @NashSportsEd.

MORE ONLINE

Go to Tennessean.com to see a week-by-week slide show of the upcoming SEC football season.