Predicting each SEC football game in 2025, and every team's final record

Being kept out of the national championship race the last two seasons, some have taken the occasion to suggest the SEC has lost its iron grip on college football.

But looking over the conference heading into the 2025 season, there are still more than a few teams that can slug their way through the playoff and lift the trophy once again.

What can we expect as the SEC kicks off the 2025 football season? Here are our predictions for every game this year, and each team’s final win-loss record.

Mississippi State

Predicting each SEC football game on the 2025 schedule — Matt Bush-Imagn Images

at Southern Miss (win), Arizona State (loss), Alcorn State (win), Northern Illinois (win), Tennessee (loss), at Texas A&M (loss), at Florida (loss), Texas (loss), at Arkansas (loss), Georgia (loss), at Missouri (loss), Ole Miss (loss)...

Jeff Lebby already went winless in SEC play in his debut, and the MSU faithful may call for his head if he does it again, but it’s tough to see any conference games where the Bulldogs will be favored.

Mississippi State prediction: 3-9 (0-8)

Vanderbilt

Charleston Southern (win), at Virginia Tech (loss), at South Carolina (loss), Georgia State (win), Utah State (win), at Alabama (loss), LSU (loss), Missouri (loss), at Texas (loss), Auburn (loss), Kentucky (win), at Tennessee (loss)...

A regression could be in store for the Commodores despite some returning star talent like quarterback Diego Pavia, but this schedule includes some tough SEC games that don’t play into Vandy’s favor.

Vanderbilt prediction: 4-8 (1-7)

Kentucky

Toledo (win), Ole Miss (loss), Eastern Michigan (win), at South Carolina (loss), at Georgia (loss), Texas (loss), Tennessee (loss), at Auburn (loss), Florida (loss), Tennessee Tech (win), at Vanderbilt (loss), at Louisville (loss)...

Mark Stoops is the SEC’s longest-tenured head coach, but he’s just 28-62 in conference play over that time, and looking at the Wildcats’ rotation, it’s entirely possible this team doesn’t win a single intra-league game in 2025.

Kentucky prediction: 3-9 (0-8)

Missouri

Central Arkansas (win), Kansas (win), Louisiana (win), South Carolina (loss), UMass (win), Alabama (loss), at Auburn (loss), at Vanderbilt (win), Texas A&M (win), Mississippi State (win), at Oklahoma (loss), at Arkansas (loss)...

A nice stretch of six straight weeks playing at home to start the season with the Tigers first going on the road midway through October, but there are a lot of SEC games they won’t be favored in unless Beau Pribula gets off to a very fast start at quarterback.

Missouri prediction: 7-5 (3-5)

Arkansas

Alabama A&M (win), Arkansas State (win), at Ole Miss (loss), at Memphis (win), Notre Dame (loss), at Tennessee (loss), Texas A&M (loss), Auburn (loss), Mississippi State (win), at LSU (loss), at Texas (loss), Missouri (win)...

It could be make-or-break for Sam Pittman, who enters this season on a hot seat but faces some very tough games in September to start out before taking on three potentially winnable SEC opponents at home later in the year.

Arkansas prediction: 5-7 (2-6)

Ole Miss

Georgia State (win), at Kentucky (win), Arkansas (win), Tulane (win), LSU (loss), Washington State (win), at Georgia (loss), at Oklahoma (loss), South Carolina (win), The Citadel (win), Florida (win), at Mississippi State (win)...

We should see the Rebels start out 4-0 against this slate, giving Lane Kiffin a massive vote of confidence in a year in which his roster is undergoing major turnover at key positions, and they should be perfect in the final month of the season, too.

Ole Miss prediction: 9-3 (6-3)

Texas A&M

UTSA (win), Utah State (win), at Notre Dame (loss), Auburn (win), Mississippi State (win), Florida (loss), at Arkansas (win), at LSU (loss), at Missouri (loss), South Carolina (win), Samford (win), at Texas (loss)...

Marcel Reed returns to lead an offense that scored some key transfers at receiver and brings back one of college football’s most experienced blocking rotations, but the Aggies need to get more from their run stop and pass defense to get through this schedule.

Texas A&M prediction: 7-6 (4-4)

Auburn

at Baylor (loss), Ball State (win), South Alabama (win), at Oklahoma (loss), at Texas A&M (loss), Georgia (loss), Missouri (win), at Arkansas (win), Kentucky (win), at Vanderbilt (win), Mercer (win), Alabama (loss)...

Auburn should have one of the SEC’s top wide receiving rotations and acquired former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold to lead this unit, an upgrade that should finally push Hugh Freeze’s team over the .500 mark.

Auburn prediction: 7-5 (4-4)

South Carolina

Virginia Tech (win), South Carolina State (win), Vanderbilt (win), at Missouri (win), Kentucky (win), at LSU (loss), Oklahoma (loss), Alabama (win), at Ole Miss (loss), at Texas A&M (loss), Coastal Carolina (win), Clemson (win)...

Five straight wins to start the season would be ideal for the Gamecocks, including wins against an ACC foe and two SEC rivals, and we project they’ll upset the Tide at home with Bama breaking in a new quarterback and Carolina’s defense still a force.

South Carolina prediction: 8-4 (4-4)

Oklahoma

Illinois State (win), Michigan (win), at Temple (win), Auburn (win), Kent State (win), Texas (loss), at South Carolina (win), Ole Miss (win), at Tennessee (loss), at Alabama (loss), Missouri (win), LSU (loss)...

OU’s offense was a disaster last season amid injuries, poor blocking, and dismal quarterback play, but the addition of John Mateer under center and Jaydn Ott in the backfield are upgrades for this unit.

Oklahoma prediction: 8-4 (4-4)

Florida

LIU (win), USF (win), at LSU (loss), at Miami (win), Texas (loss), at Texas A&M (win), Mississippi State (win), Georgia (loss), at Kentucky (win), at Ole Miss (loss), Tennessee (win), Florida State (win)...

Last season’s very strong finish has resulted in high hopes for the Gators, who return quarterback DJ Lagway. If he can stay healthy, Lagway has a supporting cast and the blocking, and Florida a defense that improved late last year, to take a step forward.

Florida prediction: 8-4 (4-4)

Tennessee

Syracuse (win), ETSU (win), Georgia (loss), UAB (win), at Mississippi State (win), Arkansas (win), at Alabama (loss), at Kentucky (win), Oklahoma (win), New Mexico State (win), at Florida (loss), Vanderbilt (win)...

The loss of Nico Iamaleava and James Pearce at quarterback and edge rusher, respectively, could cut into the Vols’ success this season. They need to get at least one win against rivals Georgia, Alabama, or Florida, but at least they get the Bulldogs at home.

Tennessee prediction: 9-3 (5-3)

LSU

at Clemson (loss), Louisiana Tech (win), Florida (win), Southeastern Louisiana (win), at Ole Miss (win), South Carolina (win), at Vanderbilt (win), Texas A&M (win), at Alabama (loss), Arkansas (win), WKU (win), at Oklahoma (win)...

This could be the year LSU finally breaks through for Brian Kelly. Garrett Nussmeier returns under center after leading one of college football’s top aerial attacks and he gets a group of very promising targets, while this defense should benefit from the return of Harold Perkins and transfer edge rusher Patrick Payton.

LSU prediction: 10-2 (7-1)

Alabama

at Florida State (win), UL Monroe (win), Wisconsin (win), at Georgia (loss), Vanderbilt (win), at Missouri (win), Tennessee (win), at South Carolina (loss), LSU (win), Oklahoma (win), Eastern Illinois (win), at Auburn (win)...

Kalen DeBoer needs to win double-digit games in Year 2 to avoid some early pressure on his job. We’ll see how his quarterback selection pans out with Ty Simpson taking over for Jalen Milroe, but the Tide boast some blue-chip receiving skill and much of a good defense coming back.

Alabama prediction: 10-2 (6-2)

Georgia

Marshall (win), Austin Peay (win), at Tennessee (win), Alabama (win), Kentucky (win), at Auburn (win), Ole Miss (win), Florida (win), at Mississippi State (win), Texas (loss), Charlotte (win), at Georgia Tech (win)...

Georgia went 1-2 in those marquee road games it played a year ago, but all of those rematches come at home this season. The back-to-back against Auburn and then Ole Miss could trip the Bulldogs up a little and add another unexpected loss here.

Georgia prediction: 11-1 (7-1)

Texas

at Ohio State (win), San Jose State (win), UTEP (win), Sam Houston (win), at Florida (win), Oklahoma (win), at Kentucky (win), at Mississippi State (win), Vanderbilt (win), at Georgia (win), Arkansas (win), Texas A&M (win)...

The opener against the Buckeyes could go either way, but the Longhorns have the defensive rotation that can get after an OSU offense in transition and debuting a new quarterback. Texas has been trending in the right direction for a couple years now, and this could be the moment it breaks through against a winnable SEC slate.

Texas prediction: 12-0 (8-0)