SEC Preseason Media Football Rankings Reveal Two-Team Race for Championship

You could make a solid argument that, despite being on a three-year national championship dry spell, the SEC is still college football’s deepest overall conference.

But when looking at the preseason football rankings in the league revealed after the end of SEC Media Days, it still looks like a two-team race to make a run for Atlanta.

SEC championship votes

SEC Preseason Media Football Rankings Reveal Two-Team Race for Championship — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to members of the press who convened for SEC Media Days this preseason, the conference looks convincingly like a Georgia vs. Texas battle, and even more convincingly like the Bulldogs’ to lose.

On a two-year run as the reigning SEC champ, Georgia is the serious favorite to make it a threepeat this season, earning 88 championship votes.

Texas is a respectable second, but at a notable distance from the Bulldogs, finishing with 57 votes from reporters to win the SEC championship.

Who else got first-place votes?

After that, there’s even more distance from the other would-be contenders, as no other school received more than six votes to finish first in the conference in 2026.

Ole Miss placed third with a half-dozen championship votes, followed by Texas A&M in fourth with five votes of confidence, and LSU was fifth with two such votes.

Kentucky was a notable finisher, coming in with one endorsement to win the SEC championship, apparently placing a ton of faith in first year head coach Will Stein.

Why Georgia can win the SEC

Kirby Smart is no stranger to winning the SEC title, even if his handle on advancing in the College Football Playoff has slipped somewhat since that two-year natty run.

Gunner Stockton returns at quarterback an older and wiser starter, working behind what should be an experienced line and with the help of a solid backfield led by Nate Frazier and bringing on Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell.

Defensively, the Bulldogs field another imposing lineup in the secondary and along the front line, in total an expected 21 tacklers who had serious playing time a year ago, but this unit could definitely improve on its pass rushing capacity and sack numbers.

Why Texas can win the SEC

Arch Manning definitely figures into that calculus.

Despite last season’s lousy start, the Longhorns quarterback dramatically improved his efficiency and the technical aspects of his game that were lacking early on, leading to statement wins against Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, undefeated Texas A&M in the regular season finale, and Michigan.

Key incoming transfers like wide receiver Cam Coleman and running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown will prove very consequential, and Will Muschamp takes over a defense that has playmakers at every level, led by edge rusher Colin Simmons, who led the SEC with 12 sacks last fall.

Why anyone else can win the SEC this year

Ole Miss? Trinidad Chambliss at quarterback, Kewan Lacy at running back, and enough pieces on defense prove a good-enough foundation for Pete Golding to work with in his first full season.

Texas A&M? Improved play from quarterback Marcel Reed in tandem with an elite receiver corps and the defensive expertise of Mike Elko all put the Aggies in position, but they play a harder schedule.

LSU? All eyes are on Lane Kiffin to produce immediately, and while there will be speed bumps, there are also key inputs at quarterback with Sam Leavitt, at wide receiver, and blue-chip defenders back for Blake Baker to work with.

Alabama? Another good defense will keep the Crimson Tide above water in SEC play, even as we await solid answers at the quarterback position and especially in a ground game that was among college football’s worst in 2025.

Oklahoma? A similar situation to Alabama, as the Sooners should have an elite defense, but need John Mateer and their backs to cover more yards, and to get much better blocking than they did last year.

SEC preseason media football rankings

How the media forecasts the order of finish in 2026

Georgia (2,519 points)
Texas (2,449)
Ole Miss (2,004)
Texas A&M (1,967)
LSU (1,961)
Alabama (1,930)
Oklahoma (1,914)
Tennessee (1,320)
Florida (1,217)
Missouri (1,105)
South Carolina (956)
Auburn (936)
Vanderbilt (751)
Kentucky (546)
Mississippi State (467)
Arkansas (262)

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