Preseason SEC Power Rankings
POWER RANKINGS
Georgia has the crown. Texas has the expectations. And the SEC is loaded with contenders. We rank all 16 teams before kickoff.
The title contenders
Georgia gets the top spot, but the gap between the Bulldogs and Longhorns is razor thin. The two-time defending SEC champions have earned the benefit of the doubt, and the SEC media agrees, picking Georgia to win the conference with Texas projected to meet them in Atlanta.
But Texas may have the higher ceiling. Arch Manning returns for his second full season as the starter, surrounded by weapons like Cam Coleman and Ryan Niblett, while Colin Simmons anchors a defense that should again be among the conference’s best. The question is whether Texas can become more physical and consistent offensively—something Steve Sarkisian has emphasized throughout camp after the Longhorns struggled to run the football and finish drives against elite opponents last season.
the wildcard
Seeing Alabama at No. 6 in an SEC power ranking still looks wrong. That's exactly why the Crimson Tide are our wildcard.
BOK still has Alabama ranked No. 12 nationally, so this isn't a prediction that the Tide are about to fall off the map. It's an acknowledgment of just how difficult they are to place in a conference where Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all enter the season with legitimate expectations of their own. The SEC media had Alabama sixth as well, but still gave the Tide three votes to win the conference.
There may not be another team in these rankings with a wider range of believable outcomes. Alabama could make this ranking look ridiculous by October and find itself right back in the SEC Championship race. Or the Tide could spend the season fighting through the deepest second tier in college football.
No. 6 feels right today. We wouldn't bet on it staying there.
our sleeper
If we're looking for one team from the bottom half capable of making a serious climb, give us No. 12 Auburn.
The Tigers are starting over under Alex Golesh, who built his reputation on offense before turning South Florida into a nine-win team last season. He didn't come to Auburn alone: quarterback Byrum Brown followed him from USF along with a sizable group of former Bulls, giving Golesh experienced players who already understand what he wants to run.
There are plenty of reasons for caution. Auburn went 5–7 last season, this is still a significant rebuild, and projections have the Tigers playing a pile of close games. But that's also what makes them interesting: flip a few of those toss-ups and the season can change quickly. ESPN's preseason model has Auburn around No. 26 nationally, while other preseason analysis has identified the Tigers as a potential dark horse for a Top-25 finish.
We're putting Auburn 12th because they haven't earned anything higher yet.
Don't be shocked if they do.
