Preseason SEC Power Rankings
POWER RANKINGS
The 2026 college football season is nearly upon us. Can Texas win its first SEC title, or will Kirby Smart’s dominance at Georgia continue? A host of other contenders will have a say in the matter. We give our power rankings for all 16 SEC teams ahead of kickoff.
The title contenders
Until further notice, Georgia runs the SEC. Winning 3 of the last 4 titles, and coming off a couple of “down” years where…they still won the conference. Yep, the Dawgs get our top spot. Texas is right behind - though facing a pretty brutal schedule including ending the season on a three-of-four road stretch. Though it must be said, the Longhorns avoid Georgia and Alabama on the regular season slate. But they face the rest of the entire top 10 on this list. Arch Manning returns for his second full season as a starter, and is surrounded by weapons like Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, while Colin Simmons anchors a defense that has the potential to be much improved under Will Muschamp. The expectation is simple: get to Atlanta.
The other team vying for the title in our eyes is Ole Miss. They’re coming off a season filled with an absurd side story with the Lane Kiffin saga, but ultimately ended in a semifinal appearance in the CFP under interim head coach Pete Golding. Golding returns as the full-time head coach, along with his star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (don’t ask about that saga) and All-American RB Kewan Lacy. While Golding is still a question mark in leading a team over the course of a season, we’ve seen enough from Chambliss and Lacy to know Ole Miss can win any game they play in. A real threat for the 2026 SEC crown.
the wildcard
Seeing Alabama at No. 6 in an SEC power ranking still feels wrong. That's exactly why the Crimson Tide are our wildcard.
Kalen DeBoer’s bunch clearly will have the talent to compete at the top of the conference, sporting a top-5 caliber roster in the country. With the departure of Ty Simpson, there will be a quarterback battle, and the starter is still yet to be determined between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. Then there was the problem of the run game in 2025. If the Tide can sort that out, they will absolutely challenge for an SEC title. On the other hand, if DeBoer’s squad follows the same blueprint of the last couple years, it’ll be another long season in Tuscaloosa for their standards.
Alabama could legitimately wind up anywhere from 1st to 8th by the end of the year. Wildcard.
our sleeper
If we're looking for one team from the bottom half capable of making a serious climb, give us Auburn, the team ranked 12th in our conference power rankings.
The Tigers are in rebuild mode under new head coach Alex Golesh, who successfully turned around South Florida in the last few years. He brings QB Byrum Brown with him to the Plains, along with a host of other former Bulls. What Auburn has going for it is experience, with many of their new core comfortable in Golesh’s system. The potential upside is somewhere around an 8-4 season, possibly 9-3.
However, this is Auburn…and there are plenty of reasons to proceed with caution. Auburn was 5–7 last season under Hugh Freeze, lost Cam Coleman (thank you) and have been mired in mediocrity for about the last 15 years (we know what that’s like). Now, Golesh has some pretty lofty expectations for his team in year 1, and it’s possible he can make a splash in this league. We’re not saying they can win the SEC, but there’s potential for an upward climb.
We're putting Auburn 12th because they haven't earned anything higher yet.
Don't be shocked if they do.
