The college football season is only a couple of weeks away from Week Zero kickoff. Soon, the quest for the College Football Playoff will begin, as 12 teams will look to return to the tournament. Indiana will also look to defend its title.
The SEC has several teams favored to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff. Georgia and Texas lead that conversation, but teams like Ole Miss could also be primed for a deep playoff run. LSU also hired Lane Kiffin with the expectation that he can turn the Tigers into immediate contenders.
The SEC will be one of the biggest conferences to watch during the 2026 season. The SEC and Big Ten could take up a significant portion of the College Football Playoff field. Will Georgia defend its SEC title as the future of conference championships may be coming to a close? Will teams like Texas and Ole Miss finally challenge Georgia for the conference crown and make a run at the College Football Playoff?
MORE: Breaking down the top 50 players in college football ahead of 2026
We went week by week and game by game through the SEC schedule and predicted the outcome of each matchup. Here are our final predictions for the 2026 SEC season:
2026 SEC CFB Full Standings Predictions:
| Rank | Team | SEC Record | Overall | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 8-1 | 10-2 | .833 |
| 2 | Georgia | 8-1 | 11-1 | .917 |
| 3 | Ole Miss | 7-2 | 10-2 | .833 |
| 4 | Alabama | 7-2 | 10-2 | .833 |
| 5 | Florida | 6-3 | 9-3 | .750 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 6-3 | 9-3 | .750 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 6-3 | 9-3 | .750 |
| 8 | Auburn | 5-4 | 8-4 | .667 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 5-4 | 8-4 | .667 |
| 10 | LSU | 4-5 | 7-5 | .583 |
| 11 | Kentucky | 3-6 | 5-7 | .417 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 3-6 | 6-6 | .500 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 2-7 | 5-7 | .417 |
| 14 | Missouri | 1-8 | 4-8 | .333 |
| 15 | Vanderbilt | 1-8 | 4-8 | .333 |
| 16 | Arkansas | 0-9 | 2-10 | .167 |
SEC Championship: Georgia vs Texas
In the SEC Championship… Texas defeats Georgia 26-23.
Will this be the last conference championship as the College Football Playoffs look to expand again?
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —