The SEC owns the top of the Super 16 after Week 2, and it did it with a clean sweep of its seven ranked teams all winning to move to 2-0.
For the first time in almost two years - since Sept. 29, 2024 - the poll has SEC teams sitting in the top two spots. Texas is No. 1, Georgia is right behind at No. 2, and the conference now leads all leagues with seven teams in the latest rankings from the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation.
Texas earned 848 points and 33 first-place votes after its comeback win over Ohio State in the week’s marquee matchup. Georgia checked in at No. 2 with 750 points and eight first-place votes, while Notre Dame stayed close behind at No. 3 with 748 points and five first-place votes.
Miami (FL) held at No. 4 with 704 points and four first-place votes, and Indiana followed at No. 5 with 679 points and five first-place votes. Ohio State slid to No. 6 after its loss to Texas, though it still collected one first-place vote.
LSU was the next SEC team in the mix at No. 7 with 607 points and one first-place vote. Ole Miss climbed to No. 8, Texas A&M rose to No. 9, and Alabama moved up to No. 10 after scoring 32 unanswered points in a comeback win over Kentucky in the first conference contest of the 2026 season.
The rest of the SEC presence in the poll includes Tennessee at No. 14 and Penn State at No. 15? No - Tennessee is No. 14 with 120 points, and Penn State is No. 15 with 108 points, while Oregon rounds out the poll at No. 16 with 101 points.
USC came in at No. 11, Texas Tech at No. 12, and BYU at No.
- Oregon dropped to the final spot after being No. 7 last week.
Among the teams just outside the Super 16, SMU led the others receiving votes with 92, followed by Utah and Michigan with 42 apiece. Oklahoma earned 26, Virginia 21, Louisville and Missouri 13 each, Washington 10, Kansas State, Florida and Mississippi State with 6 each, Houston with 5, UCLA with 4, Boise State and South Carolina with 2 apiece, and Virginia Tech with 1.
The SEC’s Week 2 haul also included Tennessee winning on the road at Georgia Tech and Texas A&M taking care of business at home against Arizona State. The pollsters are FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers chosen to provide a balanced geographical perspective.
In Other News...
Alabama Survived Its Own Mess But One Concern Still Lingers
Alabamas day against Kentucky had a little more sloppiness than the scoreboard suggested, but the Crimson Tide still found a way to turn it into a comfortable 45-17 win. Early turnovers and penalties gave the game a messier feel than anyone in Tuscaloosa wanted, yet Kalen DeBoers group settled in and played cleaner as the afternoon went on, enough to open SEC play with a victory and move to 2-0.
DeBoer pointed to the second-half execution as the difference, and it was the kind of response Alabama needed after its own mistakes kept the game from ever feeling fully under control. Still, the uneven start leaves one familiar concern hanging around even after the win, because this team has already shown it can survive a rough stretch, but it has not quite shown it can avoid one. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama's SEC Opener Exposed A Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Alabama opened SEC play with a 45-17 win at Kentucky, keeping its early-season momentum rolling and extending a run that has become part of the programs familiar September script. The offense did enough to leave Kroger Field with a comfortable result, but the larger story inside the game was how the Tide steadied itself when the attack was uneven early and leaned on the other phases to take control.
Keelon Russell had a rough first half, which only sharpened the conversation around how Alabama wants this team to look when conference play tightens up. The defense answered with game-changing moments from Luke Metz and Devan Thompkins, while Conor Talty added three field goals and the special teams unit came through on a fake-punt look with a crucial fourth-down stop, a reminder that this team has enough pieces to win even when one side is still sorting itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Jireh Edwards Just Gave Alabama Fans A Reason To Watch Him Closely
Nineteen days after surgery for a broken arm, freshman safety Jireh Edwards was back on the field for Alabama and part of the mix in a 45-17 win over Kentucky. For a player who arrived as a five-star recruit, the debut offered an early glimpse of why the staff has been eager to get him involved, even in a crowded safety room.
The bigger takeaway for Alabama is what Edwards showed beyond just making it back so quickly. Kalen DeBoer and teammates praised his toughness and the way he handled the moment, and that kind of response can matter as much as any snap count for a young defender trying to carve out a role. It is a reminder that Edwards may not stay buried in the depth chart for long. [Read more 🡒]