With Week 8 in the books, ESPN’s latest bowl projections are starting to sketch out the SEC’s postseason path.
The network’s updated forecast includes 13 SEC teams projected to reach bowls, and Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach don’t see eye to eye on several of them. The conference also currently has nine teams ranked in the top 25, which helps explain why so many SEC names are scattered across the playoff picture and the major bowls.
At the top end, Alabama is projected very differently depending on which ESPN bracket you’re reading. Bonagura has the Crimson Tide in the First Round Playoff against No. 6 Indiana, while Schlabach sends them to the Music City Bowl against Wisconsin.
Georgia is another team with wildly different outlooks. Bonagura places the Bulldogs in the Playoff Quarterfinals for a matchup with No.
4 Utah, while Schlabach goes all the way to the CFP National Championship, with No. 3 Georgia facing No.
1 Miami.
Kentucky also shows up in both playoff projections, though not in the same game. Bonagura has No.
9 Kentucky at No. 8 Notre Dame in the First Round Playoff, while Schlabach flips the opponent and puts No.
10 Texas against No. 7 Kentucky.
Ole Miss gets a playoff slot in Bonagura’s projection too, with No. 7 Texas Tech facing No.
10 Ole Miss. Schlabach, however, does not include a bowl pick for the Rebels in the list provided.
Elsewhere, LSU lands in the Citrus Bowl in both projections, though the opponent changes. Bonagura has the Tigers playing Northwestern, while Schlabach pairs them with Iowa.
Florida is projected for the Gator Bowl against Pitt by Bonagura, while Schlabach sends the Gators to the ReliaQuest Bowl against Nebraska.
Tennessee appears in two different bowls as well. Bonagura has the Volunteers in the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State, while Schlabach puts them in the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech.
Oklahoma is another team with split opinions. Bonagura projects the Sooners to the Las Vegas Bowl against USC, and Schlabach slots them into the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State.
Mizzou’s forecast also differs: Bonagura has the Tigers in the Liberty Bowl against UCF, while Schlabach sends them to the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona.
Mississippi State shows up in the Birmingham Bowl against Tulane in Bonagura’s projection and the Liberty Bowl against Baylor in Schlabach’s.
Auburn is projected for the Gasparilla Bowl against South Florida by Bonagura, while Schlabach has the Tigers in the Birmingham Bowl against Illinois.
South Carolina rounds out the list with Bonagura’s Salute to Veterans Bowl matchup against Miami (OH) and Schlabach’s Gasparilla Bowl pairing with Virginia.
That leaves Texas in the source list heading without a projection listed here.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Won A Huge In-State Recruiting Battle
Ole Miss landed a major in-state recruiting win when Mitchell Turner, one of Mississippis top prospects and a four-star defensive lineman, announced he is officially committed to the Rebels and has closed his recruitment. Turner had drawn plenty of interest and kept looking at his options, including a visit to Alabama, but he ultimately settled back on the program closest to home, giving Ole Miss a significant addition on the defensive front.
For a Rebels staff trying to keep elite local talent from drifting elsewhere, this kind of commitment carries extra weight. Turners standing as a nationally ranked prospect only raises the stakes, and his upcoming appearance in the 2026 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game will give everyone another look at what Ole Miss is adding as it continues to build around the states best players. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Could Get A Timely Boost Up Front Vs Auburn
Ole Miss got through the Texas game without a sack allowed, but the offensive line still had to work around a key absence at right tackle. Terez Davis left that game with an injury and was held out as a precaution, a development that mattered even in a performance where the pass protection held up and the running game was not as sharp.
Pete Golding said Davis is expected back for the Auburn matchup, which would be a welcome bit of stability up front for a line trying to keep building on its pass-protection success. His return would also give the Rebels another piece to lean on as they look to find more balance on offense and avoid making that side of the ball do extra work. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Klatt Just Framed LSUs Real Playoff Pressure Point
Joel Klatts latest projected 12-team College Football Playoff bracket gives the SEC another familiar kind of spotlight, with Georgia penciled in as the conference champion and Texas, Ole Miss, and LSU all landing as at-large teams. For Ole Miss, the inclusion is the encouraging part, a sign that the Rebels are being viewed not just as a good SEC outfit but as a legitimate playoff-caliber team in a crowded field.
The LSU angle is what makes the bracket worth a second look, though, because Klatt has the Tigers finishing 9-3 and still getting in, even as Alabama and Kentucky are left out despite their strong playoff odds on ESPN's Football Power Index. For Ole Miss, that kind of projection only sharpens the stakes in the SEC race, where every week carries weight and the margin for error can disappear fast. [Read more 🡒]