The SEC is stepping into its first nine-game season, and the title chase already looks like the kind of grind that won’t be settled until the final stretch. Week 0 arrives this week, the real conference fight is still a couple of weeks away, and the league’s championship race is loaded with familiar powers, a few dangerous wildcards and a couple of sleepers trying to force their way into the conversation.
Georgia is once again the team to beat at +280. Kirby Smart has as many as 15 starters back from last year’s group, and Gunnar Stockton returns as a more experienced quarterback.
The Bulldogs also drew a schedule that gives them some breathing room, with Oklahoma, Missouri, Auburn and Vanderbilt all coming to Athens. The road trips to Ole Miss and Alabama, though, are the ones that figure to decide whether Georgia gets back to Atlanta.
Texas is right behind at +340, and the hype around the Longhorns is easy to understand. Arch Manning is back with a strong group of playmakers, and the expectation is that Texas can climb back to the top of the sport.
The problem is the path. The Longhorns have a much tougher slate, with Ohio State, Oklahoma and Ole Miss on the schedule, plus trips to Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M.
Then there’s the group of teams that looks good enough on paper to matter, but still hasn’t made an SEC Championship Game appearance.
Texas A&M is sitting at +1000 and brings back quarterback Marcel Reed after last season’s College Football Playoff run. The Aggies will need Reed to keep moving forward, especially with road games at Oklahoma, LSU and Alabama.
Ole Miss is also at +1000, and the Rebels may have the best quarterback in the country back in Trinidad Chambliss. Pete Golding is now in charge after the Lane Kiffin saga, coming off a semifinal run that came close to reaching the National Championship Game. Ole Miss has to travel to Texas and Oklahoma, but gets LSU and Georgia at home in Oxford.
Oklahoma is in the mix at +850, helped by the return of John Mateer after his strong finish to the 2025 season. The Sooners bring back 14 starters, too, which gives them plenty of continuity. The schedule is demanding, with road games against Ole Miss, Texas and Texas A&M, and the biggest hurdle of all comes at Georgia on September 26.
Alabama is one of the more interesting wildcards at +900. That number feels unusually long for the Crimson Tide, but there’s real uncertainty because sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell is stepping into the starting role for the first time.
That leaves a wide spread of possibilities, from conference-title upside to something more like an 8-4 season. October brings a punishing run of Georgia, Texas A&M, at Tennessee and at LSU.
LSU’s outlook under Lane Kiffin is tied to what he gets from veteran quarterback Sam Leavitt. The Arizona State transfer is coming off a season-ending injury and trying to get back to the form he showed in 2024. The Tigers’ schedule is packed with big ones: they have to go to Ole Miss, host Texas A&M, Texas and Alabama, and finish with a late trip to Knoxville.
Tennessee is another team drawing attention at +1800. Josh Heupel has built a reputation for getting production out of year-one quarterbacks, and true freshman Faizon Brandon was named the starter earlier this week.
He’ll have plenty around him on offense, and the schedule gives Tennessee a real opening, with Texas, Alabama and LSU all coming to Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers also have just one ranked road game, at Texas A&M, but they’ll need to handle the games they’re supposed to win and defend home turf if they want to stay in the race.
Florida has picked up some buzz at +2200, but the path is rough with trips to Ole Miss and Texas, plus home games against Georgia and Oklahoma. Missouri checks in next at +3500 and could be due for one of those sneaky Eli Drinkwitz seasons, even with a tough schedule staring it down. Vanderbilt is worth mentioning at +8000 after what Clark Lea has done over the last couple of years, but the big question is what the Commodores look like without Diego Pavia.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Added Intrigue To Tennessees Future QB Showdown
The first quarterback decision of the season already added an extra layer to Tennessees long-term conversation under center, with true freshman Faizon Brandon named the starter for the opener. Across the border in Nashville, Vanderbilt followed with its own call, going with Blaze Berlowitz over five-star freshman Jared Curtis for its first game, even as Curtis is expected to see the field against Austin Peay.
Jared Curtis is the name that makes this more interesting for Tennessee fans, because the buzz around a future matchup now has a clearer shape. If the two programs get the chance to put their young quarterbacks on the same stage later in the season, it would turn a routine SEC meeting into a useful early snapshot of where both passing games are headed. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Manning And The Vols Honor A Tennessee Icon After Heartbreaking Loss
The loss of Dolly Parton sent a wave of grief through Tennessee, and the reaction from Peyton Manning and the Volunteers showed just how deeply she mattered to the state. The former Tennessee quarterback and the universitys athletic department both honored the country music legend with public tributes, recognizing not only her towering career but also the bond she always shared with her home state.
Parton was more than an icon on the music side of Tennessee life, and the tributes reflected that broader impact. Her music, charity work and unmistakable presence made her a beloved figure well beyond Knoxville, which is why the Vols response landed as part remembrance, part thank you to a woman whose legacy stretched far past the stage. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Major Recruiting Shocker
Five-star defensive line prospect DJ Jacobs is still very much on Tennessees board, even with Ohio State holding his current commitment. The Vols have not backed off in the race for the prized recruit, with Josh Heupel and defensive line coach Rodney Garner continuing to push hard as the Early Signing Period approaches in December.
Miami is in the fight too, and Mario Cristobal has been aggressive in keeping Jacobs engaged as the recruiting battle unfolds. Jacobs is also expected to make multiple trips back to Ohio State, but Tennessee is hoping to get him on campus as well, since a visit to Knoxville could become a major factor in where this recruitment ultimately lands. [Read more 🡒]