For all the noise around the SEC entering 2026, the conversation still keeps circling back to two programs: Georgia and Texas. Georgia has owned the league since 2022, winning three of the last four SEC titles, with the lone interruption coming in 2023 when Alabama beat the undefeated Bulldogs in Nick Saban’s final SEC Championship Game.
But Paul Finebaum is leaning in a different direction.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the ESPN host made it clear he’s taking Texas over Georgia in the race for the conference crown.
"I am siding with Texas because that's what we do," Finebaum said. "I mean, I think it's a pretty narrow line, but I just like the fact that Texas has so many impactful players at all the critical positions."
That argument starts with the Longhorns’ sheer talent. According to Punt & Rally, Texas is the most talented team entering the season, and the roster looks every bit the part.
Steve Sarkisian’s offense is built around quarterback Arch Manning, running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, wide receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, and one of the country’s top offensive linemen in Trevor Goosby. On the other side of the ball, Colin Simmons and Rasheem Biles headline the defense.
The depth is hard to miss. Texas has 11 players on the preseason All-SEC teams, including five first-team selections, with that talent spread across the roster rather than concentrated in just one area.
Even so, the biggest question hanging over Texas isn’t the talent level. It’s Manning.
His second season as the starter will go a long way toward deciding whether the Longhorns can turn all that blue-chip firepower into something bigger. He finished last season with noticeable growth down the stretch, and expectations are high with Texas opening 2026 ranked No. 5 nationally.
That’s what gives Finebaum’s pick some real weight. It isn’t just a swipe at Georgia.
The Bulldogs are still the standard until somebody takes the SEC away from them. But Texas has the personnel to stand in that lane, and if Manning takes the next step while the rest of the roster plays to its billing, the Longhorns could be the team that finally knocks Georgia off the top.
In Other News...
College GameDay Sees Texas As A Contender But Not A Sure Thing
ESPNs College GameDay spent part of the weekend sorting through the SECs top tier, and Texas came out of it with something close to a respectability stamp. Several of the panels analysts, including Nick Saban and Desmond Howard, weighed in on the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship, and the consensus leaned toward Georgia as the favorite to come out of the conference. Even so, the Longhorns were firmly in the conversation, which is where they wanted to be entering another season with bigger expectations attached to the program.
Desmond Howard went a step farther and picked Texas to win both the SEC and the national title, a reminder that the Longhorns are being viewed as more than just a team with upside. At the same time, the broader skepticism around the league suggests they still have to prove they belong in that same elite bucket as Georgia. Texas will get its first chance to start making that case when it opens the season against Texas State, with the early weeks likely to shape how much of that playoff buzz is real. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Returns To Knoxville For A UT Showdown Fans Will Feel
Texas is headed back to a familiar old SEC-era stage next fall, with the Longhorns set to meet Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. The noon ET kickoff gives the game a marquee spot on the schedule, and the setting alone should give it a different feel from a typical nonconference road trip, especially for fans who still remember how rarely these two programs have crossed paths in East Tennessee.
What makes the trip even more notable is the return to a venue where Texas has not played this matchup in generations, which only adds to the anticipation around a game that already carries plenty of name recognition. Tickets are already on the market too, with prices stretching from $350 to $1,650, a reminder that this one is expected to draw plenty of attention well before the teams actually get to Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Depth Chart Already Reveals A Few Surprising Early Battles
Texas released its first official depth chart of the season ahead of the Texas State game, and it already offered a few hints about where the early competition is fiercest. The Longhorns listed starters and backups across offense, defense and special teams, giving the first real look at how the staff is sorting out roles after camp.
Among the more notable choices, sophomore Dylan Sikorski is penciled in ahead of sixth-year Laurence Seymore at left guard, a sign that the interior line picture is still taking shape. The rest of the chart also suggests Texas is not afraid to make some early calls and keep a few jobs open to challenge, which is exactly the kind of pressure a team wants before the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]