The SEC would be the biggest winner if the College Football Playoff really does grow to 24 teams.
That much is hard to miss when you look at the league’s current footprint in the rankings. The SEC already has eight teams in the top 25, and under a 24-team format, that kind of depth turns into a massive advantage. Project the current SEC against that bigger bracket, and nine teams could realistically be in line for Playoff bids.
Georgia is the cleanest case of all. The Bulldogs are the SEC’s top team and would almost certainly have been in the mix even in the old two-team title era.
Alabama is right behind them at No. 3, and with three relatively manageable games left on its regular-season schedule, the Tide look like a team that would have fit comfortably in the old four-team CFP field.
Texas checks in at No. 6 with a 7-2 record and is close to locking up a spot already. The Longhorns still have LSU ahead, but in a 24-team field that matchup would not carry nearly as much weight. A 9-3 Texas team would clearly be in, and even 8-4 might still be enough.
Tennessee is in a similar spot. The Volunteers are 7-2, with LSU looming next week, but a 9-3 finish would make them an absolute lock in a 24-team playoff. Even 8-4 would not be out of the question.
Kentucky sits at No. 16 as the last team currently in the field, and the Wildcats probably need to run the table against Florida, at Missouri and Louisville to stay there. In a 24-team setup, though, one more loss would not knock Kentucky out.
South Carolina is No. 17 and already has three losses, so the Gamecocks would probably need an upset of Georgia to keep their Playoff hopes alive in the current format. In a 24-team field, an 8-4 South Carolina team would at least have a shot, especially if it keeps the Georgia game competitive.
Ole Miss comes in at No. 19 with three losses and does not have much room left with Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State still on deck. A 9-3 Rebels team likely misses the 12-team field, but it would not be left out of a 24-team one.
LSU is No. 21 and also already has three losses. With Texas and Tennessee still ahead, the Tigers probably need to sweep the rest of the way to re-enter the Playoff conversation. In a 24-team bracket, though, even a split would keep LSU in the picture.
Missouri rounds out the group at No. 22, also with three losses, and the Tigers are likely to tumble out of the top 25 after their trip to Georgia next week. Still, with Kentucky expected to be a slight underdog at Missouri the following week, an 8-4 Missouri team could still sneak into the Playoff if the field expands that far.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Opens Up On Arch Manning Before Texas LSU Showdown
Lane Kiffin had plenty to say about Arch Manning ahead of the looming Texas-LSU matchup, and much of it centered on the quarterbacks path to this point. Kiffin described Manning as a great kid and reflected on the pressure that followed him even in high school, a reminder of how long the spotlight has been fixed on the Longhorns young signal-caller. With College Football Playoff implications hanging over the game, every word around Manning seems to carry a little extra weight.
Kiffin also revisited his own complicated history with the Manning family, including the fact that Archie Manning once apologized after previously calling him a narcissistic jerk. It is the kind of backstory that gives this matchup a little more edge than the standings alone would suggest, especially with Texas preparing for one of its biggest tests of the season. For Kiffin, the conversation was as much about respect and history as it was about the game ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Walks Into LSU With Its Playoff Credibility On The Line
Texas heads into Saturdays trip to LSU with a different kind of pressure than it has faced so far this season. Even after stacking three straight wins, including a recent victory over Missouri, the Longhorns are being framed by the market as an underdog for the first time in 2026, a sign that the early inconsistency still lingers in the conversation around a team trying to strengthen its playoff case.
Tiger Stadium is hardly the place to quiet doubts, and this one carries real weight for both programs postseason hopes. With ABC carrying the game, Texas has a chance to turn a skeptical national eye in its direction, but it will have to do it in one of the sports most difficult road environments and against an LSU team with plenty on the line as well. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Can Stop Worrying About Chris Del Conte's Future
Rumors about Chris Del Conte and the Big 12 commissioner opening had begun to swirl around a moment when conference leadership was suddenly in the spotlight, but Texas athletic director moved quickly to shut that down. Del Conte said there is absolutely none truth to the speculation that he has any interest in leaving Austin for the league office, calming a question that had started to gain traction among Longhorns fans.
The timing of the chatter made sense, given that current Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has already announced he will step down effective Jan. 31, 2027. Even so, Del Contes public denial leaves Texas focused on keeping one of its most important administrators in place, at least for now, rather than wondering whether the school might soon have to navigate a major leadership change of its own. [Read more 🡒]