In the SEC, it just means more.
At least that’s what college football’s deepest conference still wants you to believe.
It’s been a humbling three-year stretch for the league that once dominated the sport, winning 13 of the 17 national titles between 2006 and 2012, as well as seven of the first nine in CFP era.
The last three playoffs have been controlled by the SEC’s rival up north, the Big Ten, with a different program crowned in each – Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana this past January. The SEC hasn’t even had a team reach the National Championship since Georgia in 2022.
This year, Georgia enters as the highest-ranked SEC team in the preseason AP Poll – third, behind Ohio State and Oregon – one of seven from the conference to crack the top 13. But in a sign of the times, not a single program from the SEC received a first-place vote, with 62 of the 69 going to Big Ten teams (Indiana, in addition to the Buckeyes and Ducks) and the others going to Notre Dame (six) and Miami (one).
As always, there is intrigue and plenty of chaos.
Arch Manning, Year Two – as a starter, at least. Then there’s Lane Kiffin at LSU, and what might be the most hostile road environment in conference history when the Tigers venture into Ole Miss in Week 3.
Is it star power, you’re looking for? There’s plenty, between Manning and his fellow cast of quarterbacks, from reigning Newcomer of the Year Trinidad Chambliss to this year’s set of new faces, which includes Sam Leavitt in Baton Rouge and a handful of potential breakout stars, including Byrum Brown at Auburn and Kamario Taylor at Mississippi State.
The first-overall pick in next April draft might come from the SEC, and might not even be a signal-caller, with edge rushers Colin Simmons of Texas and Dylan Stewart of South Carolina considered amongst the top prospects ahead of next year’s NFL Draft.
In the SEC, you can always count on Saturday exploits, even if the perception of the conference is bound to again be determined on a Monday night next January.
For now, five storylines heading into the season:
Can Arch Manning pick up where he left off last season?
Manning got off to a slow start in a near-impossible setting in Week 1 at Ohio State last year, and his early-season struggles hit a peak when he was limited to just 114 passing yards and threw 10 straight incompletions in an ugly home win over UTEP in mid-September.
But he was one of the best quarterbacks in college football from November onward, and put a stamp on a strong season with a 376-yard, four-touchdown demolition of Michigan in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
When the dust settled, the numbers were quite staggering: 3,163 passing yards and another 399 on the ground, along with 37 total touchdowns. Following a shaky overtime win against Kentucky in Week 8, Manning accounted for 20 touchdowns with just two interceptions, and he led the FBS in QBR over the final two-plus months – even better than Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza.
For the second straight year, Manning enters the season as a potential first-overall pick, as well as the player most certain to have each and every performance picked apart – both good and bad.
Manning is strong-armed and mobile and has a full season as a starter under his belt, but the most impactful difference in 2026 might be the addition of standout receiver Cam Coleman, who transferred to Texas after two seasons at Auburn and might be a top-five pick in his own right after this season. Coleman caught a combined 93 passes in 2024 and 2025, but did that while devoid of a competent quarterback.
Texas also retained its top perimeter threat from last year in Ryan Wingo, and added a pair of explosive running backs in the portal in Hollywood Smothers (formerly of NC State) and Raleek Brown (Arizona State). On defence, Simmons has morphed into the biggest game-wrecker in college football, and led the SEC with 12 sacks and 51 pressures in 2025.
The weapons are there, but for the second straight year, Texas’ schedule is gruelling. The Longhorns get Ohio State in Austin this time, and it will come in Week 2, after what should be a breezy season opener for Manning against Texas State. It won’t get much easier from that point forward, though, with road games against Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M, as well as Ole Miss at home and Oklahoma in the annual Red River Showdown.
Lane Kiffin reloaded quickly at LSU
Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss at the altar one the eve of the playoffs was the story of college football last season, and the drama surrounding it still hasn’t nearly reached its peak. In Week 3, LSU pays a visit to Oxford, where Kiffin will have to face the wrath of Rebels fans.
While his former team was handling its business in the playoffs, Kiffin went straight to work in Baton Rouge, living up to his “Portal King” reputation by securing Leavitt (Arizona State) and left tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado), each widely considered to be the best player at available at their positions.
Kiffin also convinced star edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen to follow him from Ole Miss, nabbed Canadian safety Ty Benefield from Boise State, and added a collection of pass-catchers to compliment 6-foot-7 tight end Trey’dez Green, LSU’s 6-foot-7, built-in-a-lab tight end who is a near-guarantee to be a first-round pick next April. In all, Kiffin brought in 40 total transfers in his attempt to turn a program that lost six games last year into an instant national title contender.
Generally considered one of the game’s premier offensive masterminds, Kiffin should revel in the opportunity to work his magic on Leavitt, who was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 before struggling with a Lisfranc injury last season that required surgery in November.
Leavitt isn’t yet considered a day one NFL prospect, but could flip that script if he finishes his college career with a bang – much like Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels did after transferring to LSU for their final two seasons. Each won the Heisman in Baton Rouge, then went on to become top picks in the NFL – Burrow going first overall in 2019, and Daniels second in 2024.
Things won’t come easy for Kiffin in his new home. Following Ole Miss, LSU faces Texas A&M at Death Valley in Week 4, trying to avenge losses in each of the last two seasons that essentially squashed its playoff hopes. And from there, it gets even more challenging, with a three-game stretch in November against Alabama, Texas and Tennessee.
Trinidad Chambliss sets his sights even higher
Chambliss was one of the greatest revelations the sport has ever witnessed last year – a folk hero from Division-II Ferris State that took the reins and carried Ole Miss to the brink of the National Championship, only to have those hopes dashed by a last-minute Miami touchdown.
His ascent was unexpected as it was electrifying, and it didn’t skip a beat after Kiffin’s defection to LSU ahead of the first round. Chambliss picked apart Tulane in the Rebels’ playoff opener and put on a show for the ages against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
In 13 games last year, Chambliss passed for 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions and had the fifth best QBR (86.5) amongst FBS quarterbacks. He fought hard for an extra year of eligibility, eventually having it granted via a court injunction after initially being denied by the NCAA. And though Chambliss wasn’t regarded as a bona fide pro prospect – mostly due to his size, or lack thereof – he’ll make it difficult for NFL teams to deny him if he has another season at Ole Miss similar to this past one.
Chambliss has been a breath of fresh air in Oxford, and further endeared himself by spurning Kiffin after his defection to LSU, and by standing up for Ole Miss two months ago after Kiffin claimed the state’s Confederate roots presented challenges with recruiting.
He’s accompanied again by one of college football’s best running backs in Kewan Lacy (1,567 yards, 24 TD last season), but has a mostly-overhauled room of receivers, after De’Zhaun Stribling moved to the NFL and Winston Watkins Jr. followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge. Deuce Alexander should step in as Chambliss’ lead target, with Syracuse transfers Johntay Cook III and Darrell Gill Jr. expected to be contributors.
The Rebels should be back in the playoff picture behind Chambliss and new head coach Pete Golding, who seamlessly shifted from defensive coordinator into Kiffin’s shoes last December. Beyond LSU, they’ll get their share of challenges – including that trip to Austin in October and back-to-back meetings against Georgia and at Oklahoma in November.
Gunner Stockton needs to take a step forward
Stockton is an outstanding college quarterback who has already proven he’s capable of winning the SEC, but can he guide Georgia through four rounds of the playoffs? Last season, he wasn’t able to keep up with Chambliss’ air attack on New Year’s Day, getting outgained through the air 362 to 203 yards in that 39-34 playoff loss to Ole Miss.
Stockton is mobile and can chip away at defences like few other quarterbacks, but Georgia’s hope of contending for a national title as opposed to being a mere playoff team might depend on whether or not he takes another step as a downfield passer.
There were glimpses last year – particularly in a 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee, where Stockton led Georgia back from a two-touchdown deficit – but not nearly enough of a sample to put him on the same level as Manning and Chambliss. In all, Stockton completed just 36 per cent of his attempts that traveled 15-plus yards downfield, which ranked 108th in the FBS, but was one of the most effective in throws under 15 yards (fifth, at 79 per cent).
One interesting bit of information, which relates to Stockton: Though Georgia has gotten steady production from pass catchers like Ladd McConkey, Brock Bowers and Zachariah Branch in recent seasons, it has only produced one 1,000-yard receiver in program history –that being Terrence Edwards, who eclipsed that mark by three yards in 2002. With Branch moving to the NFL, Stockton will lean on Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion, who had 33 receptions in 2025, and second-year receiver Talyn Taylor, who had just two catches last season as a five-star true freshman.
Stockton’s playoff rematch with Chambliss in November won’t be the only game Georgia has circled. There’s also its trip to Tuscaloosa in Week 6 to face Alabama, which handed Stockton his only loss last regular season – one he avenged in the SEC Championship in December.
Can Alabama still hang with the best teams in the conference?
Three years post-Nick Saban, could it actually be time to remove the Crimson Tide from the discussion of the SEC’s elite teams?
In 2024, Alabama missed the inaugural 12-team playoff, and after sneaking in and beating Oklahoma in the first round last season, it was drubbed 38-3 by eventual-champion Indiana in the Rose Bowl – a game where star quarterback Ty Simpson was limited to 67 yards before leaving with an injury.
Now, for the first time since 2009, the longtime SEC standard-setters enter a season ranked outside the Top 10 in AP Poll.
This year, Alabama turns to five-star recruit Keelon Russell in place of Simpson, who was a first-round pick by the Rams in April, and returns just one full-time starter in wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who has struggled since spinning onto the scene against Georgia as a 17-year-old true freshman two Octobers ago.
Last year, Coleman-Williams suffered a concussion in a loss against Florida State in Week 1, and finished the season with 10 dropped passes – along with just 49 catches – which was third-worst amongst FBS receivers. Russell won’t have Germie Bernard back to lean on either, and safety net Isaiah Horton moved within the SEC to Texas A&M via the portal.
The Crimson Tide is strong on the other side of the ball, with one of the best secondaries in college football behind standout cornerback Zabien Brown. Brown had a 99-yard pick six in a win over Tennessee last October and flipped Alabama’s playoff visit to Oklahoma on its head last December, victimizing John Mateer on an interception return that turned a seven-point deficit into an eventual 10-point win.
Brown is a likely first-rounder next April, and All-SEC safety Bray Hubbard may be as well. Alabama’s defensive front is headed by edge rusher Yhonzae Pierre, who had eight sacks last season and is projected to be one of the first defensive linemen off the board in 2027.
Last fall, Kalen DeBoer’s team became the first in SEC history to win four straight games against ranked opponents without a bye, and it might be called upon to beat four in a row again this year. Beginning in Week 6, Alabama has a stretch that features Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU all in a row – though it – have the benefit of a week off before its trip to Death Valley.
