Georgia, Texas lock in as 2026 SEC preseason favorites
Georgia and Texas were voted the top two teams in the 2026 SEC football preseason media poll released Friday, with the Bulldogs earning 88 of 164 first-place votes and the Longhorns taking 57, leaving no other school with more than six title picks. As the nfl preseason draws closer, the SEC ranking locks in the early favorites for college football’s deepest league.
Key Takeaways
- Georgia led the 2026 SEC preseason media poll with 88 first-place votes; Texas finished second with 57.
- Ole Miss (6), Texas A&M (5) and LSU (2) rounded out the top five in the predicted order of finish.
- Media covering SEC Football Media Days also named Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss the preseason first-team quarterback.
- Only 10 times since 1992 has the media’s predicted champion gone on to win the SEC title game.
Voters at SEC Football Media Days made the hierarchy clear: Georgia and Texas towered over the rest of the conference. According to Yahoo Sports, no other team received more than six votes to finish first.
Who finished where in the 2026 SEC preseason poll?
The predicted order of finish placed Georgia first and Texas second, followed by Ole Miss, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Ole Miss collected six first-place votes for third. Texas A&M had five for fourth. Alabama was sixth with three championship nods, Oklahoma seventh with two, and Kentucky received the lone outlier first-place vote while landing 14th.
Why does LSU’s fifth-place ranking matter under Lane Kiffin?
LSU was picked fifth in Lane Kiffin’s first season in Baton Rouge, ahead of Alabama and Oklahoma. Two of 164 voters picked the Tigers to win the SEC crown. Nine LSU players also landed on a preseason All-SEC team, including first-team nods for tight end Trey’Dez Green, left tackle Jordan Seaton, edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, linebacker Whit Weeks and punter Grant Chadwick.
Last season LSU finished 10th after being picked fourth, a slide that led to Brian Kelly’s firing and Kiffin’s hire. The Tigers open Sept. 5 at home against Clemson after preseason camp begins in early August.
How should fans track SEC buzz during the nfl preseason?
College media days and the nfl preseason often overlap on the sports calendar, so SEC poll chatter will compete with exhibition NFL coverage through August. For streaming schedules, game-window alerts and watch guides, bookmark BlasterPost Streaming & TV Alerts.
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss was voted first-team All-SEC after his breakout 2025. Texas’ Arch Manning was second-team, ahead of Georgia’s Gunner Stockton. The poll sets expectations now; history says the predicted champion rarely seals the deal in Atlanta.