ESPN’s Bill Connelly has released his initial SP+ rankings for the 2026 college football season.
SP+ seeks to predict the sport’s best teams while measuring efficiency on both sides of the ball. Preseason projections reference factors such as returning production, historical performance and overall team talent based on recruiting rankings.
The Big Ten dominates the top 5 this year, with Ohio State claiming the top spot. Oregon comes in at No. 2 and Indiana is at No. 5.
The highest-ranked SEC team is Georgia at No. 4 overall (one spot behind Notre Dame). The Bulldogs return their starting quarterback and are coming off of back-to-back SEC Championships.
Texas is also in the top 10, landing at No. 6 in the rankings. Like Georgia, Texas returns its quarterback in Arch Manning and enjoyed a high-profile transfer cycle that included adding former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman.
Here’s the full list of SEC programs who are in the SP+’s top 25 as of now:
- 4. Georgia
- 6. Texas
- 9. Texas A&M
- 10. LSU
- 11. Alabama
- 12. Oklahoma
- 15. Tennessee
- 16. Ole Miss
- 19. Florida
- 20. Missouri
- 24. South Carolina
The SEC has 11 teams in the top 25, with Auburn on the outside-looking-in at No. 26. With an average SP+ rating of 14.5, the SEC is also the highest-ranked conference according to SP+. The Big Ten is No. 2 in the rankings, followed by the Big 12 and the ACC.
Spring football is underway at campuses across the country. These rankings will be updated again before the start of the 2026 season.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
