SEC lands 9 teams in initial College Football Playoff rankings, including 3 in top 5
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The SEC was expected to put a host of teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, revealed on ESPN on Tuesday night.
In fact, the conference came just short of double digits. A total of 9 SEC teams were in the initial CFP Top 25. Three made the Top 5: No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, and No. 5 Georgia.
While the five highest-ranked conference champions are still guaranteed a Playoff berth, 2025 will bring a new wrinkle. The top 4 teams in the rankings, regardless of what conference they’re in or whether or not they even won their conference championship, will receive a straight 1-4 seeding and a bye into the quarterfinals.
Texas A&M, as the No. 3 seed, is projected to face either No. 6 Ole Miss or No. 14 Virginia. Texas, despite coming in at No. 11 in the rankings, is below the proverbial “cut line.” That’s to make an allowance for Virginia, the No. 11 seed on the bracket, which is guaranteed a berth as the projected ACC champion and the next-highest-ranked conference champion below the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12.
Alabama, at No. 5, could be in line for an all-SEC quarterfinal. The Crimson Tide is projected to face either No. 5 Georgia or the American Conference’s Memphis. The Tigers, unranked in the CFP Top 25, are projected as the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion and the No. 12 seed in the bracket.
Though the Longhorns are on the outside looking in, they’re trending to make a move into a projected Top 12 berth on the back of a four-game winning streak. Their remaining schedule includes Georgia and Texas A&M. That’s the same scenario for Oklahoma (No. 12), which could boost its own chances by beating Alabama in Week 12.
Here’s the list of SEC teams ranked in the CFP Top 25:
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
11. Texas
12. Oklahoma
16. Vanderbilt
22. Mizzou
25. Tennessee
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
