SEC Network analysts reveal picks to make 2025 SEC Championship Game
By Andrew Olson
Published:
The 2025 college football season is just a couple of weeks away, which means it’s time to get in preseason predictions. SEC Network analysts Matt Stinchcomb, Roman Harper and Chris Doering recently made their predictions for which 2 teams will play for the SEC championship in Atlanta.
Stinchomb predicts a rematch of last year’s game. Stinchcomb pointed to quarterback familiarity, noting Alabama has yet to name the starter taking over for Jalen Milroe.
“It’s going to be Georgia-Texas,” Stinchcomb said. “It’s going to be a redo of what we saw last season. I think that both of those teams, nothing sexy about that pick or even surprising, but I think it’s the most likely one for sure when you look at the way those two teams, the pieces they have coming back, guys, and the part that I think sets them, this is the point of distinction I think that I see more than anything else.
“The 3 most important places, right, on a football field, it’s the head coach, 2 coordinators, assuming they’re on the field, might be in a box, the quarterback. Alabama does not have that answer at quarterback. At least Georgia has familiarity. We know Texas likes what they have. Bama doesn’t have that. I think it’s going to be Georgia and Texas.”
Roman Harper disagreed with Stinchcomb’s assessments of Georgia and Alabama. He sees UGA regressing and Alabama enjoying some Year 2 magic under Kalen DeBoer. Like Stinchcomb, Harper expects Steve Sarkisian‘s team to make it to the SEC title game again.
“I’m going with Alabama and Texas,” Harper said. “I expect Alabama to take the leap this year and Year 2 of DeBoer. That’s what he has shown in past places. And I just think Texas just has enough. And with Sarkisian leading them… I think Georgia slightly takes a step back. Not because of going to (Gunner) Stockton, not because of the offense or Mike Bobo. It’s because the defense is just not as stout. It’s just hard to continue to replace as much talent as they have lost on that side of football over the last 5 years.”
Chris Doering turned the clock back to 2022, picking Georgia and LSU to make it to the conference title game. Doergin’s colleagues expressed some surprise as the analyst has recently been hyping Oklahoma and QB John Mateer.
“We’re going Georgia. I think they go 10-2 this year. I think they find their way back to Atlanta. And I’m taking LSU,” Doering said. “And I think LSU is a team that FPI has not given them the credit they deserve. (Garrett) Nussmeier, one of the best quarterbacks back. That jump that the defense is going to make in year two under Blake Baker is going to be significant. Whit Weeks, I know we’re all fans of. But I think that receiver core they put around Garrett Nussmeier is going to help him be a top-notch quarterback back in Atlanta.”
We’ll see in December if any of the 3 analysts got it right.
Way too early SEC Championship predictions @mstinch79: Georgia vs. Texas @Harp41: Alabama vs. Texas @ChrisDoering: LSU vs. Georgia pic.twitter.com/oBsyZr3r47
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 9, 2025
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
