College football finally returns this weekend, and our initial power rankings include five teams from the SEC.
1. Texas Longhorns
The college season kicks off on Saturday with five games—headlined by a top-25 matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State in Ireland—but most have their eyes on August 30 when the Longhorns travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. While the line currently favors Ohio State by about a field goal, we would lean towards Texas with the edge at quarterback as Arch Manning takes over.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State is a rare situation in today’s game where they return three senior offensive stars in quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen—with the trio feeling they can win a national title this season. The star power on offense and a new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles (who comes over from Ohio State) could allow the Nittany Lions to claim their first championship since 1986, but the pressure will be on for James Franklin with all the talent that was brought back.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Julian Sayin was named the Ohio State starting quarterback this week, and he’ll have a tall task in the opener by trying to outduel Arch Manning and the Longhorns. Throwing to sophomore phenom Jeremiah Smith should help the transition, but we’ll see how the defending champions handle life with former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly back in the NFL—and if the title takes a weight off Ryan Day’s shoulders when facing Michigan on Thanksgiving weekend.
4. Clemson Tigers
Clemson realistically has a case for the top spot in the power rankings if quarterback Cade Klubnik builds on the growth he showed last season, and the Tigers being projected as an elite squad despite limited use of the transfer portal speaks to the success of Dabo Swinney as a developer. The defense—led by stars Peter Woods and T.J. Parker—should be dominant, and their first mission will be getting to LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier next Saturday night.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
After taking over for an injured Carson Beck last year, Gunner Stockton hasn’t yet been named the starter for the Bulldogs, but they are loaded around him on both sides of the ball—including returning seniors Dillon Bell and Oscar Delp as top pass-catchers and sophomore Nate Frazier in the backfield. On defense, Georgia is deep and balanced, and you can be sure Kirby Smart is eager to make sure he has a stingy unit after the 16.3 points per game allowed in 2023 jumped to 21.9 points per game allowed in 2024.
6. Oregon Ducks
Former five-star quarterback Dante Moore is getting his shot to reach his potential in the perfect situation after Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel shined for the Ducks over the past three seasons—but we might not know if Moore is ready for the task until one of the biggest games on the calendar at the end of September for a trip to Happy Valley. Having a top offensive tackle (Isaiah World) and top edge defender (Matayo Uiagalelei) anchoring each side of the line of scrimmage will make Oregon a very challenging opponent this fall.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
A close quarterback competition for Notre Dame ended with redshirt freshman CJ Carr getting the nod over Kenny Minchey—and he has big shoes to fill after Riley Leonard led the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship. It will be exciting to see Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison develop further at wide receiver, but Notre Dame’s formula will be playing from ahead, feeding star running back Jeremiyah Love, and forcing opponents to throw the ball against perhaps the best cornerback group in the nation.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Even with them having a star true freshman in Ryan Williams last year, the Crimson Tide pass-catchers didn’t reach their usual standards of consistency or impact that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years. This season, six-foot-four transfer Isaiah Horton joining Williams and Germie Bernard at wide receiver should give head coach Kalen DeBoer the weapons needed to get the most out of his system—but Alabama’s standing as a clear elite in the SEC does feel a bit unstable with the conference being deeper than ever.
9. South Carolina Gamecocks
Following a six-game winning streak that nearly pushed them into the College Football Playoff last year, South Carolina shouldn’t be slept on with possible No. 1 overall pick LaNorris Sellers at quarterback and a feared defensive front on the other side of the ball. Keep an eye on the October stretch (@ LSU, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Alabama) that will likely determine whether Shane Beamer’s team can be a real threat in the SEC.
10. Texas A&M Aggies
For even more of a “sleeper” team this season, Texas A&M has a sophomore quarterback in Marcel Reed with superstar potential, perhaps the best offensive line in college football, and a schedule that sets up nicely (or as nicely as possible considering the conference) with LSU, South Carolina, and Texas all coming late in the year. If Reed and the Aggies can knock off Notre Dame for a primetime road matchup on September 13, watch out for A&M.