Act like you’ve been there.
For the Georgia Bulldogs, they’ve very much been there under Kirby Smart and are the dominant force as the consensus No. 1 in the Sporting News’ just released composite college football Top 25 that combines all the other major outlets’ rankings with their own.
No surprise that Georgia is No. 1. As back-to-back national champions in 2021 and 2022, Smart’s team is expected to be dominant on both sides of the ball, and in ESPN’s Football Power Index rankings, they have a 20.7 percent chance of winning for the third time in four years.
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The Texas Longhorns come in at No. 3, which might surprise some given all the preseason love the Oregon Ducks have gotten. Steve Sarkisian has returned Texas to glory, but playing an SEC schedule for the first time will be daunting. Luckily they’ll have third-year quarterback Quinn Ewers returning, so they’re set up for a showdown with Georgia to grab the SEC title and that all important first-round bye in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
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The Ole Miss Rebels are all the way up to No. 5. As Jake Thompson of On3 so fittingly calls them, “the new belle of the ball.” Lane Kiffin has done wonders as the “Portal King,” and it will be interesting to see if Ole Miss can build on the momentum of last year to make the playoffs in 2024. That would be a huge win for Kiffin and the program.
And we’re certainly not ignoring the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 6. Kalen DeBoer gets high marks for what he’s done since taking over for the legendary Nick Saban. It’s just so hard in that first year with that huge Saban shadow looming.
Other SEC schools in the composite Top 25:
No. 8 - Missouri Tigers
No. 13 - LSU Tigers
No. 14 - Tennessee Volunteers
No. 16 - Oklahoma Sooners
No. 25 - Texas A&M
