SEC football power rankings place Georgia atop conference heading into Week 1

The 2026 college football season kicked off Thursday in the SEC as the Missouri Tigers defeated the Arkansas Pine-Bluff 54-14. Following the opening result, preseason power rankings place the Georgia Bulldogs at the top of the conference standings. Georgia enters the year as the defending two-time SEC champion and the highest-ranked team in the conference according to the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Texas Longhorns follow in the rankings, with Ole Miss and Oklahoma also cited as primary contenders for the College Football Playoff. Other teams including LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Tennessee round out the conference hierarchy as competitive threats. Several programs face Power Four opponents this weekend, featuring Auburn against Baylor, Ole Miss against Louisville, and LSU against Clemson.

• 3:38 PMYahoo Sports — SEC football power rankings have familiar No. 1 ahead of Week 1