The 2026 SEC football preseason poll is officially out, giving all 16 conference teams a clearer picture of where they stand ahead of the new season. From Texas, which belongs near the top of the SEC, to Ole Miss cracking the top-3 spot, the college football world made its reactions known following the release.
SEC Preseason Rankings Trigger Strong Reactions From the CFB World
Georgia claimed the top spot in the 2026 SEC Football Preseason Poll after receiving 88 votes. Head coach Kirby Smart has a proven track record of success in the conference, and confidence in the Bulldogs remains high with quarterback Gunner Stockton returning and a strong running game led by Nate Frazier.
While some question whether Georgia deserves the No. 1 ranking, many believe the selection is justified.
“Kirby Smart has lost his touch in the NIL era,” UGASports publisher Radi Nabulsi wrote.
Kirby Smart has lost his touch in the NIL era https://t.co/jm0ErLMGUB
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) July 24, 2026
“SEC Media picked Georgia to win the SEC in 2024 & Georgia won it. SEC Media picked Texas to win the SEC in 2025 & Georgia won it. SEC Media picked Georgia to win the SEC in 2026. Make of that what you will,” popular football page, Jon Tweets Sports, wrote.
Steve Sarkisian’s Texas finished second in the poll with 57 votes. The confidence in the Longhorns comes from Arch Manning’s growing Heisman expectations heading to 2026, and a roster filled with elite players.
No other team received more than 10 votes, and Ole Miss landed at third place after collecting six votes. The ranking is interesting because many have shown confidence in Pete Golding despite the Rebels entering a huge transition period without Lane Kiffin on the sideline to begin the season.
Golding led Ole Miss during last season’s playoff run after Kiffin’s departure, leading the team to wins over Tulane and Georgia before falling to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Those six votes likely reflect that success, along with the return of Trinidad Chambliss.
However, many still think Ole Miss didn’t deserve the No. 3 spot.
“Ole Miss is way too high. They will miss Lane,” Indiana alum Ryan Taylor wrote.
Ole miss is way too high. They will miss Lane
— Ryan Taylor (@RyanTaylorPicks) July 24, 2026
“You simply cannot convince me that Ole Miss is that high,” CFBudge wrote.
Texas A&M received five votes, Alabama earned three, Oklahoma and LSU each received two, and Kentucky finished last with one vote.
Kiffin helped LSU bring in several high-level transfers, including quarterback Sam Leavitt. Despite expectations that LSU could make a serious playoff push in its debut season, the low vote total suggests that some voters remain unconvinced.
Oklahoma also enters the season with optimism following John Mateer’s return from injury and key transfer additions at wide receiver, including Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris. Because of that, some believe both LSU and Oklahoma deserved more recognition.
“LSU should be higher, OU should be higher, A&M should be lower,” Dilon Cheverere, cohost of the “Circling Back” podcast, wrote.
LSU should be higher
OU should be higher
A&M should be lower https://t.co/te379U08gk— Dillon Cheverere (@DCheverere) July 24, 2026
Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy also had a telling response, as he seems to be using the rankings as bulletin-board material.
“📌,” Nagy posted.
Preseason predictions have not always been accurate, as only 10 teams picked as the SEC champion before the season at SEC Football Media Days have gone on to win the SEC Championship Game since 1992. So, teams that received fewer votes will have the opportunity to use that doubt as motivation and prove the rankings wrong.
