College Football is nearly here. Whether you’re more of a College Gameday fan or a Big Noon Kickoff kinda guy, the action on the field is all the same and we want to make sure you’re ready for it. There is plenty to be pumped for this season and after an exciting and successful first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, fans from all over are excited to root on their teams and hope they can cash their ticket to the postseason. Of course, some fans are just hoping their team will be bowl eligible. Here’s our 2025 SEC football preview.
Last Year
The SEC got humbled a little bit in 2024 when Texas bounced into the conference and immediately finished with the best record. They didn’t win the Championship, but they went to the dance and immediately made a big statement in the new conference. In the first year without Nick Saban, the Tide racked up 4 losses and three of those came in SEC play. Georgia may have made a deeper run had they been healthier at the QB position down the stretch while Tennessee turned in another impressive season under Josh Heupel. Missouri and Ole Miss certainly turned some heads and made it clear that they can compete in the new era of college football.
What to Watch
The Arch Manning era is finally here. It feels like we have waited a decade for Manning to take over the reins at Texas, but he patiently waited his turn. Manning is the most highly anticipated college football prospect in a long time and if he can live up to his family name, we can officially say that Texas is back.
My eyes are “all in” on Alabama football. That doesn’t mean I’m “all in” on Alabama but if they stumble or lose a silly game or don’t live up to the Nick Saban era Crimson Tide then there will be hell to deal with for Kalen DeBoer. He didn’t take over an easy situation and the Tide fans are already disappointed after a 9-4 season last year.
And I am intrigued by the Tennessee QB situation. They weren’t going to negotiate with Nico Iamaleava and so he left. Now they have Joey Aguilar or Jake Merklinger. Both could contribute but neither will be as good as their predecessor.
Heisman Candidate
Arch Manning is going to be the guy who everyone looks to this year for the Heisman. At this point, all talks begin and end with Arch Manning. He is supposed to be an eventual number one overall pick. I would say there is no player in the country that is going to have more pressure on him than Manning, who is playing for a Texas team that has been a regular in the College Football Playoff over the last few seasons.
Prediction
My money is on a repeat of the 2024 SEC Championship with a new winner emerging. I think Texas and Georgia are the two best schools in the conference and I am betting that Texas emerges with a conference title and the number one ranking in the country as we enter the playoffs.