With the first-ever nine-game conference schedule set to unfold, the drama and unpredictability of SEC football in 2026 have never been higher.
In less than 70 days, the league’s teams will begin their own respective journeys. New head coaches at Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas), Alex Golesh (Auburn), Jon Sumrall (Florida) and Pete Golding (Ole Miss) will kickstart their first full seasons at the helm as head coaches in the SEC. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby are looking to get off the hot seat and turn things around this year.
We can’t forget about the hatred Lane Kiffin has created between himself and the Rebels. The former Ole Miss head coach became the first coach in college football history to have been at the helm of three different SEC schools. In turn, he solidified his position as one of the most disliked coaches in the conference while igniting the fuse to what should be an explosive contest between his former team and the Tigers on September 19 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Don’t let the off-the-field drama distract you from the talented athletes who will step on the gridiron in two months, however. According to FanDuel, 12 of 16 teams in the conference are ranked in the top-25 betting odds to reach the College Football Playoff this season.
Which teams will earn a bid to this year’s playoff? How will the league’s new head coaches perform in their first campaigns at the helm? Who will thrive under the pressure of a nine-game conference schedule? All of these questions will be answered soon enough, but for now, here are game-by-game predictions for each SEC football team for the 2026 season:
1. Georgia Bulldogs (12-0, 9-0 in SEC)
2. Texas Longhorns (11-1, 9-0 in SEC)
3. LSU Tigers (10-2, 7-2 in SEC)
4. Oklahoma Sooners (9-3, 6-3 in SEC)
5. Texas A&M Aggies (9-3, 6-3 in SEC)
6. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 6-3 in SEC)
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3, 6-3 in SEC)
8. Florida Gators (8-4, 5-4 in SEC)
9. South Carolina (7-5, 4-5 in SEC)
10. Tennessee Volunteers (7-5, 4-5 in SEC)
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-6, 3-6 in SEC)
12. Missouri Tigers (6-6, 3-6 in SEC)
13. Auburn Tigers (5-7, 2-7 in SEC)
14. Kentucky Wildcats (3-9, 1-8 in SEC)
15. Vanderbilt Commodores (4-8, 1-8 in SEC)
16. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-9, 0-9 in SEC)
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: SEC football 2026: Game-by-game predictions for all 16 teams
Reporting by Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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By Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
