A discussion of SEC football 'have' and 'have nots' is tied to roster talent. But it is more specifically about which teams have a chance to make the CFB Playoff field, and those with slim or nearly non-existent chances.
All offseason rankings are wildly subjective. At best, they are clues about how teams can be expected to perform. USA Today recently published a post-spring ranking of the 138 FBS teams. Eight SEC football teams were ranked from No. 3 nationally to No. 18. They are the SEC's 'have' teams. The SEC's eight 'have not' teams were ranked from No. 35 to No. 109.
SEC Football Post-Spring USA Today Rankings
- Texas Longhorns - No. 3
- Georgia Bulldogs - No. 4
- Oklahoma Sooners - No. 7
- Texas A&M Aggies - No. 9
- Alabama Crimson Tide - No. 12
- Ole Miss Rebels - No. 13
- LSU Bengal Tigers - No. 16
- Tennessee Vols - No. 18
- Vanderbilt Commodores - No. 35
- Florida Gators - No. 38
- Missouri Tigers - No. 43
- Mississippi State Bulldogs - No. 52
- South Carolina Gamecocks - No. 55
- Auburn Tigers - No. 61
- Kentucky Wildcats - No. 94
- Arkansas Razorbacks - No. 109
Bill Connelly's first and current SP+ rankings were published before the end of spring practices. They are quite different for several SEC football teams. Even so, the SP+ has the Alabama Crimson Tide as the SEC's fifth-best team, just as the USA Today rankings.
Both rankings have Florida State ranked higher than most SEC teams. Alabama's third-game opponent is ranked No. 29 by USA Today and No. 35 by the SP+.
So what SEC football team is most likely to slip to a have not? My take is the Tennessee Vols. Jim Knowles may improve the Tennessee defense considerably but doing so will take time. A much-improved Vols defense may not be evident before the 2027 season. Josh Huepel does not have a proven quarterback. He has talent in George McIntyre and Faizon Brandon, but the position will have growing pains. The Vols can be a dangerous team, but are unlikely to be a Playoff contender.
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