- No. 14 - Arkansas Razorbacks - The big question in Fayetteville is, can Bobby Petrino save Sam Pittman's job, or will the well-traveled Petrino be the head coach in 2026? Arkansas fans love Pittman, but are fed up with mediocrity. Petrino has talent to work with in QB, Taylen Green. Not only is Petrino revamping the offense, but he and Green must adjust to a new wide receiver group having far less experience than last season. Improvement is also needed on defense, with the Hogs being the SEC's No. 15 in Scoring Defense last season.
- No. 13 - Vanderbilt Commodores - Optimistic Vanderbilt fans believe the Dores can build on last season's 7-6 record. It was the first winning season in Nashville since 2013. Vandy fans will celebrate beating mighty Alabama for decades, but no equal amount of joy lies ahead in 2025. Clark Lea has QB, Diego Pavia again, along with playmaker Eli Stowers, whom Alabama was clueless to defend. But Lea also remembers his second season in Nashville, during which the Commodores were on a 26-game SEC losing streak. ESPN's Chris Low reminds that more of those losses were on Derek Mason than Lea, but Lea still has the painful memory. Vandy could have a strong 2025 season and top out at five or six wins.
Middle of the Pack SEC Teams
Seven teams make up the 'middle of the pack'. All are capable of winning a big game or two. None are projected to be solid Playoff contenders. From No. 6 down to No. 12, there is a wad of teams with little separation. It is tempting to rank all seven teams as tied at No. 6.
No. 12 - Tennessee Vols - The Vols have one of the SEC's easiest schedules. They also do not have a proven quarterback. Danny White and Josh Heupel did not pay enough attention a few years ago when Nick Saban warned that the greatest risk for a program is paying the wrong players too much. If Tennessee struggles in 2025, it will be because they invested $8M in the wrong guy. FanDuel has the Tennessee win total at 8.5. Even with the cushy schedule, 7.5 is more likely.
No. 11 - Missouri Tigers - Eli Drinkwitz must rebound from key losses at quarterback, offensive, and wide receiver. The Tigers did well in the Transfer Portal. Like last season, the schedule is favorable. I'm just not sure that Penn State transfer QB, Beau Pribula, is an SEC-level winning quarterback.