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Published May 12, 2025
SEC well-represented in way-too-early football rankings
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Justin Rowland  •  CatsIllustrated
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Way-too-early college football rankings have been posted at a number of websites that devote coverage to the sport, and that task has never been more difficult.

With so many moving parts from the transfer portal it's harder than ever to tell who the top teams are going to be.

Here's a look at what the most recent way-too-early college football polls have said.

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Way-too-early 2025 college football polls
ESPN (5/9/2025)Josh Pate (5/12/25)USA TODAYAthlon Sports

1. Penn State

1. Clemson

1. Ohio State

1. Texas

2. Clemson

2. Texas

2. Penn State

2. Ohio State

3. Texas

3. Penn State

3. Texas

3. Penn State

4. Georgia

4. Alabama

4. Georgia

4. Georgia

5. Ohio State

5. LSU

5. Clemson

5. Notre Dame

6. LSU

6. Notre Dame

6. LSU

6. Clemson

7. Notre Dame

7. Oregon

7. Notre Dame

7. Oregon

8. Oregon

8. Ohio State

8. Oregon

8. LSU

9. Alabama

9. Florida

9. Alabama

9. Alabama

10. BYU

10. Oklahoma

10. Miami

10. Miami

11. Illinois

11. UGA

11. Florida

11. Tennessee

12. Arizona State

12. Miami

12. Kansas State

12. South Carolina

13. South Carolina

13. Arizona State

13. Illinois

13. Arizona State

14. Iowa State

14. Texas A&M

14. Tennessee

14. Kansas State

15. SMU

15. Illinois

15. Michigan

15. Florida

16. Texas Tech

16. Ole Miss

16. South Carolina

16. Michigan

17. Indiana

17. Georgia Tech

17. BYU

17. Illinois

18. Kansas State

18. South Carolina

18. Louisville

18. Texas A&M

19. Florida

19. Michigan

19. Ole Miss

19. BYU

20. Michigan

20. Texas Tech

20. Iowa State

20. Indiana

21. Miami

21. Arizona State

21. Ole Miss

22. Louisville

22. Nebraska

22. SMU

23. Texas A&M

23. UNLV

23. Iowa State

24. Ole Miss

24. TCU

24. Boise State

25. Oklahoma

25. Oklahoma

25. Missouri

There are other way-too-early rankings out there, but these are well-known and serve as a good baseline estimate for what the pundit class at large is thinking.

Clemson, Texas, Penn State, and Ohio State are the four teams that appear the highest in the rankings the greatest number of times. Just after those teams come Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Alabama.

The next tier cluster seems to include the likes of Miami, South Carolina, and Arizona State, teams that did interesting things last year and did work in the portal to complement what returns.

Texas is the highest-ranked SEC team in every poll listed above. While Georgia is the next-highest ranked SEC team after Texas in three of the four polls, Pate has the Bulldogs all the way down at No. 11. Pate also does not have Tennessee in his top-20 at all, while the Volunteers are higher in other rankings. The SEC pecking order, according to the pundits, seems to be Texas, UGA, LSU, and Alabama.

Athlon Sports includes 10 SEC teams in its top-25, although the Big Ten teams rank No. 2, No. 3, and No. 7 as well. ESPN includes nine SEC teams in its top-25, as does USA TODAY.

Ole Miss is a frequently listed school in the rankings but the Rebels are lower than they have been preseason in recent years.

Missouri slipped into one top-25 poll.

Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State are the five SEC teams that did not appear in any of the recent polls.

Kentucky takes on Ole Miss, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and Louisville this year, so that's seven teams that appear in most of the early offseason rankings.

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