SEC preseason poll 2026: Georgia picked over Texas to win league
Georgia led the 2026 SEC media poll with 88 title votes, ahead of Texas in a race that sent eight teams onto at least one ballot.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
Georgia sits on top of the SEC preseason poll 2026, with media voters picking the Bulldogs to win the league after SEC media days, according to the annual poll released Friday.
The vote put Georgia ahead of Texas both in championship support and in the full predicted order of finish. The Bulldogs received 88 votes to win the SEC, while the Longhorns drew 57, CBS Sports reported.
Georgia was also projected to meet Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. For the Bulldogs, the pick points toward a run at what would be a third straight SEC title.
Who is picked to win the SEC in 2026?
Georgia is the media pick to win the SEC in 2026, according to the preseason poll released Friday. Texas is the closest challenger in the vote, finishing second in both title ballots and total points.
The Bulldogs led the predicted order with 2,519 points. Texas followed with 2,449 points, leaving a tight gap at the very top of a league that now has 16 teams.
Texas has already made noise since joining the SEC. CBS Sports noted that the Longhorns reached the conference title game in 2024, their first season as a member.
Which SEC teams received championship votes?
Eight teams received at least one vote to win the conference championship. Georgia and Texas grabbed the clear bulk of the backing, but six more programs appeared on the title ballot.
- Georgia: 88 championship votes
- Texas: 57
- Ole Miss: 6
- Texas A&M: 5
- Alabama: 3
- Oklahoma: 2
- LSU: 2
- Kentucky: 1
Ole Miss landed third in the overall projected finish with 2,004 points, despite receiving only six votes to win the conference. Texas A&M came in fourth with 1,967 points, followed closely by LSU with 1,961.
Alabama, one of the league’s familiar heavyweights, was slotted sixth with 1,930 points. Oklahoma followed in seventh with 1,914.
What is the full predicted SEC order of finish?
The media poll placed Tennessee eighth with 1,320 points and Florida ninth with 1,217. Missouri rounded out the top 10 with 1,105 points.
- 1. Georgia: 2,519 points
- 2. Texas: 2,449
- 3. Ole Miss: 2,004
- 4. Texas A&M: 1,967
- 5. LSU: 1,961
- 6. Alabama: 1,930
- 7. Oklahoma: 1,914
- 8. Tennessee: 1,320
- 9. Florida: 1,217
- 10. Missouri: 1,105
- 11. South Carolina: 956
- 12. Auburn: 936
- 13. Vanderbilt: 751
- 14. Kentucky: 546
- 15. Mississippi State: 467
- 16. Arkansas: 262
The preseason favorite label has not been a clean path to the trophy. Since the SEC began staging its championship game in 1992, the team picked before the season to win the league has finished the job 10 times, according to CBS Sports.
Last season offered another warning sign for poll-watchers: Texas had the most preseason championship votes, CBS Sports reported, but missed the College Football Playoff.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.