Every summer since 2007 I have created an intricate set of college football predictions for each upcoming season.  This year is no exception, as I will be using my blog over the next few hours to publish my 19th annual college football preview guide which will contain 19 entries in all. The records below reflect each team’s predicted regular season overall record followed by their conference record.  These records include conference title games for the two division champions but exclude bowl games which will be previewed later on in a separate column on this blog.  The teams marked in bold font are the ones predicted to gain bowl eligibility.  Without further ado, here are my predictions for the SEC in 2025, which may no longer be the home of the very best teams in college football but is still the best overall conference in the nation from top to bottom.

1	Georgia (13-0, 8-0)– conference champion/CFP # 1 seed

Last Year’s Record: 11-3 (My 2024 prediction: 12-1)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas (November 15)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: N/A

Bottom Line: I am predicting the Dawgs will be last year’s Oregon in they will win all of their regular season games thanks to a favorable conference schedule where they get all of their big game at home. However, as we saw with the Ducks last year, the pressure of the # 1 seed and maintaingin an undefeated season is real and I believe the Dawgs will get bounced in the playoffs.

———————————————————————————————————–

2	LSU (11-2 , 7-1)- conference runner-up/CFP # 4 seed

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)- I was dead-on in my prognostication of the Bayou Bengals last fall

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Clemson (August 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Alabama (November 8)

Bottom Line:You will see in a few hours that even though I have the Bayou Bengals falling just short of an SEC title, I think they come back and win the national title in 2025! They just have the best overall combination of returning experience and portal upgrades in the country. I am not a big Brian Kelly fan at all, but if you look back in recent history, you will see that LSU’s last two national titles were won by inferior coaches that were later fired from the school (Les Miles, Ed Orgeron). I am calling for that trend to continue in 2025 and LSU to win this year’s national title.

———————————————————————————————————–

3	Texas (9-3, 6-2)– CFP # 10 seed

Last Year’s Record: 13-3 (My 2024 prediction: 10-3)- I not only correctely projected Texas to be the SEC runner-up last year but I almost correctly picked their CFP ranking in the preseason! I called for them to be the # 6 seed and they ended as the #5, and then I also correctly picked them to play and beat Clemson in the playoff and then play and lose to Ohio State

Positional Strength: Linebacker

Positional Weakness: Offensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas A & M (November 29)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Kentucky (October 18)- this will be the shocker of all shockers in college football this year! I don’t expect much from the Cats this year but they are catching Longhorns in a perfect spot for an upset. Texas will be coming off the Red River Rivalry and traveling cross country to play the Cats. Meanwhile, Kentucky will be coming off a bye and playing at home. Also, the Cats sport a strong pass defense which should be able to slow down the Horns pass first offense. I am telling you! Watching out for this shocker in Commonwealth in mid-October!

Bottom Line: Don’t get me wrong, Texas is going to be really good this year; hoowever, the hype for this team has gotten out of control. The Longhorns will have a first year starting quarterback and only four experienced starters on offense altogether. They also lose their top three pass catchers which is key on a team that likes to throw the ball a lot. In addition, they also only return 5 players from last year’s defense which was the strength of the team. I think Texas finds a way into the playoff this year, but if they weren’t starting a quarterback who had the name Manning on the back of the jersey, then they wouldn’t be in the preseason Top 5.

———————————————————————————————————–

4	Texas A & M (9-3, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 9-3)

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Notre Dame (September 13)- the Aggies will be looking for revenge from last year’s defeat when they travel to South Bend in week 3.

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Arkanas (October 18)- Sam Pittman is going to pull off one more upset on his way out the door in Fayetteville

Bottom Line: This is the second straight season I have called for the Aggies to finish with a 9-3 mark. The Aggies fell just short of that number last year, but this season I think they take one more step foward in 2025. Mike Elko is a great coach who just needs to implement a little stronger passing game to get this squad to the College Football Playoff for the first time in school.

———————————————————————————————————–

4	Alabama (9-3, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2024 prediction: 10-2)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. LSU (November 8)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at South Carolina (October 25)- the Gamecocks almost knocked off the Tide in Tusacloosa last year so I am calling them to finish the deal in Williams-Brice this season

Bottom Line: Deboer is learning the hard way that it is no fun replacing a legend. He is a great football coach but maintaing the standard that Saban established in Tuscaloosa was going to be impossible and we are starting to see that. I do think the QB play for Bama is going to be better than it was under Milroe, and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb should help that offense be better than it was in 2024. However, I think this program has taken a slight step back in recruiting and player development, especially defensively, and as a result, I am calling for the Tide to once again fall just short of the College Football Playoff.

———————————————————————————————————–

4	Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 (My 2024 prediction: 9-3)- I was spot-on with my prognostication for the Rebs last year. Not only did I correctly pick them to finish with three losses but I also correctly pegged them to fall just short of a CFP bid in 2024.

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. South Carolina (November 1)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Oklahoma (October 25)

Bottom Line: We have seen this story before, as Lane Kiffin has once against used the transfer portal to overhaul the entire roster for this upcoming fall. However, this Ole Miss team has more question marks than most, as they will have a new starting quarterback, an entirely new secondary, and rank dead last in the SEC in term of both returning starters and returning letterman on both sides of the ball. They will be be a really good football team with a lot of talent, but there are just too many unknowns here for me to call for them to make it to the College Football Playoff this season.

———————————————————————————————————–

7	Tennessee (9-3, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Defensive Back

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Oklahoma (November 1)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Florida (November 22)

Bottom Line: The Vols are setup with immense talent and experience all over the field and a great 2025 schedule that features games against all of the league bottom-dwellers (Arkasas, Vandy, Kentucky, and Mississipi State). However, the recent departure of star quarterback Nico Iamleava is just enough of setback for me to call for them to finish just short of a College Football Playoff bid this season.

———————————————————————————————————–

7	Missouri (9-3, 5-3)

Last Year’s Record: 10-3 (My 2024 prediction: 9-3)- Also dead-on with my prognostication of Mizzou last year

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Quarterback

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Auburn (October 18)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Oklahoma (November 22)

Bottom Line: It surprises me that a team that a team coming off a 10 win season in SEC play that has eight starters back (tied for second most in ther Power 4) from an elite defense isn’t getting more hype. The fact of the matter is that this program has won 10+ games in each of the past two seasons and I don’t see much of a dropoff in 2025. In fact, I was very tempted to pick this team to make the College Football Playoff this fall, but there are just a few too many questions at the quarterback position with Beau Pribula for me to go that far with them.

———————————————————————————————————–

9	Auburn (8-4, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 5-7 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Wide Receiver

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Alabama (November 29)- the Tigers are due a win over Bama in Jordan-Hare after all of their close calls over the past decade

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Missouri (October 18)

Bottom Line: Will this finally be the season the Tigers put it all together with Hugh Freeze? They have had seen brief glimmers of hope (near upsets of Georgia and Alabama in 2023, upset of Texas A & M last year) in his two years on the Plains dashed by monstrous setbacks (home losses to New Mexico State in 2023 and Cal last year). This year, Auburn once again starts the season with what appears to be a solid defense, an outstanding receiving corps, and question marks at quarterback. It is probably not a good sign that Freeze annouced that Auburn may be using three different quarerbacks in their opening game at Baylor, but if they can get that position figured out, then this squad can be really good. Ultimately, I think Auburn has too much talent and Freeze is too good of a coach for them to underachieve for a third straight season. I don’t think they are playoff contenders yet, but expect Auburn to take a major step forward in 2025.

———————————————————————————————————–

9	South Carolina (7-5, 4-4)

Last Year’s Record: 9-4 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7)- I greatly understimated the Gamecocks in 2024

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Alabama (October 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Missouri (September 20)

Bottom Line: My Gamecocks are very much like NC State in that they are a decent up and down football program that exceeds expectations when people don’t expect much (see last year’s Gamecock squad) but that typically underachieves when they get too much hype (see South Carolina in 2023). And unfortunately for the Gamecocks, they are getting a ton of hype after last year’s 9-4 campaign that included wins over Texas A & M, Missouri and Clemson. LaNorris Sellers is a great returning quarterback with a huge ceiling, but last year, this team primarily won games because of its defense and run game, and they have lost star running back Rocket Sanders and seven starting defenders from that squad. I don’t expect a complete collapse from the Gamecocks like we saw in 2023, but I don’t think they will be quite as good as they were in 2024 either.

———————————————————————————————————–

11	Oklahoma (7-5, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 6-7 (My 2024 prediction: 8-4)

Positional Strength: Defensive Line

Positional Weakness: Linebacker

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Ole Miss (October 25)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at South Carolina (October 18)

Bottom Line: The Sooners should be much better football team than last year’s disappointing 6-7 squad. John Mateer should be a huge upgrade at quarterback and they have 15 other experienced starters joining him. The problem is the schedule is an absolute gauntlet, as this team plays Michigan in the non-conference slate and then faces off against almost every single uppler echelon squad in SEC play (vs. Auburn, Texas, at South Carolina, vs. Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, vs. Missouri, vs. LSU). In fact, they are the only team in the SEC that doesn’t get to play one of the four predicted bottom-dwellers: Vandy, Mississippi State, Kentucky, or Arkansas. I think ultimately the Sooners find a way to get a winning record in 2025, but anytime you play nine games against teams that could legitmately be in the top 15 at some point this season, then a bowl game is not assured.

———————————————————————————————————–

11	Florida (6-6, 3-5)

Last Year’s Record: 8-5 (My 2024 prediction: 7-5)- I nailed my 2024 Gator projection!

Positional Strength: Offensive Line

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Tennessee (November 22)- The Gators have won 10 straight over the Vols in the Swamp!

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Ole Miss (November 15)

Bottom Line: Speaking of touch schedules, the Gators said “hold my beer” when I insinuated above that Oklahoma might have the toughest schedule in the SEC. This squad played one of the toughest schedules in the country in 2024, and I think this 2025 slate might be worse. First of all, they get MIami and Florida State in non-confererence play, and then follow that up with SEC games against LSU, Texas, Texas A & M, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. I also have concerns about D.J. Lagway’s ability to stay healthy, especially against this gauntlet, as he stil seems a little banged up after his offseason surgery. I honstly think Billy Napier has the most talented team that he has fieldged in Gainesville this season, but I think their win/loss record may ultimately regress due to the Lagway’s lingering injuries and their brutal slate of games against potentially nine ranked oppponents.

———————————————————————————————————–

13	Arkansas (4-8, 2-6)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 5-7)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Defensive Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas A & M (October 18)- Pittman gets one final big upset win in Fayetteville

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Memphis (September 20)

Bottom Line: This situation reminds me a lot of Paul Rhoads at Iowa State, where everyone liked the guy and wanted him to do well but after some initial success his tenure just fizzled out. I feel like that is where we are with Sam Pittman’s Hogs, as I envision this program making a coaching change after the 2025 campaign. Arkansas does have one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Taylen Green but they only return 5 other starters total from last year’s squad. In fact, this team’s top eight pass catchers from 2024 have all left the program. Not to mention that Arkansas also faces one of the tougher schedules you will see, even by SEC standards. For whatever reason, the Hogs scheduled to really tough non-conference games (at Memphis, vs. Notre Dame) to go along with an SEC gautlet that begins with Tennessee and Texas A & M and ends with LSU Texas, and Missouri. I just don’t envision a way for this team to get bowl eligiblle again in 2025, and I think that would be the bare minimum requirement for Pittman to stay in Fayetteville into 2026 and beyond.

———————————————————————————————————–

14	Vanderbilt (4-8, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 7-6 (My 2024 prediction: 4-8)

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Running Back

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Kentucky (November 22)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Virginia Tech (September 6)

Bottom Line: As fun as Vanderbilt’s 2024 Cinderella season was, I don’t see them repeating the same kind of success in 2025. Yes, Diego Pavia is back which gives this team an X-Factor at the quarterback position, but aside from him, the Dores only bring back three starters from last year’s offense. In addition, squad isn’t goign to sneak up on anyone like last year’s Dores did nor are they likely to benefit from a +9 turnover margin again this season .

———————————————————————————————————–

15	Kentucky (4-8, 1-7)

Last Year’s Record: 4-8 (My 2024 prediction: 6-6)

Positional Strength: Running Back

Positional Weakness: Wide Receiver

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: vs. Texas (October 18)- this will be the # 1 upset of the year in college football if it hits

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: at Vanderbilt (November 22)

Bottom Line: I don’t expect too much from this squad in 2025, as they plan to start one of the worst quartebacks in the SEC from a few years ago, Zach Calzada. However, Stoops is too good of a coach for them not to pull offat least one upset of a conference foe. Last year, the Wildcats upset Ole Miss in week 5, and this season I am calling them to pull off the forementioned shocker of Texas.

———————————————————————————————————–

16	Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8)

Last Year’s Record: 2-10 (My 2024 prediction: 4-8)- Even I underestimated how much of a disaster MSU’s season would be in 2024.

Positional Strength: Quarterback

Positional Weakness: Defensive Line

Biggest Predicted Win of the Year: at Southern Miss (August 30)

Worst Predicted Loss of the Year: vs. Northern Ilinois (Septembr 20)

Bottom Line: It is too early to put Jeff Lebby on the hot seat in Starkville, but this squad was miles away from winning an SEC game in 2024. They will be more experience and much improved in 2025, but without a home matchup against a fellow conference bottom dweller (Vandy, Arkansas, or Kentucky) I just can’t project this squad to win an SEC game in 2025.

———————————————————————————————————–