The first glimpse of the 2026 SEC football race has arrived following the conclusion of media days. Georgia was selected as the preseason favorite to win its third consecutive SEC Championship, according to the annual media poll released on Friday.
The Bulldogs received 88 votes to capture the conference title and are projected to face Texas in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Longhorns, who reached the SEC title game in their first season as a conference member in 2024, received 57 votes to win the league.
Eight of the SEC's 16 teams received at least one vote to win the conference championship.
Texas finished second behind Georgia in the predicted order of finish, with the Bulldogs earning 2,519 total points compared to Longhorns' 2,449.
History suggests the preseason favorite faces a difficult challenge. Since the league began holding its championship game in 1992, the team picked to win the SEC prior to the season has gone on to claim the title just 10 times. Texas received the most champion votes prior to last season and missed the College Football Playoff.
Below is a look at how the media sees the top of the SEC unfolding in 2026:
2026 SEC Champion
| School | Champion votes |
|---|---|
Georgia | 88 |
Texas | 57 |
6 | |
5 | |
3 | |
2 | |
2 | |
1 |
Predicted order of finish
| School | Points |
|---|---|
1. Georgia | 2,519 |
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 |
467 | |
16. Arkansas | 262 |
