Man, looking back at the 2025 season is a trip. Honestly, if you told me in August that Vanderbilt would be sitting ahead of LSU or Florida in the final SEC conference standings football list, I would have laughed. I would have told you to take a walk.
But here we are in early 2026.
The dust from the bowl games and the expanded College Football Playoff is finally settling, and the hierarchy of the South has been completely flipped on its head. It wasn't just about the wins. It was about who survived the gauntlet of a 16-team league without divisions. No more hiding in the "SEC East" or riding a weak schedule to nine wins.
The Hierarchy of the 2025 SEC Conference Standings Football
Georgia ended up at the top of the mountain. Again. Surprise, surprise. But it wasn't a clean sweep like the old days of the Kirby Smart era. They actually lost to Alabama in September. Then they got their revenge in the SEC Championship Game with a 28-7 beatdown in Atlanta.
That championship game was wild. Gunner Stockton, who basically spent his whole life waiting for a chance, took the MVP trophy and didn't look back. Bama's run game just died. Kirby's defense was a brick wall.
Look at the final regular-season records for the heavy hitters:
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- Georgia Bulldogs: 12-2 (7-1 SEC) - SEC Champions.
- Alabama Crimson Tide: 11-4 (7-1 SEC) - Championship runners-up.
- Ole Miss Rebels: 13-2 (7-1 SEC) - The most "what if" team in history.
- Texas A&M Aggies: 11-2 (7-1 SEC) - Mike Elko is officially the real deal.
- Oklahoma Sooners: 10-3 (6-2 SEC) - Proved they belong in the deep water.
- Texas Longhorns: 10-3 (6-2 SEC) - Arch Manning had his moments, but that loss at Florida killed them.
- Vanderbilt Commodores: 10-3 (6-2 SEC) - Seriously. 10 wins. Clark Lea deserves a statue.
Everything else was a bit of a mess. Tennessee and Missouri both went 8-5 (4-4 in league play). LSU? A total disaster at 7-6. Lane Kiffin bolting for Baton Rouge right as the playoff started was the most "SEC" thing to ever happen. It was chaos.
Why the Standings Look So Weird This Year
Basically, the 16-team expansion changed the math. You've got four teams that finished with 7-1 conference records. In the old days, we'd be looking at division tiebreakers and head-to-head results that made sense. Now? It's all about strength of schedule and tiebreaker bundles that require a PhD to understand.
Texas A&M actually had a claim for the title game over Bama depending on who you asked. But Bama's win over Georgia in the regular season gave them the edge when the computer chips fell.
And then there’s the Vanderbilt situation.
People think Vandy being good is a fluke. It isn't. They didn't just luck into 10 wins; they beat Tennessee and took some of the "Big Six" to the absolute limit. They finished 6-2 in the conference. That's better than LSU, Florida, and Auburn combined.
The bottom of the barrel was rough. Arkansas went 0-8 in the SEC. Zero wins. That’s a tough pill to swallow in Fayetteville. South Carolina, Auburn, and Mississippi State all finished with just one conference win. It's a top-heavy league, but the middle is getting wider.
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The Lane Kiffin Effect and the LSU Meltdown
We have to talk about LSU. Brian Kelly is out, Lane Kiffin is in, and the transition was uglier than a Monday morning hangover. LSU finished 3-5 in the conference. For a program with that much talent, it’s unacceptable.
Kiffin leaving Ole Miss after an 11-win regular season to go to a rival was a bombshell. It distracted the Rebels right when they were supposed to be making a CFP run. They still beat Tulane and Georgia in the playoff, but you have to wonder if they could have won the whole thing if Lane hadn't been checking real estate listings in Louisiana during the quarterfinals.
What Really Happened with the New Format
The SEC doesn't do divisions anymore. This is the biggest thing people forget when looking at the SEC conference standings football results.
Because there are no divisions, the two teams with the best winning percentages go to Atlanta. Simple, right? Sorta. When you have four teams tied at 7-1, it comes down to:
- Head-to-head competition.
- Record against common opponents.
- Total conference win percentage of conference opponents.
This is why Texas felt cheated. They went 6-2 but didn't have the "quality wins" the committee wanted to see because they missed the heavy hitters in the rotation. They beat Michigan in the Citrus Bowl to finish 10-3, but the "Arch Manning era" started with a lot of "almosts."
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Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're betting on or following these teams for the upcoming year, the final standings tell a specific story you shouldn't ignore.
- Watch the Portal at Ole Miss: With Kiffin gone, that roster is in flux. Pete Golding is still there for now, but the defense might take a step back if the "Pro Rebels" NIL money follows the coach.
- Believe in Mike Elko: Texas A&M’s 7-1 conference record wasn't a fluke. They are physical, they don't turn the ball over, and they are recruiting at a top-five level.
- The Florida Reset: Billy Napier is out. Jon Sumrall is in. The Gators finished 2-6 in the SEC, but they beat Texas. The talent is there, but the culture was broken. Expect a massive jump in 2026.
- Georgia's Continuity: Gunner Stockton is the guy. Period. Georgia’s 2025 championship wasn't a "last dance"—it was a reloading phase.
Don't just look at the wins and losses. Look at the point differentials. Oklahoma actually had a better defensive EPA (Expected Points Added) than half the teams above them in the standings. They are a "buy low" team for 2026. Arkansas is a "stay away" until they prove they can win a single Saturday in November.
The 2025 season proved that the SEC is now a 16-car pileup every single week. If you aren't deep, you're dead.
Keep an eye on the 2026 recruiting rankings too. Texas and Georgia are currently 1 and 2. The rich are staying rich, but Vandy proved that with a veteran quarterback and a specific system, you can still ruin someone's Saturday.
Go ahead and bookmark the official SEC stats page. You'll need it to track the transfer portal moves this spring, especially with the coaching carousel spinning faster than ever in Baton Rouge and Gainesville.