Nearly 70 media members voted in the preseason AP Poll. None of them voted for an SEC team as No. 1. What gives? Why are the media out on the SEC?
Nearly 70 media members voted in the preseason AP Poll. None of them voted for an SEC team as No. 1. What gives? Why are the media out on the SEC?
There’s probably no conspiracy here, and this is a byproduct of the Big Ten producing three straight national champions. The B1G reloaded for a run at another trophy, as Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana sparkle with national championship potential this season.Still, is it not odd that Georgia or Texas did not receive a single first-place vote?On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams break down the AP Poll and debate why the SEC got shut out of first-place votes. Adams makes his case for why Texas should be worthy of a first-place vote, while Toppmeyer outlines a theory as to why nobody voted Texas No. 1.
This year marks the first time since 2015, when Ohio State was the unanimous preseason No. 1, that no SEC team received first-place votes in the preseason AP Poll.
Perhaps, this comes as a good omen for the SEC. In 2015, the preseason No. 1 Buckeyes didn’t make the playoff, and Alabama won the national championship.
What to make of media snubbing SEC from any first-place votes?
Adams: The perception right now is that the Big Ten is a stronger conference at the top. That perception is based on the reality of the Big Ten producing the past three national champions. So, this is less of a vendetta against the SEC and more of an acknowledgement of the Big Ten’s CFP takeover the past few years. Plus, an examination of Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana indicates the Big Ten won’t lack for championship contenders this year.
Even so, Texas’ roster seems second to none, and it’s hard to figure why the Longhorns didn’t attract even a single first-place vote.
Toppmeyer: What Adams said is correct. This isn’t a conspiracy or a crusade against the South. It’s a reflection that the Big Ten rules college football in this moment, at least at the highest level, and voters don’t expect that to change.
As to Texas not receiving any first-place votes, I wonder if that’s an overcorrection to last season, when the Longhorns were preseason No. 1, but they lost three games and didn’t make the playoff. Texas made voters look foolish in 2025, and so they might be wary of doubling down with another first-place vote for Texas this year.
Alabama is ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll. Did the Tide get hosed?
Adams: No. Alabama is not underrated. A No. 13 ranking seems about right for a program that’s transitioning to a new quarterback, assembling a young offensive line and lacking the skill-position talent of some teams ranked ahead of it. In fact, No. 13 might be a couple of spots too high.
Toppmeyer: I’d have Alabama a smidge higher than No. 13. The No. 11 spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll seems spot on. Voters are perhaps overly reacting to Alabama getting trounced by Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Ugly as that game was, Oregon got whipped by Indiana in the playoff, too. Also, I wonder if voters are over-penalizing Alabama for not being a Saban-esque team. It’s true, the Saban dynasty is finished, and 2020 Alabama is not walking through that door, but this Alabama team should only be judged against current competition, and not against Saban’s best teams.
I view Alabama as a borderline playoff team. To make the playoff, it’ll need steady quarterback play, whether Keelon Russell or Austin Mack wins the job, and its offensive line must come together nicely. I like the Tide’s defense.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.