SEC preseason – In a debate spanning Athlon Sports’ preseason rankings and SEC team projections, hosts on the “SEC Football Unfiltered” podcast argue over what’s real—and what’s wishful—especially around Oklahoma’s schedule, Texas’ talent versus recent results, and Georgia’s
Lane Kiffin’s latest staffing move landed with the kind of confidence that makes college football fans lean in. His reasoning is simple: bring in experience, sharpen the pieces, and keep building toward the moments that decide seasons.
That same push-and-pull—what looks certain versus what’s still shaky—ran through a preseason SEC debate on “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network featuring Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams.
At the heart of the discussion was Athlon Sports’ preseason ranking of SEC teams: what the magazine nailed, what it may have inflated, and where it may have underestimated the conference’s depth.
The SEC might not always be the best collection of teams in a given year. but Commissioner Greg Sankey’s view is that the league is the deepest “by far.” Athlon Sports. however. didn’t mirror that sentiment in its top spot. The preseason magazine placed Ohio State No. 1 and the Big Ten tied the SEC with eight teams in its top 25. The SEC still gained a “feather in its cap” with five teams inside the top 10, including No. 2 Georgia and No. 3 Texas.
From there, the podcast turned to the sharpest question: how many of those teams are overrated—and which SEC sides are being treated like they’re less dangerous than they could be.
The debate didn’t wait long to get tense.
No. 2 Georgia split the hosts. John Adams called it “Overrated,” pointing to how a No. 2 ranking can reflect belief in coach Kirby Smart while questioning whether Gunner Stockton is “elite.” Adams also said Georgia isn’t elite at wide receiver. Toppmeyer disagreed with the bottom line. saying the ranking was “about right. ” and arguing the timing is now—Georgia’s No. 1-ranked 2024 recruiting class is entering its third year and “Stockton is good enough for Georgia to reach a national championship game. if he gets steady support.”.
Texas drew a different kind of disagreement.
Adams said No. 3 Texas is “ranked about right,” arguing no SEC team has a better collection of talent. Toppmeyer pushed back. calling Texas “Overrated.” His case was shaped by last season’s record: Texas lost three times in 2023 and “almost lost five times.” He also pointed to a schedule he described as “rugged. ” saying No. 3 feels too lofty for what the results actually showed.
When the conversation shifted to Oklahoma, both hosts landed on the same verdict.
No. 8 Oklahoma was “Overrated,” with Adams citing “three words: Too much schedule.” Toppmeyer agreed and added that it’s not just the slate—it’s the gaps. He said Oklahoma has “a lot of holes to fill off last year’s playoff defense,” and that the roster burden is too heavy for a top-10 label.
The Sooners weren’t the only team where the panel treated defense and roster turnover like an undertone you can’t ignore.
No. 10 LSU drew near-consensus ranking praise but also plenty of conditions.
Adams said LSU was “ranked about right,” crediting Lane Kiffin for landing another portal “home run.” Toppmeyer also said the ranking was “about right … if Sam Leavitt gets healthy and returns to peak form.”
They also didn’t treat the offense and quarterback situation as a settled story.
Adams pegged LSU as a team that could climb higher: he called it “Underrated. ” naming Trinidad Chambliss as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and Kewan Lacy as a “premier running back.” He added that Ole Miss can go deep again. but suggested LSU has the offensive tools to do more than merely tread water. Toppmeyer’s view went the other direction on the ceiling—he called LSU “Overrated”—saying he expects Lane Kiffin’s exit and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.’s departure to be more noticeable “throughout an entire season. ” even if Pete Golding’s work helped rally the team after Kiffin’s exit.
The LSU debate carried a human edge through the way it framed coaching transitions as more than headlines. Toppmeyer’s earlier discussion on coaching credibility kept returning to the idea that public narratives don’t always match what a team is capable of once the season starts moving.
And if quarterback uncertainty was a theme on LSU, it showed up again for Alabama.
For No. 8 Alabama, the episode didn’t sound like a full rewrite of preseason logic—it sounded like buying into a specific development.
Adams said Alabama’s ranking was “ranked about right. Too many questions, including at quarterback, to rank any higher.”
Toppmeyer went further in the opposite direction, calling Alabama “Underrated.” His case leaned on youth and upside: he said he’s buying into redshirt freshman Keelon Russell’s potential and that if he’s wrong, “the Tide will be overrated,” but if he’s right, they’re underrated.
Tennessee and Auburn landed on the other end of the mood—less drama, more trust that games will sort out their questions.
No. 21 Tennessee was called “ranked about right” by both. Adams focused on quarterback uncertainty but insisted the Vols would handle “the beatable opponents” to finish in “nine-win territory.” Toppmeyer echoed that logic and pointed to improvement on defense with new coordinator Jim Knowles in charge.
Unranked Auburn drew a stronger leap from the hosts. Adams called the Tigers “Underrated. ” saying Alex Golesh brought South Florida players. including quarterback Byrum Brown. and that it should make for a “smooth coaching transition.” Toppmeyer agreed. and he argued Auburn wasn’t as bad as Hugh Freeze—and before him. Bryan Harsin—suggesting Auburn’s quarterbacks helped the Tigers “look” better than the worst reputations.
He also described the transfer haul as a springboard toward the kind of breakout preseason narrative people often crave: “Golesh, Brown and the USF transfer haul could spur a top 25 finish.”
The episode then returned to a storyline that feels like it belongs less in a preseason ranking thread and more in a spotlight on how quickly recruiting and eligibility can turn.
Brendan Sorsby’s situation played like a warning sign for any program thinking it has a secured plan.
The hosts said Tennessee gave quarterback Brendan Sorsby a “sniff,” while LSU heavily courted him as a Cincinnati transfer. Sorsby chose Texas Tech. Then, the floor fell out: the NCAA learned Sorsby placed thousands of bets on sports and declared him ineligible. A Texas judge later granted Sorsby an injunction that blocks the NCAA from enforcing its gambling rules and allows him to play this season.
The hosts asked whether SEC teams like LSU and Tennessee will regret missing on Sorsby—or whether they “dodged a troublesome situation.”
That question lingered even as the podcast returned to its original assignment: sorting out what Athlon Sports got right and what it may have gotten wrong.
Taken together. the episode stitched a clear picture of what the conference debate really comes down to—ranks aren’t just numbers. They’re assumptions about quarterbacks, schedules, defenses, and how fast teams absorb change. Oklahoma, in the hosts’ eyes, can’t escape the weight of “too much schedule” and defensive holes. Texas still carries the talent argument, but the results and the rugged slate complicate the ceiling. Georgia’s quarterback and receiver picture draws doubt from one host and confidence from the other. And LSU’s portal gains come with conditions—especially around Sam Leavitt’s health—while Alabama’s ceiling depends on whether Keelon Russell’s upside becomes instant reality.
SEC preseason rankings Athlon Sports Oklahoma Georgia Texas LSU Alabama Tennessee Auburn Lane Kiffin Sam Leavitt Gunner Stockton Keelon Russell Brendan Sorsby NCAA injunction sports betting eligibility