The elimination of divisions created an exciting title race in the SEC last season, as the championship game matchup remained undetermined until the final whistle of the regular season.
When all was said and done, we got a rematch of Georgia and Texas, which many expected. Those two remain in the conversation as the 2025 season approaches, but there are several other teams that could have a chance to unseat them as the season plays out.
Here are five games during the 2025-26 season that will help define the SEC championship race (in no particular order) and determine if anyone can overtake the Longhorns and the Bulldogs.
1. Week 5: Sept. 27 Alabama at Georgia
Week 5 of the 2025 college football season features another edition of Alabama vs. Georgia. It seems these two programs are always near the top of the SEC, and with the talent on both sides, this year should be no different. Sure, each team has a new quarterback and new playmakers on offense, but they also continue to have elite defenses to complement.
Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia have been on a great run, making four College Football Playoff appearances during his tenure and reaching the national title game three times (winning twice). On the other hand, Alabama and second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer are already facing pressure after a 9-4 season that featured a bowl loss and a third-place finish in the SEC.
Both these programs have high standards and expect to compete for national championships every year. They're not exactly the juggernauts we've grown accustomed to, and this game comes at a critical juncture early in the season. It's right near the start of SEC play and could determine which team remains a contender and which team takes a step back in 2025.
2. Week 9: Oct. 25 Alabama at South Carolina
Here we find two teams looking to prove they're serious contenders in the SEC. Alabama's situation is addressed above, and South Carolina closed last season on an epic run as quarterback LaNorris Sellers emerged as a star and the Gamecocks nearly crashed the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
After a rough start to conference play in 2024, South Carolina announced its presence with a six-game winning streak, including a 44-20 drubbing of No. 10 Texas A&M in Columbia in early November. This game could serve a similar purpose, especially if both teams enter the game undefeated. Both only have one particularly challenging conference game before Oct. 25 (Alabama at Georgia, South Carolina at LSU), so it is a possibility.
Having said that, this game could end up being an "elimination game" in the SEC race if they enter with any conference losses. Alabama hosts LSU the next week, but otherwise, the remaining schedule is extremely manageable. Meanwhile, South Carolina has road games against Ole Miss and Texas A&M in the following weeks, so it'll be crucial for the Gamecocks to get the win at home.
3. Week 11: Nov. 8 LSU at Alabama
If Alabama gets by South Carolina, it'll have another test against a team that could end up winning the conference when it hosts LSU two weeks later. The Crimson Tide earned a massive 42-13 win over the Tigers in Baton Rouge last season, handing LSU the second of three straight losses that knocked it out of SEC and Playoff contention after entering November ranked No. 8 in the country.
Unfortunately for Alabama, it won't have Jalen Milroe's running ability this time. The quarterback gashed the LSU defense for 185 yards and four touchdowns on the ground last season. However, if Alabama comes into this game still alive in the SEC title race, the Crimson Tide will have a good shot at taking the conference.
LSU will be battle-tested, having opened the season against Clemson and taken on Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Texas A&M in SEC play. If the Tigers are still standing through all that, they'll be near the top of the SEC and national contention with a chance to slam the door by avenging an ugly loss in another potential "elimination game."
4. Week 12: Nov. 15 Texas at Georgia
Texas reached the College Football Playoff Semifinal last season, but the Longhorns struggled against Georgia in their debut season in the SEC, dropping two games against the Bulldogs. The Georgia defense was suffocating during the first meeting in Austin, coming up with seven sacks and three turnovers as Georgia built a 23-0 first-half lead and held on for a 30-15 victory.
The Longhorns fared better in the SEC Championship Game but fell in overtime, narrowly missing a first-round bye in the Playoff. Even with significant players departing both programs, the expectation is for both to contend in the SEC, and nationally, for that matter, during the 2025-26 season.
The fact that this game comes so late in the season adds to the intrigue. By Week 12, the SEC contenders will be well established, and they'll only have two games remaining after this one is played. That leaves little margin for error and creates another high-stakes meeting in this budding rivalry, if these two programs are still in the thick of it, as many expect.
5. Week 14: Nov. 28 Texas A&M at Texas
The Lone Star Showdown returned with fireworks last season as the rivalry between the Aggies and the Longhorns turned into a winner-take-all meeting for a spot in the SEC Championship. However, Texas dominated the first half, and Texas A&M couldn't rally late.
The win propelled the Longhorns to a postseason run and gave them bragging rights over a hated rival in their first season in the SEC after that same rival had been holding that over them for 13 years. It was also the third straight conference loss for a Texas A&M team that finished the year. 8-5 and collapsed in the Las Vegas Bowl against USC. Still, Texas A&M showed vast improvement during the season, and that was while "not being a good football team."
With the returning talent on both sides, the Longhorns and the Aggies are both expected to compete in the SEC again. Texas A&M will have some fodder to fight through as the middle of the conference is cluttered by multiple teams that could have a say in the race or could fall out entirely. However, if they can pull through, there will be high stakes again for the Lone Star Showdown.
Just missed the cut: Florida at LSU (Sept. 13), LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 27), Florida at Texas A&M (Oct. 11), South Carolina at LSU (Oct. 11), Texas A&M at LSU (Oct. 25)