Texas stunned Texas A&M, Georgia narrowly defeated Georgia Tech, and Ole Miss kept the Egg Bowl trophy against Mississippi State despite parting ways with its coach. Oklahoma outlasted LSU, Alabama prevailed in the Iron Bowl, Vanderbilt overwhelmed Tennessee, Kentucky was shut out by Louisville, South Carolina came up short against Clemson, Missouri dominated Arkansas, and Florida overpowered Florida State.
Rivalry Week across the South was packed with drama. Several programs secured College Football Playoff spots, others lost their coaches, some dismissed theirs, and a few experienced a mix of everything. With the 2025 regular season officially complete, long time frontrunners Ole Miss and Texas A&M were ultimately overtaken by Alabama and Georgia.
As is the case in most seasons, the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs will meet in Atlanta for the SEC championship. They remain reliable contenders regardless of how Florida State looks in the opening week. Below are the final SEC standings for the 2025 campaign.
Georgia and Alabama finished first and second in a four way tie at the top. The reasoning behind the tiebreakers that elevated them over Texas A&M and Ole Miss is complex and far from intuitive. In essence, the SEC made the determination.
Ten teams earned bowl berths, while six ended the year without eligibility. Although many schools posted strong records with ten or more victories, it came at the cost of a crowded lower tier, where most are now searching for new leadership.
Eight SEC teams ended the season in the AP Top 25, with Tennessee being the only one among them to finish below nine wins. Mississippi State placed last a season ago as the lone 0 8 team, and this year Arkansas filled that role as the only program the Bulldogs managed to defeat.
Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M appear set for CFP selection. Vanderbilt, despite a 10 2 record, sits behind all five of those teams, leaving no available spot in the playoff field. It is an unfortunate conclusion for a team with such a strong resume.
