The SEC bias conversation is back, and On3’s 2026 preseason Top 25 gives college football fans outside the conference plenty of ammunition.
On3 has nine SEC teams ranked in the Top 25, including an absurd seven teams inside the Top 14. Texas leads the conference at No. 3, followed by Georgia at No. 4, Oklahoma at No. 8, Ole Miss at No. 9, Texas A&M at No. 10, LSU at No. 12 and Alabama at No. 14. Tennessee comes in at No. 20, while Florida barely sneaks in at No. 25.
That means 36% of On3’s entire Top 25 is made up of SEC programs.
At some point, you have to ask: Are all of these teams really that good, or are we projecting the SEC logo more than what teams have actually proven?
Texas being No. 3 is one of the easiest places to start. The Longhorns entered last season with massive expectations and failed to even make the College Football Playoff. Yet here they are again, immediately placed ahead of Georgia and defending national champion Indiana.
Then there’s Alabama at No. 14, Tennessee at No. 20 and Florida at No. 25. Tennessee finished last season 8-5 and unranked in the final major polls, but On3 already has the Vols back inside the Top 20.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten has won the last three national championships, yet the SEC continues to receive incredible preseason respect. That doesn’t mean the SEC suddenly isn’t elite. The conference recruits at a ridiculous level, produces NFL talent every year and remains arguably the deepest conference in college football.
But nine teams?
And five — Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas A&M — in the Top 10?
That’s exactly why fans continue screaming about SEC bias.
Maybe On3 will be proven right. Maybe the SEC dominates the playoff and reminds everyone why it receives this type of respect every August. But until these teams actually earn it on the field, having more than one-third of the entire preseason Top 25 come from one conference is going to raise some eyebrows.
The SEC might be the deepest conference in America — but On3 certainly isn’t making the SEC bias allegations disappear.
