The Odds have been released for teams’ chances to make the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff. This year’s 12-team format will feature the five highest ranked conference champions, along with the next seven highest-ranked teams but, the College Football Playoff will now move to straight seeding meaning the teams ranking will match their seed.
With its depth and grueling schedules, no conference has fought harder for representation in the playoff than the SEC. Last year Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee earned spots in the field, while Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina found themselves just outside. With as strong as the conference looks to be this upcoming season, the question is once again not if a team from the SEC will get in, but how many.
Let’s take a look at the odds for SEC teams to make the College Football Playoff this upcoming season.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Favorites
- Texas (-290)
- Georgia (-250)
- Alabama (-154)
Texas and Georgia both look poised to make it back into the playoff despite both teams having new starting quarterbacks. We’ll learn a lot about, and likely see a drastic change in these odds for the Longhorns after their Week 1 matchup at Ohio State. Alabama opens as a slight favorite to make a return to the playoff, but if the Crimson Tide fall short again, expect the noise to get loud around head coach Kalen DeBoer after just his second season in Tuscaloosa.
Strong Contenders
- LSU (+134)
- Ole Miss (+142)
Every season in recent memory these two teams seem to follow a similar path in looking like strong playoff contenders heading into the year but ultimately falling short. LSU returns starting quarterback and top Heisman contender Garrett Nussmeier along with a team that Brian Kelly called the “best roster” he has put together in Baton Rouge. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels get a favorable schedule that avoids matchups with Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, and Tennessee. However, if they want to make their first-ever playoff appearance, they’ll need to avoid the slip-ups against lesser opponents that kept them out last season.
Underdogs
- Tennessee (+225)
- Texas A&M (+240)
- Auburn (+390)
- South Carolina (+410)
- Florida (+420)
- Oklahoma (+540)
- Missouri (+610)
With the depth of the conference, it’s no surprise that a number of SEC teams fall into this category, and whether one or two of them sneak into the playoff will likely depend on if the ACC and Big 12 receive multiple bids. Tennessee and Texas A&M stand ahead with the best odds from this group, while South Carolina could be a sleeper team after a strong end to last season and quarterback LaNorris Sellers returning.
Florida and Auburn are two teams with extreme boom or bust capabilities as both of their head coaches enter must win seasons. Also of note is Oklahoma at +540 in year four under Brent Venables. The Sooners will feature a new look offense featuring QB John Mateer, who came to Norman alongside his offensive coordinator from Washington State, but have a tough schedule with an absolutely brutal stretch to end the season (Texas, at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, LSU).
Would Shock the World
- Arkansas (+1800)
- Kentucky (+3500)
- Vanderbilt (+3500)
- Mississippi State (+8000)
If any of these teams make the playoff, it would be the story of the season. Arkansas has the potential to pull off some upsets with their strong transfer portal class and a talented dual-threat quarterback in Taylen Green. If there is anything we learned from last season it is to never count out the Vanderbilt Commodores with Diego Pavia behind center.