Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Texas Longhorns celebrate after winning the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is officially here, and the anticipation is building as there are less than three weeks until kick off. On Monday, the USA TODAY Preseason Coaches Poll rankings were released, giving fans and analysts their first official glimpse at the national landscape.

At the very top sits SEC newcomer, Texas, which made program history by earning the No. 1 ranking in the preseason poll for the first time ever. The Longhorns, led by early Heisman hopeful Arch Manning, are poised to make a serious run at the title this season. Their 2025 campaign begins with a high-stakes season opener against No. 2 Ohio State on August 30 in Columbus.

While the Texas Longhorns take the top spot, it is the SEC that once again flexes its collective muscle, placing a national-best nine teams in the preseason Top 25.

No conference is more represented in the Coaches Poll than the Southeastern Conference. Programs like Georgia (4), Alabama (8), and LSU (9) remain perennial powerhouses. However, the biggest riser (and threat) might be South Carolina, which comes in at No. 13, the program's preseason ranking in recent memory.

Here are the SEC teams that made the cut:

  • No. 1 Texas
  • No. 4 Georgia
  • No. 8 Alabama
  • No. 9 LSU
  • No. 13 South Carolina
  • No. 15 Ole Miss
  • No. 17 Florida
  • No. 18 Tennessee
  • No. 21 Texas A&M (Tied)

That leaves seven SEC programs, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Auburn, outside the Top 25 to start the season, though several teams, including Oklahoma and Missouri, received votes. The SEC's top-to-bottom strength makes the conference the nation's most competitive league once again.

Full Preseason Coaches Poll (First-place votes in parentheses):

  1. Texas (28)
  2. Ohio State (20)
  3. Penn State (14)
  4. Georgia (3)
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Clemson (2)
  7. Oregon
  8. Alabama
  9. LSU
  10. Miami
  11. Arizona State
  12. Illinois
  13. South Carolina
  14. Michigan
  15. Ole Miss
  16. SMU
  17. Florida
  18. Tennessee
  19. Indiana
  20. Kansas State21 (T). Texas A&M21 (T). Iowa State
  21. BYU
  22. Texas Tech
  23. Boise State

Others Receiving Votes:

Oklahoma (221), Missouri (142), Louisville (126), USC (116), Utah (86), Baylor (76), Auburn (50), Iowa (49), Memphis (34), Army (33), Tulane (31), Georgia Tech (27), TCU (24), Nebraska (19), Syracuse (16), Washington (15), Navy (14), Arkansas (14), Duke (12), Colorado (12), Minnesota (11), UNLV (8), Florida State (8), Kansas (6), Vanderbilt (3), Buffalo (1)

Between Texas' historic No. 1 ranking and South Carolina climb to No. 13, the SEC's overwhelming presence in the Top 25 makes it clear that the power structure of college football remains strong in the South. The pressure is now on, and the spotlight is bright. The journey to the College Football Playoff begins now.

This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Texas makes history at No. 1 as SEC loads up with 9 teams in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll

Reporting by Lauren Beasley, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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