The SEC broke the record in December for representation in the College Football Playoff, comprising nearly half the field with five teams. Commissioner Greg Sankey believes his conference deserved seven, and while his argument might hold merit among the metrics crowd, one can't argue that the SEC was the best conference in the country in 2025.

Those high expectations are why a record six programs changed coaches, including Lane Kiffin, who bolted playoff-bound Ole Miss for rival LSU after the regular season. Six programs finished with losing records with only two keeping their coaches around ( Mississippi State and South Carolina ).

In a league of unworldly high expectations, a playoff berth doesn't mean a perfect grade. Every team has warts, even the perfect ones, and the SEC

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