Getting the right collection of teams can help guide a manageable path to a conference championship game and even help set up a national championship run.  Then, there's the other side. Some years, seemingly every bad schedule break goes your way and can elevate a coach to the hot seat.

Here's a look at where SEC football teams appeared in the preseason AP Top 25 poll for the 2025 college football season.

Texas received 25 first-place votes and 1,552 points to give the Southeastern Conference the preseason No. 1 team for a record fifth straight year. The Nittany Lions got 23 first-place votes and 1,547 points for their highest preseason ranking since they were No. 1 to open the 1997 season.