ESPN names Top 10 SEC Football games for 2025 season

SEC Media Days — affectionately known as peak “Talking Season” — are now a full week in the rearview mirror. As such, all eyes are now squarely fixated on the actual college football games, which officially kickoff in less than a month with Week 0 action beginning Aug. 23.

Of course, actual SEC action doesn’t begin until the following week when Missouri hosts Central Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 28. But in the meantime, ESPN provided a detailed 2025 season preview for the SEC, including providing everything from analytical projections to conference championship contenders.

But it’s ESPN’s breakdown of the SEC’s Top 10 games — conference and non-conference alike — of 2025, with a heavy focus on the league’s top potential College Football Playoff contenders. That includes four games featuring defending SEC champion Georgia, and three each for Alabama, LSU and 2024 league runner-up Texas. In all, ESPN’s list of the SEC’s Top 10 games of 2025 features half of the leagues’ 16 teams, including eight highly-anticipated conference games.

Check out ESPN’s Top 10 SEC games of 2025, listed in date order:

Texas at Ohio State (Aug. 30)

Highlighting Week 1 action is a rare Top 5 season-opener. This is a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff national semifinal in the Cotton Bowl, in which the eventual national champion Buckeyes doubled up the ‘Horns 28-14 to make the national title game.

Of course, roles are clearly reversed this time around as Texas features one of college football’s most talented roster — led by new starting QB Arch Manning and a loaded defense — while Ohio State is mostly unproven outside of premier talents Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith. Suffice it to say, the eyes of the entire CFB world will be on Columbus, especially with ESPN’s College GameDay onsite.

LSU at Clemson (Aug. 30)

Week 1’s evening slate is highlighted by the unofficial “Battle for the REAL Death Valley” with the first half of a home-and-home series between Clemson and LSU. LSU head coach Brian Kelly has already started the pregame trash talk by calling Clemson’s Memorial Stadium “Death Valley Junior.”

Of course, it’s the host Tigers that feature what is arguably Clemson’s most talented roster since winning two natties in the mid-to-late 2010s — led by senior QB1 Cade Klubnik. LSU counters with its own Heisman Trophy favorite in QB Garrett Nussmeier in what could end up being a potential Playoff preview.

Georgia at Tennessee (Sept. 13)

The defending SEC champion Bulldogs open conference play Week 3 on the road in Knoxville, where two of the league’s three CFP teams from last year face off trying not to start SEC play 0-1.

Both Georgia and Tennessee will have new starting QBs making their first SEC starts — the Bulldogs’ Gunner Stockton and the Vols’ Joey Aguilar, who replaced last year’s QB1 Nico Iamaleava this offseason. UGA has won the last eight in the series and outscored Tennessee by a +25 average margin of victory during that stretch.

Alabama at Georgia (Sept. 27)

In what has become one of the SEC’s must-see rivalry games, the league’s last two champions square off once again in primetime on Week 5 as both teams look to get a leg up on the race back to Atlanta.

Last year’s matchup was arguably one of the most exciting games of 2024, when then-17-year-old Alabama freshman WR Ryan Williams splashed onto the national scene with an acrobatic game-winning 75-yard touchdown for the 41-34 win over a second-ranked Georgia. Expect another Top 10 matchup.

LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 27)

Another emerging SEC rivalry, the Tigers’ trip to Oxford offers a revenge opportunity for Ole Miss after LSU delivered a tough-to-swallow 29-26 overtime upset in Baton Rouge last season.

Outside of the non-conference opener at Clemson, this will be Nussmeier’s first real road test and his performance in Oxford could go a long way in determining whether the LSU senior is a legit 2025 Heisman Trophy contender. It’s also the first serious test for new Rebels QB1 Austin Simmons.

Texas at Florida (Oct. 4)

This Week 6 showdown in Gainesville will be the Longhorns’ SEC opener after opening the regular season with four straight non-conference games, including the aforementioned opener in Columbus.

Texas dominated last year’s matchup, 49-17, as Quinn Ewers threw for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns. Of course, talented Gators freshman QB DJ Lagway missed facing his homestate ‘Horns due to a hamstring injury. If Lagway is available this time, a potential shootout vs. Manning could make things interesting.

Ole Miss at Georgia (Oct. 18)

While not a traditional SEC rivalry, there will be plenty of motivation coming from the Bulldogs’ sideline after the host Rebels embarrassed Georgia 28-10 in Oxford last season. The late-season upset temporarily put Ole Miss into the Playoff discussion before a road loss to Florida the next week ended that.

If Georgia is going to once again return to Atlanta in 2025, a home victory against a Lane Kiffin-coached Ole Miss could go a long way into making the Bulldogs’ conference case. Of course, should the Rebels once again upset the ‘Dawgs in Athens, it could throw the entire race on its head before November.

Alabama at South Carolina (Oct. 25)

It’s a trap! Although this won’t be a true “trap” game since its an expected Top 25 showdown, Crimson Tide fans of a certain age know the challenging history of Alabama road games in Columbia. Does Stephen Garcia ring a bell?

With its annual pre-LSU bye game the following weekend, Kalen DeBoer and the Tide little excuse to be unprepared for what Shane Beamer has building at South Carolina, especially with LaNorris Sellers at QB. This is another game that will undoubtedly have massive ramifications on the SEC’s race to Atlanta.

LSU at Alabama (Nov. 8)

Alabama and LSU has become a must-watch rivalry game every November, and more times than not has served as a late-season play-in opportunity for a SEC Championship game berth.

Although divisions have gone the way of the dinosaurs, this remains one of the league’s most-significant SEC showdowns and could be a proving grown opportunity in Nussmeier’s Heisman case, especially given how last year’s game turned out in Baton Rouge. This might even be a potential Playoff preview.

Texas at Georgia (Nov. 15)

After last year’s regular-season game was in mid-October, this year’s rematch between last season’s two SEC title game contestants takes place three weeks before this year’s SEC Championship game, which could inevitably make it a likely play-in game with the loser praying for an at-large Playoff opportunity.

The Week 12 showdown between the Bulldogs and Longhorns will once again be a battle of wills between two of the league’s most talented rosters, and a potential opportunity for Manning to cement his place in New York City for the 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony, especially if he can get revenge on UGA in Athens.