Skip to main content
Texas

The SEC preseason poll comes out today. How often does No. 1 win the league?

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook07/18/25josephcook89
SEC Championship Trophy
Brett Davis | USA TODAY Sports

The SEC preseason poll has been around since 1992, which coincides with the first year of the SEC Championship game. Media attending SEC Media Days get the chance to vote in the SEC preseason poll, crafting a 1-16 list of the projected order of finish (if they remember to do it).

[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]

Last year’s SEC preseason poll proved prescient. The Georgia Bulldogs collected most of the predictions for the 2024 SEC Champion last year, with Texas a distant second.

How often has that been the case? It happened in 1994, 1995, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024.

1992

  • Predicted SEC champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: Lost in SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

1993

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Lost in SEC championship
  • Champion: Florida

1994

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Florida

1995

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the Predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Florida

1996

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Tennessee
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in East
  • Champion: Florida

1997

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: T2 in East
  • Champion: Tennessee

1998

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in East
  • Champion: Tennessee

1999

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Tennessee
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in East
  • Champion: Alabama

2000

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: T5 in West
  • Champion: Florida

2001

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in East
  • Champion: LSU

2002

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Tennessee
  • How the predicted champion fared: 3rd in East
  • Champion: Georgia

2003

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Auburn
  • How the predicted champion fared: 3rd in West
  • Champion: LSU

2004

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Georgia
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in East
  • Champion: Auburn

2005

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Tennessee
  • How the predicted champion fared: 5th in East
  • Champion: Georgia

2006

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Auburn
  • How the predicted champion fared: T2 in West
  • Champion: Florida

2007

  • Predicted SEC Champion: LSU
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: LSU

2008

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Florida

2009

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Florida
  • How the predicted champion fared: Lost SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2010

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: 4th in West
  • Champion: Auburn

2011

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in West
  • Champion: LSU

2012

  • Predicted SEC Champion: LSU
  • How the predicted champion fared: T2 in West
  • Champion: Alabama

2013

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: T1 in West
  • Champion: Auburn

2014

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2015

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Auburn
  • How the predicted champion fared: 7th in West
  • Champion: Alabama

2016

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2017

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: T1 in West
  • Champion: Georgia

2018

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2019

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: 2nd in West
  • Champion: LSU

2020

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2021

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

2022

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Alabama
  • How the predicted champion fared: T1 in West
  • Champion: Georgia

2023

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Georgia
  • How the predicted champion fared: Lost SEC championship
  • Champion: Alabama

[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]

2024

  • Predicted SEC Champion: Georgia
  • How the predicted champion fared: Won SEC championship
  • Champion: Georgia

You may also like