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.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 college football poll is out and it’s topped by Texas for the first time in an opening poll