​ESPN has updated its annual Football Power Index (FPI) rankings and projects that the Southeastern Conference (SEC) accounts for 16 of the 20 toughest schedules in the nation, including the entire top seven. The conference also places 12 teams among the top 25 in the FPI, and every SEC squad sits within the top 50. Notably, ESPN lists Georgia’s schedule as the easiest within the SEC, yet the Bulldogs still face the 20th-hardest schedule nationally. Under coach Kirby Smart, Georgia is navigating a demanding 2026 slate that features 10 Power Five opponents, including nine SEC fixtures and the traditional rivalry game against Georgia Tech.
According to FPI, Georgia has only one game against a top-five SEC opponent, which is the showdown at Alabama. The Bulldogs will also face the league’s sixth- and seventh-best teams, Oklahoma and Ole Miss, respectively. FPI assigns Georgia a 10.9 percent chance of running the table in the regular season, the highest probability for any SEC team, and a 22.9 percent chance of capturing the conference title.
Georgia remains among the favorites to win the SEC for a third straight year. The Bulldogs have reached seven of the last eight SEC championships and claimed three of the past four titles. In 2025, Georgia’s signal-caller Gunner Stockton connected on a pass against Alabama in the SEC Championship game, illustrating the program’s continued high-level competition as it prepares for the upcoming season.
The 2025 preseason rankings feature a list of teams with national recognition, reflecting the depth and strength of the conference and its competitors. Arkansas sits atop the national rankings, followed by Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia at No. 20 nationally. This grouping underscores the SEC’s overall competitiveness and the challenging path that Georgia and its peers will navigate in the years ahead.
For more Georgia football coverage and updates, follow UGA Wire on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Threads. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire and has been reformulated for improved SEO emphasis on ESPN’s scheduling rankings within the SEC.