SEC Sets CFP Record With Five Teams in Top 10

Georgia is the SEC’s highest-ranked team at No. 2; Alabama holds No. 5, Kentucky No. 6, Texas No. 7 and Ole Miss No. 10. No conference had previously placed five teams in the top 10 of the committee’s opening rankings, making the SEC the first to reach that mark.

The conference also has five more teams in the top 25: Tennessee ranks 13th, LSU 14th, Missouri 18th, South Carolina 21st and Florida 24th. Its 10 ranked teams lead all conferences. The Big Ten has six, and the Big 12 has five.

Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss are each 6-2, while unbeaten UCLA is ranked No. 8, behind four SEC teams. The rankings set up several consequential conference games this weekend: Georgia visits Ole Miss, Alabama travels to LSU and Kentucky faces Tennessee. Those results could lift some teams’ playoff standing while hurting their SEC rivals.

The committee’s next rankings are due November 10. It will announce the 12-team playoff field on December 6. With SEC contenders still scheduled to play one another, the conference’s strong showing could be tested by its own matchups as the season progresses.