The 2025 college football season officially began this past weekend, with all 16 SEC teams in action. The conference boasted an impressive 14-2 record over the days of play; however, both losses proved to be at the forefront of national headlines. With Heisman favorites struggling, transferring players blossoming and coaches on the hot seat, Week 1 was packed to the brim with action.
1. Georgia
Georgia opened its 2025 campaign with a 45-7 blowout victory over Marshall. Quarterback Gunner Stockton was a clear standout with four total touchdowns — two passing and two rushing. The defense was dominant, holding Marshall scoreless until the fourth quarter. Special teams also made an early impact when defensive back KJ Bolden blocked Marshall’s punt, setting up a three-play touchdown drive.
Georgia’s next matchup has it hosting Austin Peay (1-0) at home before it takes a trip to Neyland Stadium to play the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers. With Kirby Smart at the wheel, Georgia once again looks like the SEC’s gold standard.
2. LSU
For the first time since their magical 2019 season, the Tigers emerged victorious in Week 1. LSU traveled to South Carolina to take on a talented Clemson team in what proved to be a strong defensive battle. While head coach Brian Kelly can breathe a sigh of relief for now, the pressure will continue to build for him and his staff as they aim to take their massively talented roster to the College Football Playoff.
Junior wide receiver Aaron Anderson, a New Orleans native, played a strong role in the victory, catching 6 passes for 99 yards. He will look to expand on a promising 2024 season, where his 61 receptions ranked third in the conference. Anderson and his teammates will play Louisiana Tech this weekend in a “Death Valley” of their own, in what looks to be a lower-stakes matchup.
3. South Carolina
The last time South Carolina found itself in the AP Top 10 was in 2014. Eleven years later, following a 24-11 win over Virginia Tech, the Gamecocks are ranked No. 10. After a clinical seven-play 75-yard opening drive touchdown, the rest of the first quarter did not go the way the Gamecocks intended. Their next three drives resulted in a punt, a safety and another punt. The defense, however, locked down. They forced two punts and intercepted Hokie quarterback Kyron Drones.
The game remained close until an early fourth-quarter punt return touchdown from sophomore Vicari Swain and a 64-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Nyck Harbor. While their victory wasn’t a flawless performance, it was enough to suggest that, for now, the Gamecocks are serious players in the SEC. They play a very manageable South Carolina State at home this weekend before taking on Vanderbilt the following week.
4. Texas
Wait one second, Longhorn Nation. After debuting in the AP Poll as the No. 1 team, Texas took on the defending National Champion Ohio State. A 14-7 loss, though, had many questioning quarterback Arch Manning, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the program as a whole. Manning, a Heisman favorite, was indeed underwhelming. He completed just 17 of his 30 pass attempts and boasted a single touchdown with an interception to go along with it — a concerning stat line if it wasn’t his first game as the outright starter going up against a generationally talented Ohio State defense.
The defense, as per usual, looked stifling. With three straight games against non-Power Four opponents, Arch Manning should be able to find the rhythm and experience he needs to return Texas to its dominating ways.
5. Florida
The Gators cruised to a 55-0 victory against Long Island University. They controlled the game from start to finish with highly touted sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway passing for three first-half touchdowns.
The defense was stout, holding Long Island to just 86 yards. With a matchup at home against South Florida this week, the Gators will have what should be another chance to build momentum. After that, the Gators enter a brutal stretch: No. 3 LSU (1-0), No. 5 Miami (1-0), No. 7 Texas (0-1) and No. 19 Texas A&M (1-0) in consecutive games, with only a bye week separating Miami and Texas. Through this stretch, we will see if head coach Billy Napier’s team has what it takes to be a College Football Playoff contender this season.
6. Ole Miss
The Rebels handled business easily in their Week 1 matchup versus Georgia State. The game wasn’t as highly anticipated as other marquee matchups around the country, but 15 players made their first starts as members of the program. The offense moved the ball extremely well, grossing 695 yards — the most in the nation by a significant margin.
The long-awaited debut of Missouri transfer running back Kewan Lacy also did not disappoint. The sophomore rushed 16 times for 108 yards, finding the pay dirt three times. Austin Simmons, the redshirt sophomore from South Miami, finally emerged from the shadows of former Rebel Jaxson Dart. They play at Kentucky this weekend in their first SEC game of the season.
7. Oklahoma
Quarterback John Mateer was the highlight of Oklahoma’s 35-3 victory over Illinois State, throwing for 392 yards and 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Keontez Lewis was also a standout, hauling in 9 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns.
All eyes are on Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for this Saturday night’s matchup against the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (1-0). With a win, fourth-year head coach Brent Venables and his team can prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the SEC and climb up the AP rankings.
8. Tennessee
The Volunteers lit up the scoreboard at the Aflac kickoff game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. They dismantled a Syracuse team that ended last season on a hot streak, and Joey Aguilar, the senior quarterback, did exactly what he had to do.
The senior transfer from UCLA threw for 247 yards on 16 completions, with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. He takes over the team from Nico Iamaleava, who left Tennessee after he was supposedly upset with his NIL compensation. Tennessee takes on East Tennessee State this weekend before facing our top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs under the Neyland Lights the week following.
9. Texas A&M
To the excitement of a packed Kyle Field, Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed shined with four passing touchdowns in Texas A&M’s 42-24 victory over UTSA. Sophomore wide receiver Mario Craver hauled in the bulk of the receptions, with 8 catches for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite 22 rushing attempts, no Aggies running back separated himself, as Reed led the team in rushing yards.
The defense showed signs of weakness as the group failed to hold a lackluster Roadrunner offense scoreless in any quarter. The Aggies host Utah State this weekend, where they will look to build momentum before a big matchup against No. 9 Notre Dame (0-1) the following Saturday.
10. Alabama
The seat is now blistering hot for Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide were dominated on both sides of the ball during their 31-17 loss to an unranked Florida State team. The Seminoles, who lost 10 games last year, outgained the Crimson Tide by 143 yards on the ground.
The effort, speed and general toughness from their Saban-led days of dominating college football have disappeared completely. The Tide face UL Monroe next week in what should be an easier bounce-back game.
11. Auburn
Auburn focused on its run game and came away with a comfortable 38-24 win against Baylor on the road. Quarterback Jackson Arnold led the team with 137 rushing yards and added in 2 rushing touchdowns. While Auburn’s offense played efficiently, the defense looked inconsistent. The Tigers’ secondary allowed Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson to pass for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Before it gets into SEC play, Auburn has two easier nonconference matchups against Ball State and Southern Alabama. Ultimately, its road games against No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 19 Texas A&M will be the real tests for head coach Hugh Freeze’s team.
12. Missouri
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers did not struggle with the Central Arkansas Bears. The Tigers won 61-6, a score last seen in college football in Baylor’s 2019 domination over Kansas.
Drew Allar’s 2024 backup at Penn State, Beau Pribula, transferred to Missouri to fill the hole left from Brady Cook’s departure to the NFL. He only threw 5 incompletions on Saturday as he amassed 348 all-purpose yards with 4 total touchdowns. Sophomore transfer running back Ahmad Hardy looks poised to lead a strong rushing attack this year as he rushed for 100 yards on 10 carries. As the Tigers hope to maintain their momentum from prior seasons, the strong performance in Week 1 is a positive sign.
13. Vanderbilt
Charleston Southern kicker Zach Gordon nailed a 38-yard field goal in the final 10 seconds of the game. However, this is no extraordinary buzzer-beater. The scoreboard read 45-3, and the Commodores had dominated for four straight quarters.
In the blowout win, graduate senior quarterback Diego Pavia was efficient in the air, completing 20 out of 25 passes for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the ground, Vanderbilt ran the ball 31 times for a total of 201 yards and 3 touchdowns. While it handled Charleston Southern comfortably, the competition will ramp up heavily in the weeks ahead. Saturday night, the Commodores face a strong Virginia Tech (0-1) squad fresh off a 24-11 loss against No. 10 South Carolina (1-0).
14. Arkansas
The pressure on head coach Sam Pittman and his Razorbacks is sky high. Their 2024 season had its ups and downs, but with a talented returning quarterback in Taylen Green and Pittman’s trademark strong offensive line, the Arkansas faithful will hope this year brings more excitement.
A 52-7 win over Alabama A&M doesn’t tell the nation much about this Arkansas team, but the Razorbacks will have big matchups down the line against No. 20 Ole Miss and No. 9 Notre Dame before September ends.
15. Mississippi State
Mississippi State kicked it into high gear in the second half against Southern Mississippi, cruising to a 34-17 victory. The third quarter was a fantastic display of efficiency from the Bulldogs, where they scored three touchdowns on three drives.
Senior Quarterback Blake Shapen looked solid, passing for 270 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Senior safety Brylan Lanier intercepted Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton in the third quarter. This Saturday, Mississippi State hosts No. 12 Arizona State (1-0) in what could prove to be a tough matchup for the Bulldogs.
16. Kentucky
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops and his Wildcats started off the season with an ugly win against Toledo on Saturday. Senior defensive back JQ Hardaway led the Kentucky defense through a solid performance, holding Toledo to 16 points.
Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada and his passing offense proved to be a different story. The senior completed less than half of his passes for a measly 85 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception. Calzada also struggled with accuracy, missing on a couple of quality looks down the field. In order for the Wildcats to stay competitive against their gauntlet of an SEC schedule, their passing game must improve in the weeks ahead.
