Big Ten has three national championship contenders. Can SEC match that?
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Depth is the buzzword in the SEC. You’ve heard it ad nauseam this offseason, as everyone from Greg Sankey to Nick Saban attempt to paper over the SEC’s three-year absence from the national championship game.
In the Big Ten, the league is free to trumpet championships, with three straight titles supplied by three different teams.
But, let's combine those two thoughts: Depth and championships.
Which conference has a greater depth of national championship contenders for the 2026 season?
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On this edition of “SEC Football Unfiltered,” a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate that question and try to earmark the title contenders from the two super conferences.
Does Big Ten have more national title contenders than SEC?
Toppmeyer: Let’s start by establishing the Big Ten’s number of national championship contenders. There are three: Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon. The Hoosiers remain stacked, especially on defense. Oregon is headlined by quarterback Dante Moore, projected as a lofty NFL Draft pick in 2027, and a defensive line that’s second to none. Heisman hopefuls are scattered throughout OSU’s offense.
So, does the SEC have three national title contenders? I’m not talking playoff contenders. The SEC has plenty of those. But, does its depth of true national title contenders go three-deep?
That question boils down to whether you view LSU as a national championship contender in Lane Kiffin’s first season. If so, then the SEC touts three contenders, because Texas and Georgia are on the contender list. Texas’ roster is as talented as any, and the winning combination of Kirby Smart plus Gunner Stockton starts Georgia’s case. Plus, a favorable schedule could help Georgia go into the playoff in good shape.
LSU profiles as more of a longshot. Kiffin plundered the portal well, but will he put it all together neatly in Year 1, especially with quarterback Sam Leavitt coming off a foot injury?
So, does the SEC have three national title contenders? I’d put it at 2½.
Adams: Texas headlines my list of national title contenders from the SEC. The Longhorns didn’t live up to the hype last year, but they upgraded at certain positions, and Arch Manning will benefit from his year of experience. Maybe, the Longhorns were just a year away in 2025.
LSU claims a spot on my list of contenders, too. Kiffin proved at Mississippi he can blend a roster of transfers into a premier team, and his offseason transfer haul at LSU was top tier.
What about Georgia? That’s my hangup. I don’t think Georgia is armed with the wide receivers required to win it all. On the other hand, if you’ve got a quarterback and a coach like Stockton and Smart, I’m not ready to totally omit you from the race.
So, yes, call it 2½ national title contenders from the SEC.
Also on this episode
∎ The hosts highlight their underrated and overrated teams from the SEC’s predicted order of finish, and they also discuss whether the dialogue at SEC media days changed their perception of any team.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. John Adams is the senior sports columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Subscribe to the SEC Football Unfiltered podcast, and check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Big Ten has three national championship contenders. Can SEC match that?
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