Faculty Soccer Playoff predictions: SEC contenders hold colliding

Published On: September 27, 2026

Up to date Sept. 27, 2026, 1:56 p.m. ET

The risk has all the time been there with the SEC, simply in case issues don’t work out how they need to.

Take your ball and go residence, and have your individual SEC playoff.

Effectively, boys, you’ve bought it proper now; It’s referred to as the common season — and it’s probably the most undervalued tv property on the planet.

Each week, each sport funneling right into a 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff which will as properly be shrinking by the week for the SEC.

“It’s on to subsequent week, it’s what you do in our convention,” says Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.

Texas and Georgia are the elite, for now. They’re on prime of this week’s USA TODAY Sports activities Playoff Predictor, however for the way lengthy?

Alabama and Florida are surging, and LSU and Ole Miss aren’t going anyplace. In the meantime, there’s Mississippi State with probably the most thrilling participant within the league (Kamario Taylor) this aspect of Trinidad Chambliss.

Alabama, taking part in its greatest in three seasons below coach Kalen DeBoer, will get to make the brief drive Saturday to the snake pit that’s Starkville, and cope with Taylor and the cow bells.

Austin Simmons nonetheless hasn’t thrown an interception at Missouri (and has 11 TDs), and he and Tigers had been on the brief finish of Taylor’s magic. They get Florida in Columbia on Saturday.

Tennessee had Texas reeling, and couldn’t shut it out. The Vols subsequent get Auburn, which beat beforehand unbeaten Vanderbilt. And on and on it goes, week after week.

A take a look at this week’s Playoff Predictor:

The CFP subject

Texas: You say the Longhorns regarded sloppy, not elite. I say what number of different non-SEC groups are going into Tennessee and successful? Subsequent: Bye.
Georgia: The Dawgs are elite once more defensively, and we’ve seen within the CFP period how devastating that may be. Subsequent: Vanderbilt.
Ohio State: Nonetheless assume the Buckeyes are most likely probably the most full group within the nation, however right here comes a typical Ohio State misstep of a sport. Subsequent: at Iowa.
Miami: This rating is as a lot about QB Darian Mensah as something. Perhaps we get a greater concept of the Canes this week. Subsequent: at Clemson.
Florida: Exhausting to not push the Gators even larger after the dismantling of final week’s No. 1 Ole Miss. They handled adversity, now present us coping with success. Subsequent: at Missouri.
Alabama: The higher first-year beginning QB Keelon Russell performs, the higher Alabama seems. And Russell is taking enormous strides each week. Subsequent: at Mississippi State.
Ole Miss: Is the Florida loss an anomaly, or a development? Rebels put the whole lot into beating LSU, however there’s nonetheless loads of heavy lifting left. Subsequent: Bye.
LSU: Perhaps a formidable bounce again in opposition to determined Texas A&M will reset the season. Tigers are a harmful, gifted group with loads of motivation. Subsequent: McNeese.
Notre Dame: Solely metric we will use with a putrid schedule is widespread opponent. ND eased by Michigan State at residence, middling Nebraska routed the Spartans in East Lansing. Subsequent: at North Carolina.
Indiana: Perhaps now we will lastly neglect about 2025, and deal with 2026. A dogfight with Northwestern in Bloomington isn’t precisely championship materials. Subsequent: at Rutgers.
BYU: Two winnable video games earlier than the largest non-Utah sport of the season at Notre Dame. Let’s see how BYU reacts to first Massive 12 street sport. Subsequent: at TCU.
Boise State: They’ve eradicated two Group of 5 contenders from CFP race (Memphis, Western Michigan), and now it’s time to cope with the brand new Pac-12. Subsequent: Utah State.