ESPN’s updated SP+ rankings (subscription required) have the Georgia Bulldogs as the No. 1 team in the country. The SP+ rankings really likes the SEC. In fact, nine of the top 15 teams in the country hail from the SEC including five teams in the top 10.
The Big Ten has the other two teams in the top five in No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Oregon. Overall, the Big Ten has four teams in the top seven, but the conference falls off significantly from there.
SP+ thinks that one of the more overlooked teams in the SEC is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Not many folks are predicting Alabama to win the SEC or to even advance to the SEC championship, but the Crimson Tide are considered the second-best team in the conference.
SP+ like the balance that Georgia and Alabama have. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are the only two teams in the country to have top 10 units on offense, defense and special teams.
SP+ is bullish on the LSU Tigers’ offense. It rates the Tigers’ offense as the second-best unit in the country and as the best in the SEC.
| SEC Rank | Team | Overall | Offense | Defense | Special Teams |
| 1 | Georgia | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | Alabama | 4 | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| 3 | Texas | 5 | 4 | 12 | 17 |
| 4 | Ole Miss | 8 | 6 | 16 | 26 |
| 5 | LSU | 10 | 2 | 38 | 83 |
| 6 | Missouri | 11 | 8 | 19 | 45 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 13 | 17 | 13 | 95 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 14 | 11 | 24 | 73 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 15 | 14 | 20 | 52 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 22 | 28 | 31 | 39 |
| 11 | Florida | 23 | 18 | 41 | 9 |
| 12 | Auburn | 25 | 38 | 25 | 27 |
| 13 | South Carolina | 35 | 59 | 30 | 12 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 44 | 39 | 53 | 6 |
| 15 | Mississippi State | 55 | 67 | 52 | 50 |
| 16 | Vanderbilt | 89 | 68 | 104 | 72 |
