It’s hard to remember the last time the SEC wasn’t considered the cream of the crop. The conference has produced 13 of the past 17 national champions, after all.
I think most would say 2023 hasn’t looked as intimidating as usual down south. But the extent to which ESPN FPI thinks the SEC is having a down year may surprise you.
After Alabama defeated Arkansas by just three points on Saturday and Georgia let Vanderbilt hang within 10 in the second half, both teams tumbled outside the model’s top five in the rankings.
In fact, FPI thinks the top-ranked Bulldogs have the highest chance to make the playoffs in the conference, but at just 30.6%, they have just the seventh-best odds in the country.
Read below to see what the ESPN formula thinks about the rest of the conference.
| Team | Record (Conference) | FPI (National Rank) | Win Division % | Win Conference % | Make Playoff % |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | 6-1 (4-0) | 23.1 (7th) | 76.9% | 42.5% | 24.8% |
| Georgia Bulldogs | 7-0 (4-0) | 22.6 (8th) | 82.0% | 42.1% | 30.6% |
| LSU Tigers | 5-2 (4-1) | 18.8 (11th) | 19.0% | 8.4% | 2.3% |
| Ole Miss Rebels | 5-1 (2-1) | 18.1 (12th) | 3.6% | 1.7% | 3.3% |
| Tennessee Volunteers | 5-1 (2-1) | 15.5 (16th) | 10.8% | 3.8% | 1.2% |
| Texas A&M Aggies | 4-3 (2-2) | 15.4 (17th) | 0.6% | 0.2% | — |
| Missouri Tigers | 6-1 (2-1) | 8.8 (27th) | 4.0% | 0.8% | 0.1% |
| Arkansas Razorbacks | 2-5 (0-4) | 8.3 (31st) | — | — | — |
| Florida Gators | 5-2 (3-1) | 7.3 (35th) | 3.2% | 0.5% | — |
| Auburn Tigers | 3-3 (0-3) | 6.8 (37th) | — | — | — |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | 2-4 (1-3) | 6.5 (38th) | — | — | — |
| Kentucky Wildcats | 5-2 (2-2) | 4.7 (43rd) | 0.1% | — | — |
| Mississippi State Bulldogs | 3-3 (0-3) | 3.4 (48th) | — | — | — |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | 2-6 (0-4) | -7.8 (101st) | — | — | — |