"This is a joke" "Vandy with 2 votes": CFB fans lose mind over latest SEC preseason media poll ahead of 2025 season

The SEC media poll for the 2025 season was released on Friday. Voted on by media members, the poll ranked all 16 teams in the conference ahead of the upcoming campaign, drawing reactions from fans online.

Texas, in its first season in the SEC, was picked to win the conference, receiving the most first-place votes, 96. The program was followed by Georgia (44 first-place votes), Alabama (29), and LSU (20). While the top few spots seemed expected, fans on X had a field day with the results of the rest of the poll.

Here’s how the rankings turned out:

1. Texas: 3060 (96)
2. Georgia: 2,957 (44)
3. Alabama: 2,783 (29)
4. LSU: 2,668 (20)
5. South Carolina: 2,109 (5)
6. Florida: 1,986 (2)
7. Ole Miss: 1,979 (1)
8. Texas A&M: 1,892
9. Tennessee: 1,700 (1)
10. Oklahoma: 1,613 (3)
11. Auburn: 1,272 (1)
12. Missouri: 1,170
13. Vanderbilt: 936 (2)
14. Arkansas: 764
15. Kentucky: 512
16. Mississippi State: 343

The most talked-about team was Vanderbilt, which received two first-place votes.

“This is a joke. I don’t even like Missouri, but Vandy and Auburn got first place votes over them?” a fan wrote.

“Vandy with 2 votes?? Haha never change SEC,” one fan said.

“So more people think Vanderbilt will win the SEC than think Ole Miss, Tennessee, or A&M will? And not one person picked the Aggies?😂,” another fan said.

Here are a few more reactions:

“The same media if Georgia wins the SEC, ‘no one doubted Georgia,’” a fan said.

“Who out here giving 1st place votes to Vandy?? They lost to Georgia State last year lmao,” one wrote.

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Why did Texas Longhorns receive the most votes in SEC preseason rankings?

Texas boasts a strong roster ahead of the 2025 campaign. The Longhorns have the most All-SEC players, 13. The program isn’t relying solely on its quarterback, Arch Manning; rather, the team’s strength lies in its defense, wide receivers, and run game, all of which are expected to carry the load.

On defense, Texas is ranked second in the Southeastern Conference, behind Alabama. It also has the highest ESPN FPI rating in the country at 28.5. ESPN projects the Longhorns to win around 10 games and gives them a 34.1% chance to win the conference and an 83.9% chance to make the College Football Playoff.