ESPN FPI ranks SEC, predicts final record for every team in 2023 college football season

There are few doubts about what the SEC is going to provide when it comes to the college football season. The conference is known to be one of the sport’s most dominant leagues and, based on the latest ratings and projections at ESPN, they’re expecting more of the same down south this fall.

ESPN has released its FPI (Football Power Index) Rankings and, in turn, ranked the Southeastern Conference’s teams ahead of the 2023 season. That includes projected records for all 14 programs for the upcoming year. Still, while they’ll all have their fair share of excitement come August, ESPN is once again anticipating a two-horse race between Alabama and Georgia with a third challenger close behind.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide – FPI: 28.2, Record: 11.1-1.6
2. Georgia Bulldogs – FPI: 27.4, Record: 11.7-1.2
3. LSU Tigers – FPI: 22.1, Record 9.6-2.6
4. Tennessee Volunteers – FPI: 15.2, Record: 8.2-3.9
5. Ole Miss Rebels – FPI: 13.4, Record: 7.6-4.4
6. Florida Gators – FPI: 12.7, Record: 6.8-5.2
7. Texas A&M Aggies – FPI: 12.7, Record: 7.5-4.5
8. Kentucky Wildcats – FPI: 9.7, Record: 7.2-4.9
9. Arkansas Razorbacks – FPI: 9.0, Record: 6.8-5.2
10. Mississippi State Bulldogs – FPI: 7.8, Record: 6.3-5.7
11. Auburn Tigers – FPI: 6.9, Record: 5.8-6.2
12. Missouri Tigers – FPI: 6.4, Record: 6.0-6.0
13. South Carolina Gamecocks – FPI: 5.6, Record: 5.5-6.5
14. Vanderbilt Commodores -FPI: -2.8, Record: 4.0-8.0

There’s no surprise when it comes to a relay in the SEC between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs at this point. They’re two of college football’s premier brands, especially at the moment, as winners of the last three national titles and over half of the banners hung during the playoff era.

As for ESPN’s FPI, they have Alabama second overall nationally with Georgia sitting 0.8 points behind them in third. However, the index has UGA’s projected record sitting closer to 12 wins than ‘Bama. Still, between the two of them, they have the best percentages across the board to win the SEC and to get the conference a pair of potential bids in the College Football Playoff once again.

After those two, LSU sits as the clear third team. The Tigers also finished in the FPI’s top-five at No. 4 overall. The ratings have them just missing double-digit wins. Besides the Tide or ‘Dawgs, though, they’re the most likely alternate within the conference to make the SEC Championship and maybe make noise nationally in the CFP.

Tennessee and Ole Miss rounded out the top-five for the SEC. Both the Volunteers and Rebels finished within the first 16 teams in ESPN’s rankings. Florida, Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Arkansas then followed as they all finished within the Top-30.

At the end of the day, these are only projections for how things could go next fall. They could be spot on or they could be way off. We won’t know until these teams hit the gridiron. Even so, besides what appears to be a decent shot for LSU, ESPN believes everyone will be chasing the two titans in Alabama and Georgia again when it comes to the Southeastern Conferences.