Speed bumps on the road to 10 wins for every team in the SEC

A healthy DJ Lagway is the key for Florida to get to 10 wins in 2025 (Photo by Chris Spears)

Buckle your seatbelts folks. College football practice begins in a month, the 2025 season in 56 days. If you thought life in the SEC was a teensy bit cannibalistic a year ago, then wait until this season. The league is so tough, so balanced that it’s hard to imagine any team in the league running the table. For the first time in history, the SEC Championship Game might feature two teams each with two or more losses.

A 10-win season will almost certainly get an SEC team in the College Football Playoff. Even 9-3 will be in the hunt. That’s how good the league is. Here is a team-by-team look with the biggest obstacles for each team to get to the elusive 10-win total.

ALABAMA

Head coach: Kalen DeBoer (9-4 in 2024; 110-16 career)

There is winning and there is winning at Alabama. Kalen DeBoer has won everywhere he’s coached, but he’s 9-4 at Alabama. His Bama debut produced the first season with fewer than 10 wins since Nick Saban’s first year on the job way back in 2007. Another 4-loss season will put him squarely on the hot seat.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: The quarterback situation. Ty Simpson, who has thrown 50 passes, none for touchdowns in his career, will be the starter. He could be riding the pine if he craters on the road at Georgia September 27. Freshman Keelon Russell is waiting in the wings.

The call: 9-3 regular season.

ARKANSAS

Head Coach: Sam Pittman (7-6 in 2024, 30-31 career at Arkansas)

Everybody loves Sam Pittman, which is why firing him would be such a painful thing. He staved off walking the plank in 2024 by going 7-6. There are only so many 7-6 seasons all those gozillionaire boosters will tolerate. He’s squarely on the hot seat.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Start with a brutal schedule that includes roadies to Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU and Texas; homers with Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Missouri. Eight new starters on defense, brand new receivers and only two returning starters on the O-line.

The call: 4-8 regular season.

AUBURN

Head coach: Hugh Freeze (5-7 in 2024, 11-14 career at Auburn; 114-61 career)

Hugh has folks asking what the hell were we thinking when we paid Gus Malzahn all that money to go coach somewhere else? Consecutive losing seasons doesn’t get it at Auburn, which constantly lives in the shadow of big brother Alabama, which has won five national championships since Auburn’s last one in 2010. An 8-win season won’t calm the hysteria in the fan base but it will buy him time. A losing season and they’ll can him.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Quarterback Jackson Arnold. He’s a former 5-star recruit who transferred in from Oklahoma where he averaged only 5.8 yards per pass attempt last year. Those back-to-back home games with Georgia (October 11) and Missouri (October 18). Lose both of those and the season is teetering on the brink.

The call: 8-4 regular season.

First team All-America center Jake Slaughter is one reason the Gators could win 9-10 games (Photo by Chris Spears)

FLORIDA

Head coach: Billy Napier (8-5 in 2024, 19-19 career at Florida; 59-31 career)

Billy Napier heads into 2025 with the Southeastern Conference’s longest winning streak (4 games). He finally got the fans off his back with last year’s 8-5 record. This year he has the potential to light up scoreboards with an offense that could prove to be the best in the SEC. QB DJ Lagway will be operating behind an offensive line led by Jake Slaughter that could be one of the three best in the country.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Lagway’s health. Word is the shoulder is just peachy but what if it isn’t? What if he misses games or if the shoulder affects his velocity or touch? If he stays healthy, the Gators could be formidable even with a brutal schedule. Circle roadies at LSU and Miami in early September. An 0-2 start in must win games could signal tough sledding ahead.

The call: 9-3 regular season.

GEORGIA

Head coach: Kirby Smart (11-3, 105-19 career at Georgia)

Kirby has led Georgia to the best 9-year stretch in school history and has more national titles (2) than coaching legends Wally Butts and Vince Dooley. He consistently outrecruits everyone in the SEC so the only obstacle to continued success is the silly notion that he would leave Georgia and $11 million a year for the pros.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Quarterback Gunner Stockton and the lack of a consistent running game. Stockton has one career start under his belt (CFP loss to Notre Dame) and has never proven he can get it done over the course of a season. Georgia has to run the ball better than last year (124 yards per game) or else the offense will stink no matter who the quarterback is. Alabama and Texas are home games.

The call: 10-2 regular season.

KENTUCKY

Head coach: Mark Stoops (4-8 in 2024, 77-73 career at Kentucky)

Stoops is the winningest coach in UK history, but since going 10-3 in 2021, Kentucky is 18-20. Unless he does something unthinkable such as go winless in 2025, he’s in no danger of being fired, but the natives are restless. They miss those exotic bowl trips to places like Nashville and Memphis.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Last year’s offense ranked 114^th nationally. This year’s offense promises to be worse with 7^th-year transfer QB Zach Calzada taking over. Way too many transfers on the roster overall, but especially on defense.

The call: 3-9 regular season.

LSU

Head coach: Brian Kelly (9-4 in 2024, 29-11 career at LSU; 292-107-2 career)

Brian Kelly was hired to win national championships. He’s lost 11 games in three seasons at LSU, seven with the best QB in college football (Jayden Daniels) since Joe Burrow. Another season with three or four losses will not go over well with the fan base but this will only be the fourth season of a 10-year contract that pays $10 million a year.

Biggest obstacles to a 10-win season: Four starters are gone from the offensive line that leaked like a sieve against Florida. QB Garrett Nussmeier still hears the footsteps. Way too many transfers (18) will factor in the rotation on both sides of the ball. The running game (No. 107 nationally a year ago) isn’t going to be much better. Roadie to Clemson and homer with Florida in the first three games.

The call: 8-4 regular season.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Head coach: Jeff Lebby (2-10 in 2024)

You’re defined in life by the decisions you make. Choosing Mississippi State for his first head coaching assignment will go down as a bad decision on the part of Jeff Lebby. He will need an offensive coordinator gig at a really top tier school to rehab his career after another year or two in Starkville.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Where do we begin? The offense was bad last year and will be bad again. The defense (125^th nationally last year) will be worse. There is a 4-game stretch of Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida and Texas.

The call: 3-9 regular season.

MISSOURI

Head coach: Eli Drinkwitz (10-3 in 2024, 38-24 career at Missouri; 50-25 career)

How long will Mizzou be able to hold onto Drinkwitz? He’s winning at a place where winning is very tough and in the toughest conference in America, doing it without a plethora of high profile recruits. He’s got a schedule that’s going to be worth at least nine wins. Someone will be dangling big bucks to lure him away. Count on it.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Drinkwitz loves Penn State transfer QB Beau Pribula but who’s going to catch the football? Luther Burden and Theo Wease are going to be catching balls in the NFL.

The call: 9-3 regular season.

OKLAHOMA

Head coach: Brent Venables (6-7 in 2024, 22-17 career at Oklahoma)

Venables’ buns are warm and toasty after last year’s 6-7 disaster that saw an exodus of players and an influx of transfers. Venables did lure Washington State QB John Mateer. If he’s as good as he was at Wazzoo, the Sooners will be good and Venables will be safe for at least one more year.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: The O-line gave up 50 sacks last year and that was with a running QB. If they can’t block any better than last year, it will neutralize Mateer’s ability to make the offense explosive. The running backs need to remember that it’s not nice to fumble the football. The last six games are brutal.

The call: 7-5 regular season.

OLE MISS

Head coach: Lane Kiffin (10-3 in 2024, 44-18 career at Ole Miss; 105-52 career)

Lane Kiffin has turned Ole Miss into Transfer U. It’s a revolving door but Lane seems to be able to fit the pieces together to make it work. He has 39 wins over the last four seasons, three of which produced 10 or more wins.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Four new starters on the O-line. If they can mesh, then Ole Miss will be top tier offensively in the SEC. The only tough road game is at Georgia, who the Rebels hosed in Oxford last year. QB Austin Simmons has to prove he can get it done over a full season.

The call: 9-3 regular season.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Head coach: Shane Beamer (9-4 in 2024, 29-22 career at South Carolina)

Just when you think South Carolina will have a season in the tank, Shane Beamer wins nine games. He’s a master over-achiever who is going to have to pull rabbits out of the hat this year to make up for heavy losses on the defensive side of the ball. As long as he can have bowl-eligible seasons, he’s got a job at South Carolina.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Three new interior O-linemen will have to play well to protect QB LaNorris Sellers. The Gamecocks lost all but one of their front seven starters. Only one surefire win on the schedule.

The call: 6-6 regular season.

TENNESSEE

Head coach: Josh Heupel (10-3 in 2024, 37-15 career at Tennessee; 65-23 career)

When Nico Iamaleava was asked to leave due to his contract demands Tennessee’s outlook for 2025 nosedived. Now Josh Heupel has to win with App State transfer (via UCLA) Joey Aguilar, who completes a lot of passes to the other team. The fans will give Heupel a mulligan this year.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Aguilar for one thing, an O-line that is replacing four starters is another. Georgia is game three, at Alabama game seven, at Florida game 11.

The call: 8-4 regular season.

TEXAS

Head coach: Steve Sarkisian (13-3 in 2024, 38-17 career at Texas; 84-52 career)

Arch Madness has taken over Austin. This will be Arch Manning’s third year under Steve Sarkisian, which is why the Longhorns will open the season No. 1. Only God has more money than the Longhorns so Sark can spend as much as he needs to get the players he needs to win big.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Four new starters on the O-line and too many unproven wide receivers. Can Manning live up to the hype? Road games at Ohio State, Florida and Georgia.

The call: 10-2 regular season.

TEXAS A&M

Head coach: Mike Elko (8-5 in 2024; 24-14 career)

The Aggies lost four of their last five games so that’s a huge concern for the fan base. This is only the second year for Elko, so he’s not in bad shape to start the 2025 season. Let him lose five games while Texas makes the playoff and the heat will ratchet up. Only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies so Elko should be able to recruit at a very high pace. If he lasts.

Biggest obstacles to 10 or more wins: Somebody has to catch the football or else everyone will load up the box. The Aggies need to figure out how to stop the run. Notre Dame, Florida, LSU and Missouri are on the schedule.

The call: 7-5 regular season.

VANDERBILT

Head coach: Clark Lea (7-6 in 2024, 16-33 career at Vanderbilt)

To Vandy fans, wins are measured like dog years as in one Vandy win is like seven at Alabama. As long as Clark Lea can take the Commodores to a bowl game every four years he will be gainfully employed. Alums who tailgate on chardonnay and grapes don’t have the highest of expectations.

Obstacles to 10 or more wins: If the four new starters on the O-line can’t protect QB Diego Pavia, then the Commodores are in deepest and darkest. There is a 4-game stretch of LSU, Alabama, Missouri and Texas. That alone guarantees the Dores won't win 10.

The call: 6-6 regular season.