TAMPA,Fla. (WTVY) – Thursday marks the fourth and final day of SEC Media Days.<\/p>\n
Over the past four days, all 16 programs have taken the main stage \u2014 setting expectations, introducing new coaches, and laying out the storylines that will define the 2026 college football season. The themes have been consistent: championship hunger, roster rebuilds, and the belief that games in this league are won in the trenches.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s where each program stands heading out of Tampa.<\/p>\n
Georgia: Chasing a Three-Peat<\/p>\n
The Georgia Bulldogs arrive in 2026 with one goal in mind \u2014 a third consecutive SEC title and a return to the College Football Playoff National Championship.<\/p>\n
Kirby Smart\u2019s program has been the standard of the conference in recent years, and the Bulldogs made clear in Tampa they have no intention of slowing down.<\/p>\n
Auburn: A New Era on the Plains<\/p>\n
For Auburn, 2026 represents a fresh start under head coach Alex Golesh \u2014 and a program hungry for its first winning season since 2019.<\/p>\n
Golesh has been methodical in his rebuild, emphasizing the trenches, a run-first identity, and a culture built around quarterback Byrum Brown. The Tigers also have a local name to watch \u2014 Enterprise\u2019s Eric Winters, who was the highest-graded run defender in the SEC as a freshman last season.<\/p>\n
Alabama: Proving the Standard<\/p>\n
The Crimson Tide left Tampa with a clear message \u2014 they are ready to go out and prove they are the standard again.<\/p>\n
Head coach Kalen DeBoer enters Year Three with an open quarterback competition between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, a revamped offensive line, and a secondary that is viewed as the team\u2019s biggest strength. Dothan native Adam Watford is also competing for the punter job after transferring from the University of North Alabama.<\/p>\n
Florida: New Energy, New Expectations<\/p>\n
The Florida Gators come in with nearly an entirely new roster under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall \u2014 but plenty of dynamic talent.<\/p>\n
Sumrall came from Tulane and Troy, who averaged 10 wins per season at Troy and Tulane, is focused on changing the energy and expectations in Gainesville after a 4-8 season. Running back Jadan Baugh \u2014 who rushed for more than 1,100 yards and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2025 \u2014 is the centerpiece of the offense.<\/p>\n
The Final Four: Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas, and LSU<\/p>\n
The final round of teams hit the podium Wednesday, capping off a week full of bold predictions and big personalities.<\/p>\n
Perhaps no storyline generated more buzz than Lane Kiffin \u2014 who spent years at Ole Miss before taking the LSU job in November. It\u2019s his first time representing the Tigers on the SEC Media Days stage, and the topic of his departure from Oxford has followed him to Tampa.<\/p>\n
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding \u2014 who replaced Kiffin in Oxford \u2014 addressed the elephant in the room, comparing the situation to a breakup. But he was quick to redirect the focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s always going to be there a little bit, which is fun to a certain degree,\u201d Golding said. \u201cBut the thing about this league \u2014 your focus better be on LSU. It better be on LSU week three. And if your focus isn\u2019t in on a Kentucky at home and you lose the game, or you go to the playoffs focusing on a Florida on the road when you\u2019re number five in the country and you lose \u2014 you\u2019ve got to put your focus week in and week out in this league. Which is what I love about this league.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first official SEC games of the 2026 season kick off on September 19, 2026 \u2014 highlighted by two marquee matchups:<\/p>\n
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