Getting the right collection of teams can help guide a manageable path to a conference championship game and even help set up a national championship run.  Then, there's the other side. Some years, seemingly every bad schedule break goes your way and can elevate a coach to the hot seat.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq as Ranking college football teams we're excited to watch in 2025, and why.

Here's a look at where SEC football teams appeared in the preseason AP Top 25 poll for the 2025 college football season.