SEC Media Days officially kicked off this week, signaling what every college football fan has been waiting months to hear: football season is almost here.
The headlines coming out of Tampa, Florida have been predictable. Greg Sankey’s concerns about the College Football Playoff selection process, the SEC’s new nine-game conference schedule, Texas entering the year as the preseason favorite, and Georgia looking to defend its place atop the conference.
Those storylines deserve attention, but they’re far from the only ones that will shape the 2026 season.
CBS Sports football analyst and Football Gameplan founder Emory Hunt joined Game Runs Deep this week to preview not just the SEC, but every level of college football, from Group of Six contenders to HBCU programs and FCS national title hopefuls. His biggest takeaway? Some of the most interesting teams in the country aren’t playing in the SEC or Big Ten.
The SEC enters a new era
The biggest change facing the SEC this season isn’t a new quarterback or a coaching hire, it’s the schedule.
Beginning this fall, every SEC team will play nine conference games while continuing to schedule at least one Power Four non-conference opponent. The move creates arguably the toughest weekly grind in college football, but it also raises new questions about how the College Football Playoff committee will evaluate SEC resumes..
Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz says SEC coaches already regret moving to a nine-game conference schedule. He says Lane Kiffin has long been in front saying a move from eight games would be an issue.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) July 20, 2026
Drinkwitz points to Big Ten not required to play A4 non-conference opponent.
Commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged those concerns during SEC Media Days, saying the conference still has questions about whether the committee fully understands the value of strength of schedule. Hunt, however, believes the SEC shouldn’t shy away from the challenge.
If the conference truly believes it’s the best in college football, he argues, the additional game should only strengthen its playoff case.
Georgia remains the standard, but don’t overlook the challengers
Texas may be the preseason favorite in many national polls, but Hunt still views Georgia as the team everyone else must beat.
Kirby Smart’s culture, physicality and consistency continue to separate the Bulldogs from the rest of the conference, even as roster turnover becomes more common in the NIL era. Still, Hunt believes the SEC’s most intriguing story could come from outside the traditional contenders.
Programs like Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas have the potential to outperform expectations, while Florida enters the season with renewed optimism under Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. Every SEC season produces a surprise contender. Hunt believes 2026 won’t be any different.
The Group of Six race may be college football’s most competitive battle
While much of the country debates whether Texas or Georgia will win the SEC, Hunt believes another race deserves far more attention.
The battle for the Group of Six’s automatic College Football Playoff berth. San Diego State headlines his list of teams capable of making a national run, thanks to returning production on offense and a favorable schedule. Louisiana and James Madison remain perennial contenders in the Sun Belt, while Western Michigan is another program Hunt believes could surprise people this fall.
During MWC media days, Dan Mullen explained to @cofieldandco why #UNLVFB should be one of the REAL Group of 6 favorites to make the CFP.
— COFIELD (@stevecofield) July 20, 2026
AAC football media days come later this week. We'll hear from other G6 CFP contenders like Navy, UTSA and Memphis. pic.twitter.com/ONv34yriAX
The American Athletic Conference continues to set the standard among the Group of Six leagues, but the Mountain West and Sun Belt are loaded with teams capable of earning playoff consideration. In Hunt’s eyes, the Group of Six landscape has never been deeper.
HBCU football continues to produce elite programs
One of Hunt’s greatest strengths as an analyst is his experience covering every level of the sport. That includes HBCU football, where Jackson State and South Carolina State once again enter the season among the favorites.
Hunt also pointed to Southern under Marshall Faulk as one of the most intriguing storylines in the SWAC, while praising the continued growth of programs across both the SWAC and MEAC.
The talent level, he noted, continues to rise, and many HBCU programs are producing players capable of reaching the NFL.
FCS football remains as strong as ever
Montana State enters the season as Hunt’s favorite to defend its FCS national championship, but as always, the Missouri Valley Football Conference figures to be one of the toughest leagues in the subdivision.
North Dakota State’s move to the Mountain West also creates one of the season’s most fascinating experiments, as one of the most successful FCS programs in history makes the jump to the FBS level. For Hunt, it’s another reminder that great football exists well beyond the Power Four.
