SEC standings, explained: Updated 2025 tiebreakers for Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas

The SEC enters Week 12 with seven teams squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt.

No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama are still unbeaten in conference play, and the Crimson Tide have a non-conference loss. No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Ole Miss each have one loss. No. 10 Texas, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 14 Vanderbilt all have two losses. 

That all spills into Separation Saturday – which features two matchups that will clear up the SEC picture. The Crimson Tide host the Sooners at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the Longhorns face the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of last year's SEC championship game. 

Here is a breakdown of the SEC race, with standings, tiebreakers, paths to the championship game and a look at the cumulative conference winning percentage for each of those contenders:

MORE TIEBREAKERS: ACC | Big 12

SEC football standings 2025

The SEC has seven teams with two conference losses or less heading into Week 12. Five of those teams have one loss or less and are the best bets for the SEC championship game. Here is a look at those standings:                                             

SEC tiebreaker rules for 2025 season 

The SEC will use six potential tie-breakers for the 2025 season in this order until the tie is broken: 

Step 1: Head-to-head competition: This is the easiest tie-beaker. Did Team A beat Team B? 

Step 2: Record vs. All common conference opponents.

Step 3: Record against highest (best) placed common conference opponent in the conference standings, and proceeding through the conference standings among tied teams. 

Step 4: Cumulative conference winning percentages of all conference opponents among tied teams. 

Step 5: Capped relative total scoring margin vs. All conference opponents among the tied teams. 

Step 6: Random draw.

MORE: College Football Playoff forecast after Week 11

SEC contenders path to the championship game 

Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0) 

Remaining schedule: vs. South Carolina, vs. Samford, at Texas 

The Aggies control their own destiny, but a loss to either South Carolina or Texas would put their SEC championship game hopes in serious jeopardy because of cumulative conference winning percentage. Texas A&M has the worst cumulative conference winning percentage among the SEC contenders, and they did not play Alabama, Georgia or Ole Miss in the regular season. 

Alabama (8-1, 6-0) 

Remaining schedule: vs. Oklahoma, vs. Eastern Illinois, at Auburn 

The Crimson Tide control their own destiny and can eliminate Oklahoma from SEC contention Saturday. The Crimson Tide have a head-to-head victory against Georgia, which would be key if Alabama were to lose one of its final two SEC games against Oklahoma or Auburn. Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss all have comparable cumulative conference winning percentages and no common opponent, so a three-way tie for second place would be close if it comes to that. 

MORE: CFP releases second set of rankings after Week 11

Georgia (8-1, 6-1) 

Remaining schedule: vs. Texas, vs. Charlotte, vs. Georgia Tech 

The Bulldogs will be in the clubhouse after Saturday's game against Texas – their final matchup in SEC play. A loss likely would knock the Bulldogs out, but a win would put pressure on Texas A&M to finish unbeaten in conference play. A Texas A&M loss would likely put Georgia in position for a rematch with Alabama in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs have the head-to-head victory against Ole Miss, too.

Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1) 

Remaining schedule: vs. Florida, at Mississippi State 

The Rebels need to win their final two games. Losses by Georgia and Texas A&M or Alabama would create a path to the SEC championship game. The Rebels have a much stronger cumulative conference winning percentage than the Aggies. The only common opponents Texas A&M, Georgia and Mississippi State share are Florida and Mississippi State. 

Texas (7-2, 4-1) 

Remaining schedule: at Georgia, vs. Arkansas, vs. Texas A&M 

Texas would be eliminated from the SEC race with a loss to Georgia if Alabama and Texas A&M win. Victories against Georgia and Texas A&M, however, would put the Longhorns in contention for a second straight SEC championship game appearance. The Longhorns do have the strongest cumulative conference winning percentage, but they also need Ole Miss to lose to Florida so that does not become a common opponent advantage for the Rebels.

Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2) 

Remaining schedule: vs. Kentucky, at Tennessee 

Vanderbilt – a two-loss team on a bye this week – would be eliminated from SEC championship game contention in Week 12 if two teams out of Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia win in Week 12. The Commodores, however, can stay in the CFP mix if they can win their final two games. 

Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2) 

Remaining schedule: at Alabama, vs. Missouri, vs. LSU 

The Sooners need to win out – and that likely would not be enough to get into the SEC championship game. Oklahoma finishes first in a five-way tie for first at 6-2 with Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Texas A&M. A loss to Alabama this weekend would eliminate the Sooners from SEC – and likely CFP – contention. Oklahoma has head-to-head losses against Texas and Ole Miss – but they do have the second-highest cumulative conference winning percentage among the seven teams.

MORE: Picks against the spread for Week 12's Top 25 games 

SEC chaos scenarios 

There is a path where four teams could have at least one loss. Who are those teams? 

• -Texas A&M loses to Texas
• -Alabama loses to Oklahoma or Auburn
• -Ole Miss wins out 

If those three results happen and Georgia beats Texas, then the SEC championship game would be Alabama vs. Georgia. 

If those three results happen and Texas beats Georgia, then the SEC championship game would be Alabama vs. Ole Miss. 

• Texas A&M loses to Texas
• Alabama loses to Oklahoma or Auburn
• Ole Miss loses to either Florida or Mississippi State 

If those three results happen and Georgia beats Texas, then the SEC championship game would be Georgia vs. Texas A&M if the Crimson Tide loses to Auburn OR Georgia vs. Alabama if the Crimson Tide lose to Oklahoma. 

If those three results happen and Texas beats Georgia, then the SEC championship game would be Alabama vs. Texas. 

SEC common opponents tracker for 2025

Here is a look at the common opponents for all the SEC teams with two losses or less: 

Most likely SEC championship game scenario 

There are multiple combinations, and they can be calculated here.

It's a lot of math for what could be an obvious conclusion. Alabama has the easiest path, but that requires a victory against Oklahoma on Saturday and a win in the Iron Bowl, where the Crimson Tide have split their last four trips to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It really comes down to whether Texas can beat either Georgia or Texas A&M. We think the Aggies would be the more likely upset victim in the regular-season finale in Austin.

That would mean Georgia would face Alabama in the SEC championship game, with the head-to-head victory against Ole Miss as a key separator.

Alabama beat Georgia 24-21 on Sept. 27. Would this be the second of three matchups between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs?