SEC Faces Rough Start to 2025 Season After Week 1 Setbacks

ATLANTA, Aug. 30, 2025 - The Southeastern Conference (SEC) opened its 2025 college football campaign on a sour note, as two of its marquee programs suffered surprising losses on Saturday.

Alabama, a 14-point favorite, fell 41-27 to Florida State in Tallahassee, squandering an early lead as the Seminoles erupted for 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. The Crimson Tide managed to narrow the deficit in the fourth quarter but never fully recovered, marking their first season-opening defeat since 2018.

Meanwhile, Texas, coming off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance last year and ranked among the preseason top 10, was upset on the road by an unranked non-conference opponent. Despite outgaining their foe in total yardage, the Longhorns committed three turnovers and missed two field-goal attempts, sealing a demoralizing 28-24 loss.

The SEC, long proud of its depth and dominance on the national stage, now enters Week 2 with an 0-2 record among its highest-profile teams. Conference analysts point to early-season miscues-turnovers, special-teams breakdowns and inconsistent quarterback play-as culprits in this unexpected stumble.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged the slow start in a statement: “Week 1 always brings its share of surprises, but our conference will respond. These teams have the talent and coaching to rebound quickly.”

Key Week 2 SEC matchups include No. 5 Georgia hosting Marshall, No. 3 LSU at Clemson and No. 8 Alabama A&M visiting Arkansas. All eyes will be on Alabama and Texas as both seek swift redemption against more familiar conference foes in the coming weekend.