Overview
- Miami’s 31-27 Fiesta Bowl semifinal win over Ole Miss sealed the conference’s third consecutive absence from the national title game, its longest such stretch since 2003.
- The SEC captured five of the 12 playoff spots—including an invite for three-loss Alabama—but none of its teams reached the championship game.
- In postseason play, SEC teams went 1-8 against other Power Four opponents and 0-3 in CFP games versus non-SEC P4 foes.
- Analysts link the slide to parity created by NIL and the transfer portal, which they say has dispersed top-tier talent beyond the conference.
- The underperformance intensified criticism of committee deference and media narratives as CFP leaders consider expansion formats and automatic-bid rules.