With Week 0 nearly upon us, it's time to lock in our final College Football Playoff predictions for the SEC.  We expect four SEC teams to make the playoff, but which four? That's the conversation on today's episode, as hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams log some final predictions before the season kicks off. Toppmeyer and Adams agree on three SEC teams that'll make the playoff, but they disagree on the fourth. They also disagree on which team will win the SEC Championship, and they debate Heisman Trophy hopefuls from the SEC. Earlier in the episode, they weigh in on the quarterback decisions at Tennessee and Alabama. Also, we reveal some big news about the podcast: SEC Football Unfiltered will become College Football Unfiltered. Toppmeyer will host the new show, which will feature top voices from USA TODAY Sports. If you're subscribed to this show, you'll begin to see College Football Unfiltered episodes appear in this feed, or search College Football Unfiltered wherever you get your podcasts.

Nearly 70 media members voted in the preseason AP Poll. None of them voted for an SEC team as No. 1. What gives? Why are the media out on the SEC?There's probably no conspiracy here, and this is a byproduct of the Big Ten producing three straight national champions. The B1G has reloaded, and Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana sparkle with national championship potential this season.Still, is it not odd that Georgia or Texas did not receive a single first-place vote?On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams break down the AP Poll and debate why the SEC got shut out of first-place votes. Adams makes his case for why Texas should be worthy of a first-place vote, while Toppmeyer outlines a theory as to why nobody voted Texas No. 1.Later in the episode, the hosts debate whether Alabama got snubbed in the AP Poll. The Tide are ranked No. 13, two spots lower than the US LBM Coaches Poll. Toppmeyer argues that the AP ranking might be an overreaction to the Saban dynasty being finished. Finally, Toppmeyer and Adams sound off on Jayden Daniels sending a cease and desist to LSU, his alma mater. Fair, or foul?

If a bipartisan bill becomes federal law, then Congress will limit conferences like the SEC to no more than 19 members, in a bid to prevent mega-conferences. Such a law wouldn't force the SEC to pursue further expansion, but it might spur another round of realignment as conferences race to 19. If the SEC did decide to add three more members, which schools should it consider? That's the subject of debate on today's episode, as hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams each make their case for which three schools would suit SEC expansion. They agree on one school from the ACC to top the SEC's wish list. From there, Adams heads southwest for additional expansion, while Toppmeyer stays on the east coast and builds a case to further solidify the SEC's basketball bona fides. Interestingly, neither host makes a case for the SEC to add either Florida State or Clemson, which profile as good cultural fits, but their football programs are losing ground in this pay-for-play landscape.

The SEC is mired in a national championship drought, but the conference still claims to have unmatched depth. That argument will gain steam after the release of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Nine SEC teams are ranked in the Top 25, more than any other conference. That includes six teams in the top 11. So, were Big Ten coaches in the wrong last week when they took a victory lap at the SEC's expense during the Big Ten's media days? As one Big Ten coach put it, the SEC would like to pretend it's still 2005. Ouch! On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss the Big Ten's chest-thumping and explain why they're OK with it. They also react to the coaches poll and offer a few SEC teams that could be overrated and underrated. Toppmeyer says one Big Ten team in particular got snubbed in the rankings, and Adams reveals who he'd have ranked No. 1. (Hint: It's an SEC team.)

The media must be skeptical of Lane Kiffin's ability to make Year 1 a smashing success at LSU. Also, Auburn is flying under the radar as a sleeper team. That's our reaction here at "SEC Football Unfiltered" to the conference's predicted order of finish that came out last week. LSU ranked No. 5 in the pecking order, and Auburn was No. 12. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams debate the reasons why the media poll is so hesitant toward LSU, and they make the case for Auburn being underrated, too. They also offer a pair of overrated teams. Toppmeyer and Adams disagree on which team is the SEC's frontrunner. Is it Georgia or Texas? Toppmeyer also asks Adams an interesting question: If the Big Ten has three national championship contenders (Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon), does the SEC also have three?

Who are college football's top 25 coaches? USA TODAY recently released its rankings, and, in a bit of a stunning development, Tennessee's Josh Heupel was nearly left off the list entirely. He checked in at No. 24. Hey, don't blame us. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams examine the case for Heupel being the SEC's most underrated coach. Toppmeyer had a ballot in USA TODAY's coach-ranking project. He discloses where he ranked Heupel and explains his surprise that his colleagues view Heupel so differently. He also offers another SEC coach he believes is underrated in the USA TODAY list. Adams agrees with Toppmeyer that Heupel is vastly underrated in this USA TODAY pecking order, but Adams lightly pushes back on where Toppmeyer ranked Lane Kiffin. Adams would've voted Kiffin a little bit higher than his cohost did, but Adams didn't get a vote. Adams tasks Toppmeyer with securing him a ballot for the vote in 2027.

We've got the College Football Playoff all figured out. Well, we'll give it our best guess, anyway. The dog days of summer are the perfect time to cook up our first CFP bracket predictions, but here on "SEC Football Unfiltered," we arrive at our picks a little differently: It's a team effort. Hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams are each responsible for supplying six teams. No overlapping picks. No overriding the other host's choices. Keep going 'til we hit 12 qualifiers. The selections begin in a chalky manner, before Adams sprints to pick a Big 12 qualifier so that Toppmeyer won't pick BYU. The final count looks like this: four playoff qualifiers from the SEC, plus a final Big Ten pick from Adams that makes Toppmeyer come unglued.

Georgia no longer rules college football, but Kirby Smart still lords over his peers within the SEC. Georgia owns back-to-back SEC titles. With Gunner Stockton back, can Georgia make it three straight? The schedule sets up nicely. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams play a round of fact or fiction as they examine eight scenarios within the SEC. Georgia's chance for an SEC three-peat is among their debates. They also examine the playoff case for LSU and Alabama, consider Arch Manning's Heisman Trophy prospects and highlight a first-year coach poised for a breakout season.

Shane Beamer's rump roasts on the hot seat. Even he admits it. South Carolina's coach acknowledged his hot-seat status in a recent interview with the Greenville News. He's not the only SEC coach on the hot seat, although the coaching carousel projects to be quieter this season, after six SEC schools hired a new coach last year. On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams list five SEC coaches on the hot seat. Beamer tops the list, but another coach coming off a losing season isn't far behind. Two coaches at premier SEC jobs claim spots on the hot-seat list, too, despite the fact that they have playoff appearances on their resume. Toppmeyer and Adams also each offer a wild-card contender for the hot seat.

And with the first pick of the "SEC Football Unfiltered" quarterbacks draft ... Yes, it's that time of the offseason. We're going head-to-head drafting SEC quarterbacks in an effort to build the best four-deep collection of QBs. You know the top names. Trinidad Chambliss. Arch Manning. Gunner Stockton. And more. But, who's first off the board? On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams each draft four SEC quarterbacks as they try to outduel the other. Once a player comes off the board, the other host cannot select him. With the first pick, Adams eyes a proven starter with playoff experience. All of Toppmeyer's picks are returning starters in the SEC, while Adams reaches for a couple of transfers, and he twists the knife with his final pick.