We are five weeks into the season, and the SEC picture is beginning to clear up.
Georgia, Alabama and Texas have separated themselves from the rest of the conference. After those three, however, it gets messy. Missouri destroyed Florida one week after losing to Mississippi State. Florida owns a convincing win over Ole Miss but was just embarrassed by Missouri. Kentucky won at South Carolina but needed overtime to complete the largest road comeback in program history.
Remember, these are power rankings—not the conference standings and certainly not the AP poll. This is about how each team is playing right now.
- GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Georgia remains my top team in the SEC.
The Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt 38–14 behind another strong performance from Gunnar Stockton, who completed 25 of 32 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
Georgia has won every game by at least 24 points. The Bulldogs remain largely untested, but they have done exactly what an elite team should do against inferior competition.
We will find out much more when Georgia travels to Alabama next weekend.
- ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Alabama went into Starkville and absolutely dismantled Mississippi State, 56–23.
Keelon Russell looked poised, confident and dangerous. The Alabama defense made Kamario Taylor look average after he had spent the first month of the season looking like one of the best young quarterbacks in the country.
The Crimson Tide have now won five straight and may be playing better football than anyone in the conference. They will have an opportunity to take over the top spot when Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa.
- TEXAS LONGHORNS
Texas was off this weekend and remains undefeated.
The Longhorns haven’t always looked dominant, but they own a road victory over Tennessee and remain one of the most complete teams in the country.
Arch Manning continues to improve, and Texas has enough talent on both sides of the ball to win the SEC. The Red River game against Oklahoma is next.
- LSU TIGERS
LSU followed its impressive 35–6 victory over Texas A&M by destroying McNeese, 63–14.
The Tigers are beginning to find their offensive identity, but the jury is still out on how they will perform against the top teams in the conference.
A road game at Kentucky should provide a much better evaluation.
- MISSOURI TIGERS
What a response from Missouri.
One week after losing at Mississippi State, the Tigers turned around and embarrassed Florida, 45–17. Austin Simmons and Jamal Roberts helped Missouri produce more than 550 yards of offense against a Florida team that had looked like a legitimate SEC contender.
Missouri’s loss to Mississippi State keeps the Tigers out of the top four, but Saturday’s performance was one of the most impressive wins of the weekend.
- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Tennessee bounced back from its loss to Texas with a 24–14 victory over Auburn.
It wasn’t spectacular, but the Volunteers did what good teams are supposed to do after a difficult loss. They regained control of their season and avoided allowing one defeat to become two.
Tennessee remains dangerous, but I’m not convinced it belongs with the top three just yet.
- FLORIDA GATORS
Just when I thought Florida had arrived, the Gators went to Missouri and laid an egg.
The same Florida team that dominated Ole Miss was destroyed 45–17 by Missouri. That inconsistency is why the Gators fall this week.
I still believe John Sumrall has Florida moving in the right direction, and Jaden Baugh remains one of the best running backs in the country. But contenders cannot follow a statement victory with a performance like that.
- OLE MISS REBELS
Ole Miss had the weekend off, which probably came at the perfect time following its 52–28 loss to Florida.
Trinidad Chambliss is still one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the conference, but the Rebels have to prove they can handle physical SEC defenses.
A trip to Vanderbilt should give Ole Miss an opportunity to get back on track.
- MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Mississippi State’s rise came to a sudden stop against Alabama.
Kamario Taylor looked very average against the Crimson Tide defense, and the Bulldogs made far too many mistakes defensively. Alabama exposed the difference between being an improving team and being ready to compete with the SEC elite.
The victory over Missouri still carries weight, but a 56–23 home loss cannot be ignored.
- KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Kentucky deserves credit for overcoming a 17-point deficit and beating South Carolina 35–34 in overtime.
Kenny Minchey showed tremendous composure, and Will Stein showed some serious guts by going for two and the win. The Wildcats are 4–1, but they also spent the first quarter getting physically dominated by a struggling South Carolina team.
Kentucky is tough, resilient and well coached. We will discover how good the Wildcats really are when LSU comes to Lexington.
- TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Texas A&M finally stopped the bleeding with a convincing 34–7 victory over Arkansas.
The Aggies desperately needed that performance after consecutive losses. Beating Arkansas doesn’t erase what happened against LSU, but it gives A&M something to build on.
Next week’s trip to Missouri will tell us whether the Aggies have actually improved or simply beat one of the weakest teams in the conference.
- AUBURN TIGERS
Auburn followed its narrow victory over Vanderbilt with a 24–14 loss at Tennessee.
The Tigers are competitive, but competitive isn’t the same thing as good. Auburn lacks consistency offensively and doesn’t create enough explosive plays to beat the better teams in this conference.
Right now, Auburn looks like a middle-of-the-pack team with a limited ceiling.
- OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Oklahoma had the week off after getting annihilated by Georgia.
The Sooners have talent, but they haven’t shown that they can compete physically with the best teams in the conference. The offense has struggled, the quarterback situation remains shaky and the schedule isn’t getting any easier.
Now Oklahoma gets undefeated Texas in the Red River game.
- VANDERBILT COMMODORES
Vanderbilt played Georgia competitively for one half before being shut out after halftime in a 38–14 loss.
The Commodores were without freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, which certainly mattered. They remain a tough, well-coached team, but they have now lost two consecutive conference games.
There is no shame in losing at Georgia. The question is whether Vanderbilt can recover when Ole Miss comes to Nashville.
- ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
Arkansas followed its victory over Tulsa by getting hammered 34–7 at Texas A&M.
The Razorbacks couldn’t generate enough offense and never seriously threatened the Aggies. Any momentum they created the previous week disappeared quickly.
Arkansas is running out of opportunities to prove it belongs anywhere other than the bottom of the conference.
- SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
There is nowhere else to put them.
South Carolina led Kentucky 17–0 at home and still found a way to lose, 35–34 in overtime. The Gamecocks blew the original lead, regained it twice and surrendered it twice more.
They are now 2–3 overall, 0–3 in the SEC and have lost eight consecutive conference games.
This team has talent. What it does not have is discipline, consistency or the ability to finish.
Until South Carolina proves otherwise, it is the worst team in the SEC.
