By Chris Marler
I say this every week, but it holds true every Sunday when I write these Power Rankings. What a wild week in the SEC and college football.
We watched South Carolina and Missouri play in one of the year’s best games. We watched Georgia fight back into playoff contention with a 14-point win over Tennessee. And we watched Florida snap a five-game losing streak to LSU with a 27-16 victory in The Swamp.
I feel like I have written and subsequently broken the rules and parameters of these weekly power rankings each week. So why not do it again? This week’s power rankings are solely based on the teams that I think would win in a head-to-head matchup, in that order. Here we go.
1. Ole Miss
I don’t care what the AP Poll says. They may have ranked the Rebels behind Georgia like they forgot what happened in Oxford last week, but I didn’t. The last time I saw Ole Miss play, I was left with the feeling that no one else in the conference could beat the Rebels when they looked like they did against Georgia.
2. South Carolina
Argue with a wall. The team is more flawed than a BMI chart at the doctor’s. What? I’m not projecting. I’m fine. I’m totally fine. That chart is stupid.
Anyway, South Carolina has three losses. However, Ole Miss is only team out of those three that I think they would still lose to if the game was played today. LaNorris Sellers has 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions in his last five games, and the Gamecocks have won four straight. They only have a 12 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff, but I promise very few teams in America want to play Shane Beamer and company right now.
3. Alabama
They left their game against Mercer with no injuries, which was the biggest win for the Crimson Tide this week. They are 8-2, a shoo-in for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff if they can win out. They have games against Oklahoma and Auburn, and anything could happen, especially in the Iron Bowl. However, Oklahoma has allowed 32 sacks in six SEC games, and Auburn has the second most turnovers of any Power Four team in America. Focus on two more games and you’re in.
4. Georgia
I wrote an article Saturday evening for the site titled, “Hear me out: Nothing is wrong with Georgia.” It’s been 24 hours since I penned that, and I stand by it even more. Georgia is still Georgia, as they showed the country Saturday night against Tennessee. They have just played an absolute gauntlet of a schedule this season. The most dangerous thing that can happen to everyone else in the country is this Georgia team wins out (which they will) and then gets three weeks to rest and get healthy before a home game to start a playoff run. Yikes.
5. Texas
Hot take. I don’t think Texas is that good. Gasp!
I’m sure I’ll regret saying this considering their defense seems to be elite, they have weapons everywhere on offense, and they are currently the highest-ranked team in the conference. However, I don’t believe in this team as much as everyone else.
Texas has two wins all season against teams with winning records. Two. Those wins were against Colorado State (7-3) and Vanderbilt (6-4). I think Vanderbilt is a solid football team this season, but that being your best win in a season where you’re expected to compete for a national championship is not that impressive. Not yet, at least.
6. Tennessee
Tennessee struggled to move the ball consistently against Georgia after starting the game with a 10-0 lead. This felt like Tennessee’s best chance to beat Kirby Smart, but the Volunteers lost for the eighth-straight year to Georgia. I still believe in this team, and it’s mainly because of the defense. They allowed Carson Beck to rack up nearly 380 yards of offense, and the Georgia offense put up a season-high 31 points. But, they are the only team to score over 20 points on Tennessee all year.
7. Texas A&M
As of right now, Texas A&M has zero wins over currently ranked teams. Also, both of their losses are against actual ranked opponents, including a 24-point blowout loss to South Carolina. The Aggies had a big win Saturday, but why are we still throwing the ball up 30 points on New Mexico State with two minutes left? I don’t love that. Texas A&M still has everything in front of them with Texas coming to College Station in a few weeks. We’ll see how it goes for the cult when that rolls around.
8. Missouri (with Brady Cook)
This pick deserves a caveat: if Brady Cook is healthy. I think they deserve this spot if Cook is 80 percent healthy. Missouri is talented enough to compete with almost any team in the league, when helathy. The issue is that their loss to South Carolina was arguably their most impressive game of the season. And again, it ended in a loss. The Tigers have two very winnable games left on the schedule, and they could get to double-digit wins if they can win a bowl game.
9. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt enjoyed a bye week during which they didn’t play anyone and their starting quarterback didn’t sue anyone. I had no clue what the bar we’d set for bye weeks would be when the season started, but here we are.
10. Florida
Man, it is hard not to pull for Billy Napier. Keeping the ship from sinking in Gainesville while still being able to keep a bunch of 18-to-22-year-olds bought in has been one of the more refreshing stories in college football this season. Good for Billy.
11. LSU
What the hell happened? I have read and re-read the numbers from the box score repeatedly since the final whistle blew on Saturday, and they make even less sense than before. LSU allowed more sacks against Florida (seven) than they allowed all season (six). The Tigers ran 92 plays, the second most in a single game over the last four years, and they still only mustered 16 points. I just don’t get it.
I still believe Brian Kelly is the right guy. I believe in the foundation he’s building with the defensive coaching staff, the 2025 recruiting class, and the potential that could come with the in-state talent in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
But, I’m also the same guy who wanted lyrics from a Ryan Cabrera song tattooed on my body when I was 18. So, I’m an idiot.
The Bottom Five
12. Arkansas
13. Auburn
14. Oklahoma
15. Kentucky
16. Mississippi State
