Week 5 of the college football season was relatively uneventful, with several blowouts and games that lacked offensive excitement. Of course, there were a few exceptions, including Kentucky Football’s thrilling 35-34 overtime victory over South Carolina and Pittsburgh’s 35-33 win over Virginia Tech after the Hokies missed a potential game-winning field goal.
As for the SEC, there were plenty of lopsided results. Many were hoping the undefeated Mississippi State Bulldogs would keep things close against
Alabama, but the Crimson Tide were in control for most of the game, cruising to a 56-23 victory.
Vanderbilt kept things competitive against Georgia in the first half before the Bulldogs pulled away after halftime, winning 38-14.
Missouri delivered one of the biggest surprises of the weekend, clobbering Florida 45-17 at home. Many expected Jon Sumrall and the Gators to take care of business on the road, making the result even more shocking.
Meanwhile, Kentucky staged an incredible comeback to defeat South Carolina in overtime, earning one of the biggest wins of the season for first-year head coach Will Stein.
LSU faced McNeese State in a nonconference matchup, and it was never close, as the Tigers rolled to a 63-14 victory. Tennessee also took care of business against Auburn at home after a slow start and a quarterback change, winning 24-14. Texas A&M picked up a much-needed bounce-back win against a struggling Arkansas team, dominating the Razorbacks 34-7 at home.
Three SEC teams were on bye this week: Texas, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma.
With all of that in mind, let’s get into the rankings.
SEC Football Power Rankings Week 6
No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0, 3-0)
Alabama continues to take care of business, and that is exactly what the Crimson Tide did against an undefeated Mississippi State team on the road.
The Bulldogs tried to keep the game competitive in the first half, trailing 28-17 at the break, but they were no match for Alabama after halftime. The Crimson Tide scored 14 points in each of the final two quarters, cruising to a dominant 56-23 victory.
After a slow start to the season, Alabama has begun to find its rhythm under quarterback Keelon Russell. If the Crimson Tide continue to play at this level, they will be a scary team to face for the rest of the season.
No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0)
Georgia has been dominant throughout the season, although the Bulldogs got off to a slower-than-expected start against Vanderbilt at home.
Georgia led just 21-14 at halftime, allowing the Commodores to remain within striking distance. However, the Bulldogs turned things around in the second half, shutting out Vanderbilt and pulling away for a 38-14 victory.
The win further proves that Georgia is the real deal and will be competing with Alabama and Texas for the SEC title. The Bulldogs have shown they can take care of business, even when they do not start games as strongly as expected.
No. 3 Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)
Texas drops to No. 3 this week after having a bye and not playing a game. The Longhorns still have two impressive victories over Ohio State and Tennessee, but they have also shown that they can be beaten if they are caught slipping.
Despite the drop, Texas remains one of the best teams in the country and has the talent to compete for a championship. The Longhorns will likely remain in the top three of these SEC Power Rankings throughout the season, but the competition in the conference is only going to get tougher.
No. 4 Missouri Tigers (4-1, 1-1)
After suffering a heartbreaking loss to undefeated Mississippi State the previous week on a failed Hail Mary attempt, Missouri bounced back in a big way by stunning the Florida Gators, winning 45-17 at home.
Few people expected the Tigers to dominate Florida, especially considering how well the Gators had been playing under head coach Jon Sumrall. The lopsided result was one of the biggest surprises of the weekend and showed that Missouri can compete with some of the best teams in the conference.
Because of the magnitude of the victory, Missouri makes a significant jump to No. 4 in this week’s rankings.
No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1)
After nearly defeating No. 1 Texas the previous week, Tennessee struggled early against Auburn, trailing 7-3 at halftime in a game where both defenses were stepping up.
However, the Volunteers found their rhythm in the second half and pulled away for a 24-14 victory at home. Tennessee’s defense helped keep Auburn in check, while the offense did enough to secure the win.
The biggest question moving forward is whether Tennessee will stick with Faizon Brandon as its starting quarterback or turn to George MacIntyre, who looked impressive against Auburn. Regardless, the Volunteers have shown they can compete with some of the best teams in the SEC, earning them the No. 5 spot this week.
No. 6 LSU Tigers (4-1, 1-1)
LSU did not face a particularly challenging opponent this week, but the Tigers still took care of business by blowing out McNeese State, 63-14. The week before, LSU also dominated Texas A&M, winning 35-6 and showcasing the potential of its offense under head coach Lane Kiffin.
The Tigers’ only loss came against Ole Miss on the road, where they managed to keep the game competitive. While LSU still has plenty to prove against tougher SEC opponents, its offensive production has been impressive.
For now, No. 6 feels like a reasonable spot for the Tigers as they look to build momentum and make a push toward the top of the conference.
No. 7 Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1)
Florida had been dominant throughout the season but showed little energy against Missouri on the road, suffering a stunning 45-17 loss.
The Gators struggled to get anything going, and the Tigers took full advantage, handing Sumrall his first major setback of the season. Despite the disappointing performance, Florida still has the talent to compete in the SEC.
The Gators will look to rebound next week against a struggling South Carolina team at home. Sumrall will need to get his team back on track, and a strong response could help Florida climb back into the top five of these rankings.
No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1)
Mississippi State entered its matchup against Alabama undefeated, but the Crimson Tide proved to be too much for the Bulldogs, handing them their first loss of the season in a 56-23 blowout.
The result showed that while Mississippi State is a good team, it still has some ground to make up in terms of talent and depth when compared to Alabama. The Bulldogs struggled to keep pace with the Crimson Tide, particularly in the second half.
Fortunately, Mississippi State will have a bye week to regroup before taking on LSU. That matchup will provide another opportunity for the Bulldogs to show where they stand among the SEC’s top teams.
No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats (4-1, 2-1)
Kentucky continues to shock the nation under first-year head coach Will Stein, but the Wildcats still have work to do before they can consistently rank in the top half of the SEC.
Kentucky entered its matchup against South Carolina as a 2.5-point underdog and got off to a disastrous start, falling behind 17-0. However, the Wildcats completely turned things around in the second half, finding their rhythm offensively and making the necessary adjustments to secure an incredible 35-34 overtime victory.
The Wildcats sealed the win with a successful two-point conversion in overtime, completing one of the most memorable comebacks of the season.
Unfortunately for Kentucky, the schedule does not get any easier, as Kiffin and LSU are coming to town. The Wildcats are currently 10.5-point underdogs against the Tigers, according to FanDuel.
If Kentucky can put together a complete performance and build on its comeback win, the Wildcats have a chance to climb into the top half of the SEC Power Rankings in the coming weeks.
And if the Wildcats can stun LSU this week, they’ll make a major leap in next week’s ranking and become a real threat to earn a spot in the SEC Championship.
No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels (3-1, 1-1)
Ole Miss drops two spots this week after a disappointing result the previous week and a bye. Other teams made strong statements over the weekend, allowing them to move ahead of the Rebels in the rankings.
Despite the drop, Ole Miss remains a solid team under Pete Golding in his first full season as head coach. The Rebels still have the talent to compete with many of the top teams in the SEC and could easily work their way back into the top half of the rankings.
If Ole Miss can return from its bye week and put together a dominant performance against Vanderbilt, the Rebels could quickly regain some ground.
No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies (3-2, 1-2)
Texas A&M picked up a much-needed victory against a struggling Arkansas team, dominating the Razorbacks 34-7 at home.
The Aggies had lost their previous two games, falling 31-21 at home to Kentucky before suffering a 35-6 loss on the road to LSU. Those performances raised concerns about the direction of the team, making this week’s bounce-back win especially important.
While Arkansas has struggled this season, Texas A&M needed a convincing performance to regain some confidence. The Aggies will now look to build on this victory and find some consistency as the SEC schedule continues.
No. 12 Auburn Tigers (3-2, 1-2)
Auburn kept things competitive against Tennessee, even having a 7-3 lead at halftime. Both defenses stepped up in a game that featured limited offensive production early, but the Volunteers eventually pulled away for a 24-14 victory.
For Auburn to improve moving forward, the offense needs to find the same spark it showed against Florida, when the Tigers scored 39 points despite falling 44-39.
If Auburn can rediscover that offensive production, it has the potential to become a more competitive team in the SEC. However, the Tigers still have plenty to prove before they can be considered a contender for the top half of the conference.
No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (2-2, 0-1)
Oklahoma remains at No. 13 after having a bye week. The Sooners will now turn their attention to a major matchup against No. 1 Texas at home.
Oklahoma’s offense has struggled to consistently put points on the board throughout the season, making the bye week an important opportunity to regroup and address some of those issues.
However, the Sooners face a difficult challenge against a talented Texas team. Oklahoma will need a much-improved offensive performance if it hopes to pull off the upset.
No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2, 0-2)
Vanderbilt kept things competitive against Georgia, trailing just 21-14 at halftime before the Bulldogs shut out the Commodores in the second half and secured a 38-14 victory.
Vanderbilt has struggled since the departure of Diego Pavia and continues to search for consistency at quarterback. The Commodores went with Blaze Berlowitz against Georgia, while five-star true freshman Jared Curtis was unavailable due to an injury.
Vanderbilt will face another difficult opponent next week when it takes on Ole Miss. The Commodores will also have to see if Curtis is healthy enough to return against the Rebels.
No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (2-3, 0-3)
South Carolina looked to have Kentucky on the ropes after jumping out to a 17-0 lead, but the Wildcats eventually found a way to slow down LaNorris Sellers and the Gamecocks’ offense.
Kentucky also found its rhythm offensively in the second half, completing an incredible comeback before securing a 35-34 overtime victory with a successful two-point conversion.
The loss is another disappointing result for South Carolina, which continues to struggle in SEC play. There are now questions surrounding head coach Shane Beamer and whether his time in Columbia could be coming to an end after the season.
The Gamecocks will look to get back on track next week when they travel to face Florida. The Gators are coming off a blowout loss to Missouri and will be eager to respond, making this another challenging matchup for South Carolina. If the Gamecocks do not improve, they could be in for another difficult afternoon.
No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-3, 0-2)
At this point, Arkansas comes in as the worst team in the SEC after another disappointing performance, scoring just one touchdown in a 34-7 loss to Texas A&M.
The Razorbacks have struggled to find consistency on both sides of the ball and have not shown enough to suggest that a turnaround is imminent. Even against an Aggies team that had been struggling, Arkansas was unable to make the game competitive.
Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, their schedule does not get any easier, as Tennessee is coming to town next week. Arkansas will need a significant improvement on offense and defense if it hopes to earn another SEC victory.
