Four weeks into the 2026 college football season, the SEC has become a conference of surprises
The first month has already seen the conference landscape shift, with several programs hoping to contend already stumbling out of the picture and others who were not expected to be in the postseason picture emerging as legitimate threats.
Week 4 only added to that chaos.
Florida made the biggest statement this weekend, taking down Ole Miss in The Swamp and showing that the Fighting Gators are officially back.
A few teams that lost in the conference last weekend found a way to bounce back this week to show they can fall and get back up.
With four weeks of results now in the books, here's where all 16 SEC teams stand in our latest Gators Wire power rankings.
1. Texas Longhorns
- Record: 4-0 (1-0 SEC)
- Result: 20-17 victory over Tennessee Volunteers
- Up Next: BYE
Texas remains our top team in the SEC power rankings. They are one of the SEC's premier contenders and just survived a 20-17 battle against ranked opponent Tennessee to remain undefeated. The Longhorns have built an impressive resume so far, taking down two ranked opponents and showing they can win in different ways, and their latest victory adds another valuable conference win.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
- Record: 4-0 (2-0 SEC)
- Result: 41-13 victory over Oklahoma Sooners
- Up Next: Vanderbilt Commodores
Georgia remains No. 2 in our SEC power rankings after dominating Oklahoma 41-13 in a statement victory. The Bulldogs controlled the game on both sides of the ball, improving to 2-0 in conference play and continuing their push toward another College Football Playoff appearance.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
- 2025 Record: 4-0 (2-0 SEC)
- Result: 49-18 victory over South Carolina Gamecocks
- Up Next: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Alabama jumps to No. 3 in our SEC power rankings. The Crimson Tide continues to build momentum under Kalen DeBoer this season, cruising past South Carolina 49-18 to remain undefeated. With Keelon Russell finding his footing, they are beginning to establish themselves as a serious SEC contender. With Mississippi State next, Alabama has a chance to strengthen its position in the conference race.
4. Florida Gators
- 2025 Record: 4-0 (2-0 SEC)
- Result: 52-28 victory over Ole Miss Rebels
- Up Next: Missouri Tigers
Florida rise to No. 4 in our SEC power rankings. The Gators delivered the weekend's most impressive performance, taking down Ole Miss, 52-28, in The Swamp. Jon Sumrall's squad continues to outperform expectations, with Aaron Philo leading an explosive offense and Jadan Baugh establishing himself as one of the nation's premier running backs and a Heisman Trophy contender.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
- 2025 Record: 3-1 (1-1 SEC)
- Record: 52-28 loss to Florida Gators
- Up Next: BYE
Ole Miss falls to No. 5 in our SEC power rankings following their loss to Florida. The Rebels entered the weekend as one of the SEC's top teams, but their defensive struggles against the run raised questions about their ability to compete with the conference's best.
6. LSU
- Record: 3-1 (1-1 SEC)
- Result: 35-6 victory over Texas A&M Aggies
- Up Next: McNeese State Cowboys
LSU remains at No. 6 in our SEC power rankings. The Tigers made a statement with a convincing 35-6 victory over Texas A&M, bouncing back from their conference loss and reestablishing themselves as a team to watch in the SEC. The Bayou Bengals dominated defensively and showed the physicality needed to compete with the conference's top programs.
Lane Kiffin's squad will get a tune-up game against McNeese State next week before returning to conference play.
7. Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Record: 4-0 (2-0 SEC)
- Result: 31-24 victory over Missouri Tigers
- Up Next: Alabama Crimson Tide
Mississippi State remains at No. 7 in our SEC power rankings. The Bulldogs remain one of the biggest surprises of the season. They have already collected two conference wins and are proving they deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff conversation. Kamario Taylor has emerged as one of the nation's Heisman frontrunners a month into the season, recording 14 touchdowns and 1,192 yards with only two interceptions.
8. Kentucky Wildcats
- Record: 3-1 (1-1 SEC)
- Result: 45-21 victory over South Alabama Jaguars
- Up Next: South Carolina Gamecocks
Kentucky jumps to No. 8 in our latest SEC power rankings following their 45-21 victory over South Alabama. The Wildcats are on a two-game winning streak and continue to show they are not what we thought they'd be in the preseason.
9. Tennessee Volunteers
- Record: 3-1 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 20-17 loss to Texas Longhorns
- Up Next: Auburn Tigers
Tennessee rise one spot in our SEC power rankings despite suffering a loss. The Vols lost to Texas in a tight matchup; they showed they can compete with the best team in the country but ultimately fell short. At 0-1 in conference play, Tennessee will need to bounce back quickly to remain in the race.
10. Missouri Tigers
- Record: 3-1 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 31-24 loss to Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Up Next: Florida Gators
Missouri falls to No. 10 in our SEC power rankings. Mizzou suffered its first loss of the season, falling 31-24 to Mississippi State in a matchup with significant implications for the SEC standings. The Tigers showed offensive fight but couldn't overcome the Bulldogs' late-game execution.
With their undefeated start now behind them, Missouri will need to regroup and prove it can remain competitive against the Gators next week.
11. Auburn Tigers
- Record: 2-1 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 21-15 victory over to Vanderbilt Commodores
- Up Next: Tennessee Volunteers
Auburn returned to the win column with a 21-15 victory over Vanderbilt, improving to 2-1 on the season. The Tigers showed resilience in a close game, but competing with a team whose record is deceiving shows the program still has plenty of room to improve.
12. Oklahoma Sooners
- Record: 2-2 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 41-13 loss to Georgia Bulldogs
- Up Next: BYE
Oklahoma remains at No. 12 in our SEC power rankings. The Sooners suffered another disappointing result, falling 41-13 to Georgia in a game that exposed the gap between the Sooners and the SEC's top contenders. After entering the season with College Football Playoff aspirations, Oklahoma now sits at .500 and is searching for answers.
13. Texas A&M Aggies
- 2025 Record: 2-2 (0-2 SEC)
- Result: 35-6 loss to LSU Tigers
- Up Next: Arkansas Razorbacks
Texas A&M falls to No. 13 in our latest SEC power rankings. The Aggies have now lost back-to-back games after a 35-6 loss to LSU. The Aggies have struggled to find consistency through the opening month, and only recording six points in a conference game raises more questions than before.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks
- Record: 2-2 (0-2 SEC)
- Result: 49-18 loss to Alabama Crimson Tide
- Up Next: Kentucky Wildcats
South Carolina remains No. 14 in our SEC power rankings. The Gamecocks' rough start continued with a 49-18 loss to Alabama. They are struggling to keep up with SEC opponents, and LaNorris Sellers has been disappointing so far, with an inefficient 5-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
15. Vanderbilt Commodores
- Record: 3-1 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 21-15 loss to Auburn Tigers
- Up Next: Georgia Bulldogs
Vanderbilt remains at No. 15 in our SEC power rankings. The Commodores' undefeated record was always deceiving. They played weaker opponents early in the season and should have lost to NC State if not for a miracle. Their latest defeat to Auburn serves as a reminder that they are further than they think and a test against Georgia will expose it.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
- Record: 2-2 (0-1 SEC)
- Result: 34-6 victory over Tulsa Golden Hurricane
- Up Next:
Arkansas remains at the bottom of our SEC power rankings despite a 34-6 victory over Tulsa. The Razorbacks earned a much-needed win; however, their overall record still raises plenty of questions about their ability to win games in conference play.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: SEC Power Rankings: Crimson Tide enter top three after Week 4
