Week 4 of the college football season is in the books. It's time for some SEC power rankings.
We've learned a lot in four weeks. The SEC looks like a strong league. Georgia and Texas are as good as we expected. Florida has emerged as a playoff contender. Alabama, Ole Miss, and LSU also look equipped for postseason football. Meanwhile, Kamario Taylor has burst on the scene and put Mississippi State on the map. The Bulldogs' playoff chances improve each week.
There have been disappointments, too. Texas A&M began the year with playoff hopes, but after a 0-2 SEC start, the Aggies postseason chances are shot.
These power rankings reflect which team I think would win on a neutral field, not a gauge of a team's resume so far.
Here are LSU Wire's SEC football
power rankings after Week 4.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2)
2026 has been rough for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has two wins over G6/FCS programs, but it hasn't looked good when it faces Power Four teams. Utah beat Arkansas 43-10. Georgia took care of business with a 45-17 victory over the Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks rank No. 71 in ESPN's SP+, and their defense ranks No. 90.
15. South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2)
After falling to Alabama, South Carolina is 0-2 to start SEC play. To make matters worse, star defensive end Dylan Stewart is suspended for a game after he lost his cool multiple times vs. Alabama.
South Carolina's loss to Alabama dropped the Gamecocks 23 spots in the SP+ rankings. This is not a team heading in the right direction as conference play hits full stride.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-1)
The expectations at Vanderbilt have been raised by head coach Clark Lea. This roster is still light years ahead of where Vanderbilt was five years ago, so don't let the No. 14 ranking make you think this is the Vanderbilt of old. Still, the Commodores don't have the firepower to play with more talented teams. Freshman QB Jared Curtis can make all the throws, and he's already flashed his talent, but it will take some time for the young quarterback to settle in.
13. Kentucky Wildcats (3-1)
I know Kentucky beat Texas A&M, but remember: these are power rankings, not resume rankings. Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey is inconsistent, which limits the Wildcat offense's ceiling. On defense, UK is No. 14 in the SEC in yards allowed per game. Will Stein is doing a good job as a first-year head coach, and this program has momentum, but the roster has holes compared to its SEC counterparts.
12. Auburn Tigers (3-1)
At 3-1, Auburn's only loss is to a Florida team now ranked in the top 10. Auburn beat Vanderbilt in Week 4 to earn its first SEC win of the year, and the defense is allowing just 4.8 yards per play, despite that Florida offense being on the schedule. It's year one for head coach Alex Golesh, and Auburn probably doesn't have the SEC talent to knock off the league's top teams, but a bowl game is a reasonable goal.
11. Missouri Tigers (3-1)
Missouri fell to Mississippi State in Week 4, blowing a chance at a ranked win. Eli Drinkwitz's Missouri program has a solid floor, but the Tigers struggle when facing ranked SEC teams. The next three games will be revealing with Florida, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss on the schedule. If Missouri can go 1-2 in that stretch, a winning season is still possible. If Missouri goes 0-3, the Tigers will be fighting just to make a bowl game. Still, I think this is a decent team that lacks the talent to make any noise.
10. Oklahoma Sooners (2-2)
Oklahoma was just blown out by Georgia in Athens, only scoring 13 points and allowing 41. Oklahoma made the playoffs in 2025, but the Sooners won't be heading there again this year. The offense is a problem. QB John Mateer can't throw the ball consistently, and the offensive line can't block consistently. Brent Venables teams will always play good defense, but it won't matter when Oklahoma's offense ranks dead last in the SEC in yards per game.
9. Texas A&M Aggies (2-2)
Things aren't pretty for Texas A&M now. The Aggies have lost back-to-back games to SEC opponents and weren't competitive in either. First came the home loss to Kentucky before A&M traveled to Baton Rouge and lost 35-6.
Texas A&M lost several key players from last year's playoff team, but there was confidence in this year's portal class. But quarterback Marcel Reed has regressed and is coming off two of the worst games of his career. If the Aggies offense can't turn it around, it will be a long year in College Station.
8. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-0)
Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is the talk of the sport. The sophomore is electric. He can make all the throws or scamper for a 50-yard touchdown. Mississippi State has two SEC wins, both one-possession wins over South Carolina and Missouri. The Bulldogs probably aren't good enough to win a national title, but Taylor is good enough for Jeff Lebby and Co. to beat anyone on any given day. Mississippi State gets Alabama this weekend—that will tell us something.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (3-1)
Tennessee suffered its first loss of the season in Week 4 as Texas walked into Knoxville and got the win. Still, Tennessee acquitted itself well and only lost by three points to the No. 1 team in the country. It's hard to hold that against the Vols.
Tennessee's ceiling is probably limited with a true freshman quarterback, but the defense is good, the run game is fine, and it's a talented group. SP+ rates Tennessee's offense as a top-15 unit nationally and the defense as top-30.
6. Ole Miss Rebels (3-1)
Ole Miss' Week 3 win over Lane Kiffin and LSU was a real high, but the Rebels were brought down to earth at Florida. Real questions linger about the Ole Miss defense after Pete Golding's squad allowed 52 points in Gainesville. When Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss takes over the game, Ole Miss is a national championship quality. When Chambliss is merely good, Ole Miss is closer to the middle of the SEC than the top.
5. Florida Gators (4-0)
The vibes couldn't be better in Gainesville. Florida is riding high after dropping 52 points on Ole Miss in Week 4. The Gators' offense is rolling right now, surpassing 40 points in every game. Florida's offense is talented enough to beat anyone. Florida RB Jaden Baugh is the best running back in the country and the wide receiver room is loaded with playmakers.
The offensive line has exceeded expectations and quarterback Aaron Philo is commanding the offense and taking care of the ball.
4. LSU Tigers (3-1)
LSU has a loss on its record after losing at Ole Miss in Week 3, but the positive signals remain. Most power ratings consider LSU a top-four team in the SEC, and national championship odds agree. LSU lost by one possession to a top-10 team on the road. It's hard to hold that against Lane Kiffin and Co.
LSU responded with a dominant 35-6 win over Texas A&M. LSU's 51-10 win over Clemson is starting to look better because Dabo Swinney's Tigers haven't lost since Week 1. Injuries are piling up for LSU with Trey'Dez Green and Whit Weeks both expected to miss significant time. That's something to watch, but for now, LSU is still considered a firm CFP contender.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0)
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer faced pressure entering 2026. The way Alabama's 2025 ended, a blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl, left a bad taste in Tuscaloosa. With one month in the books, Alabama looks like a title contender. Keelon Russell is a star at quarterback. The sample is small, but he looks like an upgrade over Bama QBs of recent years like Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson.
Russell's 91.9 PFF offensive grade leads all SEC quarterbacks. Russell and the Tide face Mississippi State this weekend, and if Russell shows out, he'll enter the Heisman Trophy discussion.
2. Texas Longhorns (4-0)
Texas' Week 2 win over Ohio State is as impressive a resume bullet as any. Texas notched another ranked win in Week 4, going on the road and beating Tennessee. Texas isn't perfect, and there are moments where you want to see more from Arch Manning and the offense, but Manning makes enough throws a game to complement Texas' elite defense.
The expectation in Austin is to win a national championship. And so far, Texas has proven it has the big game pedigree needed to do it.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (4-0)
Georgia might be the best team in college football. TeamRankings and ESPN's SP+ slot Kirby Smart's Bulldogs No. 1. Georgia has been nothing but dominant thus far. Georgia flexed its muscles again in Week 4, beating Oklahoma 41-13. The Sooners' offense is riding the struggle bus, but a 28-point win over an SEC team that made the playoff last year is nothing to scoff at.
The Georgia defense limited Oklahoma to two third-down conversions and forced four turnovers. Georgia is winning FBS games by an average margin of 35.3 points, the best mark in the sport. UGA is firing on all cylinders right now and would be favored vs. any team in the SEC.
College Football Playoff odds for every SEC football team (FanDuel)
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Power ranking every SEC football team after Week 4
