Kentucky football's first loss of the season was a tale of two halves. In the first half, they controlled the ball, forced turnovers, and limited the Alabama Crimson Tide's offense. In the second half, Alabama controlled the game, and pulled away for a 45-17 win over the Wildcats.
It was a closer game than the score indicates, and there were some promising things to take away from it, but a loss is a loss, and Kentucky's brutal schedule means they have to beat some of these good teams to even get to .500.
Most of the rest of the SEC had a successful Saturday to some degree. The conference is showing its strength so far, and it was reflected in the coaches poll, where nine SEC teams were in the top 25.
So how does Kentucky fit in this week's SEC
power rankings? Here's the breakdown.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
- Last week: 15
- Week 2 results: Lost to Utah 43-10
Things got ugly for the Razorbacks this week. Neither the offense, nor the defense played well, and they suffered a blowout loss. They have talent, but are still trying to put things together, and it showed on Saturday.
15. Kentucky Wildcats
- Last week: 13
- Week 2 results: Lost to Alabama 45-17
Despite the final score, Kentucky held their own for a large portion of the game, and even led at halftime. Will Stein appears to have the program on the upswing, and even in a blowout loss, there were encouraging signs.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
- Last week: 16
- Week 2 results: Beat Delaware 35-26
The Commodores got the win, but will need to do a better job of closing games out. Quarterback Jared Curtis played well, though, and Vanderbilt will give other SEC teams a tough matchup on any given week.
13. Auburn Tigers
- Last week 14
- Week 2 results: Beat Southern Miss 43-8
The Tigers looked much better offensively this week, with Byrum Brown throwing for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns. They will be interesting to watch once they start playing better teams.
12. Florida Gators
- Last week: 12
- Week 2 results: Beat Campbell 52-3
The Gators beat up on an inferior team, but they did look good doing it. Jaden Baugh is an elite player, and they're getting valuable reps under their new staff before they start playing tougher competition.
11. Oklahoma Sooners
- Last week: 6
- Week 2 results: Lost 17-10 to Michigan
John Mateer struggled to get the Sooners offense moving on Saturday. He turned the ball over, Michigan took advantage, getting a close win. Oklahoma will need to be more consistent offensively.
10. Missouri Tigers
- Last week: 10
- Week 2 results: Beat Kansas 38-21
Austin Simmons continues to play well for the Tigers, throwing for nearly 300 yards and 3 touchdowns on Friday. If he continues to play well, Missouri could make some noise in the conference.
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Last week: 11
- Week 2 results: Beat Minnesota 38-13
Kamario Taylor has been one of the country's most exciting players so far this season. On Saturday, he threw for 227 yards and 3 scores, and added 86 yards on the ground.
8. South Carolina Gamecocks
- Last week: 8
- Week 2 results: Beat Towson 45-9
South Carolina ran for an incredible 405 yards and 4 scores this week. LaNorris Sellars didn't need throw it much, but we need to see them succeed against better competition.
7. Tennessee Volunteers
- Last week: 9
- Week 2 results: Beat Georgia Tech 45-24
The Volunteers running game dominated on Saturday, totaling 299 yards rushing against Georgia Tech. Like the Gamecocks, they didn't need to throw the ball a lot in this one.
6. LSU Tigers
- Last week: 2
- Week 2 results: Beat Louisiana Tech 45-14
They pulled away in the second half, but for much of the game, the Tigers were struggling. Sam Leavitt threw three interceptions, allowing La Tech to stay in the game into the second half.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Last week: 7
- Week 2 results: Beat Kentucky 45-17
Like LSU, Alabama struggled in the first half, but pulled away in the second half for a big win. Their defense was strong throughout the game, limiting a Kentucky offense that can score points.
4. Texas A&M Aggies
- Last week: 5
- Week 2 results: Beat Arizona St 48-20
The Aggies didn't generate a lot of offense on Saturday, but the defense created several turnovers that led to the blowout win. Marcel Reed did throw three touchdown passes.
3. Ole Miss Rebels
- Last week: 1
- Week 2 results: Beat Charlotte 41-9
Ole Miss drops a few spots, but not because of anything they did. They won the game by 30+ points, and played well. They are a contender in the SEC this season.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
- Last week: 2
- Week 2 results: Beat Western Kentucky 70-20
Gunnar Stockton threw 5 touchdown passes on Saturday, and Georgia ran for 3 more. It was domination in every way by the Bulldogs.
1. Texas Longhorns
- Last week: 4
- Week 2 results: Beat Ohio St 24-23
The Longhorns got the biggest win of the year of any team by beating the Buckeyes with a furious fourth quarter comeback. Arch Manning made the necessary plays late in the game, and the defense did the same.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Where does Kentucky rank in week two SEC power rankings?
