College football is officially back! Week 0 was a delight, with Georgia Tech pulling off an upset of No. 10 Florida State in Ireland. All in all, the 4 underdogs in Week 0 all covered the spread.

That bodes well for an exciting, topsy-turvy season across all of college football. Will we see chaos hit the SEC, too? Or will Georgia and Texas take care of business as expected?

With Arkansas and Mizzou hosting games on Thursday to kick off the SEC season, excitement is building across the southeast.

So with no further ado, here’s a look at our SEC power rankings entering Week 1:

16. Vanderbilt

Look, no one enjoys having to put Vanderbilt in last place in their power rankings every year, but that’s where the Commodores are going to hang out until they prove they’re ready to compete once again. The first goal is just to simply win an SEC game. They’re 2-22 in league play under coach Clark Lea through 3 seasons.

15. Mississippi State

I like the Jeff Lebby hire. He should be a good fit for the Bulldogs and should turn the program around. I didn’t like the Zach Arnett hire and was proven right with that, so hopefully my instincts remain correct regarding Lebby. I do believe it’ll take a couple of years for him to right the ship. Be patient, Mississippi State fans.

14. South Carolina

There are some good pieces on this South Carolina roster, but I’m not sold on the team overall. I like Nyck Harbor. I like Raheim Sanders. LaNorris Sellers should be… fine. I just don’t know if there’s enough depth on either side of the ball for this team to succeed at a high level in the SEC this fall.

13. Arkansas

This is a make-or-break year for Sam Pittman at Arkansas. If things don’t go well, there’s a chance he gets fired before the season finale against rival Mizzou. And this schedule… well, it’s brutal. The Hogs have 4 SEC home games, and they’re against No. 15 Tennessee, No. 13 LSU, No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 4 Texas. Yikes.

12. Florida

Speaking of brutal schedules, no one has a tougher end to the season than the Gators. Their last 5 games after their second off week are: vs. No. 1 Georgia, at No. 4 Texas, vs. No. 13 LSU, vs. No. 6 Ole Miss and at No. 10 Florida State. At least the Florida State game looks a little more manageable after the Seminoles lost in Week 0 to Georgia Tech, I guess?

11. Kentucky

Much like South Carolina, the Wildcats have several pieces I like, but not many I love. Barion Brown should be one of the most dynamic receivers in the league, though. Defensively, they have a ton of experience. The veteran defense will be what keeps Kentucky competitive this year.

10. Auburn

Year 2 under Hugh Freeze should be better than Year 1. QB Payton Thorne should improve. RB Jarquez Hunter is one of the best in the league. WR Cam Coleman should be a big addition even as a freshman. There’s reason for hope on The Plains. The Tigers will be a dangerous team for anyone to face in 2024.

9. Oklahoma

I think the Sooners are a year away from being competitive in the SEC. The receiving corps has a ton of talent, but I predict it will take a year for QB Jackson Arnold to find his footing and take a step toward becoming a star. The road schedule is tough for the Sooners. In SEC play, they visit Auburn, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 11 Mizzou and No. 13 LSU.

8. Texas A&M

It’s Year 1 under Mike Elko. Are the Aggies going to be elite? Probably not. Most of that elite recruiting class from a couple of years ago has moved on. But QB Conner Weigman is still there. If he can stay healthy in 2024, he should be a top-half QB in the SEC. Elko will have his defense competitive on a weekly basis. If the Aggies can put up enough points, they have a chance to finish in the top half of the league standings.

7. Tennessee

It’s Nico Iamaleava time on Rocky Top! The Vols look to once again have a dynamic offense, and I’m high on Dylan Sampson as potentially one of the best running backs in the SEC. I am hoping Bru McCoy can come back from last year’s injury to complement a receiving corps led by Squirrel White. The offense has talent. It’ll be up to the defense to decide how far the Vols can go. Edge rusher James Pearce is a potential top-10 NFL Draft pick, but other guys need to step up around him.

RELATED: Can Nico Iamaleava finish his career as an all-time Vol great? Check out our list of the top 25 players in Tennessee football history.

6. LSU

Garrett Nussmeier is a rising star. He looks poised to have a big season. Kyren Lacy, Chris Hilton Jr. and CJ Daniels form a nice receiving trio. Mason Taylor could be a breakout candidate at tight end. The Tigers have Harold Perkins on defense and have a competent defensive coordinator after poaching Blake Baker from Mizzou. (As a Missouri grad, I might be a little bit bitter about that.) I expect the Tigers to be firmly in the mix for a Playoff spot this season, led by the dynamic offense. The defense won’t let them down like it did in 2023.

5. Mizzou

Brady Cook. Luther Burden III. Theo Wease Jr. Marcus Carroll. This offense is absolutely loaded, and the offensive line is experienced, as well. Sure, there are question marks defensively, but the offense might be so good that it can mask any defensive deficiencies. This is a big season for coach Eli Drinkwitz and company. The Tigers likely won’t have a schedule this easy again for a long time, so it’s 10 wins or bust in CoMo.

4. Alabama

Jalen Milroe is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. There are question marks across the rest of the offense, but there’s no denying the talent and pedigree of the players. What will Year 1 of the Kalen DeBoer era look like? I think we’re going to see the best version of Milroe. Is that enough to get the Tide to the SEC title game? I would bet not, but I could see Alabama making the 12-team Playoff field.

3. Ole Miss

This is the year for Ole Miss. Jaxson Dart returns to lead a dynamic offense that once again received reinforcements from the transfer portal. But the defensive line is the real reason to be excited. Walter Nolen is in the mix after transferring from Texas A&M. Princely Umanmielen came over from Florida. JJ Pegues is returning to school. This Rebel squad should be great on both sides of the ball. A Playoff spot is a real possibility. And Ole Miss will be ready to pounce on an SEC Championship Game berth if either of the top teams struggle.

2. Texas

Texas joins the SEC after its long stint in the Big 12. Yes, the Longhorns made it to the Playoff last year, but can they hold up to a season-long SEC grind? The nonconference schedule features a trip to Michigan in Week 2. The Longhorns also host Georgia this year, but outside of those 2 games, things look fairly manageable. This should be another great year for coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Anything less than a trip to Atlanta and a spot in the Playoff should be seen as a failure.

1. Georgia

What can we say about Georgia that hasn’t already been said? Carson Beck is a Heisman candidate. The defense looks nasty. There’s talent in the backfield, at tight end and in the WR room. There’s a good possibility that if the College Football Playoff had 12 teams last year, Georgia could have won its third-straight title. Kirby Smart won’t be focusing on 2023, though. It’s all about 2024 in Athens and this appears to be as good of a team as Smart has had during his incredible run at his alma mater.