Life is funny.
Sometimes you think you’re starting to get a feel for something. Starting to know who someone really is. Starting to learn what makes someone tick.
Then the rug gets pulled out from under you and you’re left wondering what the hell just happened.
That was Week 6 in the SEC.
The No. 1 team in the country, the Texas Longhorns, proved to be a flawed team, losing to rival Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. A Florida team that people were talking about as a Playoff contender just 2 weeks ago lost at home to a South Carolina squad that was basically passing the hat to raise buyout money for coach Shane Beamer.
Kentucky coach Will Stein would’ve earned an “Onions!” call from the great Bill Raftery if he was on the broadcast for Kentucky’s second-straight overtime victory, this time against Lane Kiffin‘s LSU Tigers.
Where does all this drama leave us for the power rankings?
Good question, dear reader.
The answer is… I don’t know. The bottom 3 teams and the new No. 1 team are clear. Numbers 2-13? Your guess is as good as mine.
But nevertheless, we will push onward. Here are our updated SEC power rankings following Week 6:
16. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4 overall, 0-3 in SEC)
- Previous ranking: 16
- Last week: 24-17 L vs. No. 15 Tennessee
- This week: at Vanderbilt
I thought about moving the Arkansas Razorbacks up to No. 15 this week after a decent showing against Tennessee. But Ryan Silverfield and company head to Nashville this weekend to take on Vanderbilt. Win that and you’ll move up.
15. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-3, 0-3)
- Previous ranking: 15
- Last week: 52-17 L vs. No. 9 Ole Miss
- This week: vs. Arkansas
I came into the season saying this would be a rebuilding year for Vanderbilt. I don’t want that to be misconstrued as saying that Clark Lea is doing a bad job this year. Jared Curtis is the future. There are positives all around. But if the Commodores don’t beat Arkansas this week, they might go 0-9 in SEC play.
14. Texas A&M Aggies (3-3, 1-3)
- Previous ranking: 11
- Last week: 27-6 L at No. 14 Mizzou
- This week: vs. The Citadel
Marcel Reed can be a good QB. I believe that. But he needs to be benched right now. He is hurting the team and he needs to get his head right. If Texas A&M and the increasingly combative Mike Elko continue to trot him out there in his current form, this is going to be a long year.
13. Auburn Tigers (3-2, 1-2)
- Previous ranking: 12
- Last week: OFF
- This week: at Georgia
Auburn gets the rest advantage, coming off a bye for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry while Georgia just finished a big-time win at Alabama. But I’m not sure it’s going to matter. Georgia’s defense is going to give Byrum Brown fits.
12. Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1)
- Previous ranking: 10
- Last week: 24-17 W at Arkansas
- This week: vs. Alabama
The Tennessee Volunteers managed to escape Fayetteville with a win. Winning on the road (even at Arkansas) isn’t easy in the SEC, so it’s better than the alternative. But Josh Heupel needs to figure out this QB situation moving forward.
11. Florida Gators (4-2, 2-2)
- Previous ranking: 6
- Last week: 38-19 L vs. South Carolina
- This week: OFF
A second-straight blowout loss for the Florida Gators has this team in panic mode. The bye week comes at a great time. However, waiting on the other side of that bye week is, of course, No. 1 Georgia. Buster Faulkner and Brad White need to figure some things out on their respective sides of the ball.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3)
- Previous ranking: 14
- Last week: 38-19 W at No. 16 Florida
- This week: OFF
Did the South Carolina Gamecocks save coach Shane Beamer‘s job this past weekend? Well, maybe at least through the end of the 2026 season. The challenge comes in making sure this momentum continues after the bye week.
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1)
- Previous ranking: 8
- Last week: OFF
- This week: at LSU
The Mississippi State Bulldogs were hoping to get healthy during the off week. Instead, it seems as though Kamario Taylor might miss the LSU game. If he’s out for any significant period of time, this season could crater.
8. Oklahoma Sooners (3-2, 1-1)
- Previous ranking: 13
- Last week: 27-24 W vs. No. 1 Texas (in Dallas)
- This week: vs. Kentucky
What a win for the Oklahoma Sooners! Just when everyone was writing off Brent Venables and company, they go and score a dramatic win over the No. 1 team in the country. Now, the Sooners needed a blocked punt and a pick-6 to pull off the upset, so there are still issues with the offense, but a win is a win.
7. LSU Tigers (4-2, 1-2)
- Previous ranking: 4
- Last week: 35-34 L at Kentucky (OT)
- This week: vs. Mississippi State
LSU has underwhelmed through the first half of Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin era. The Tigers are certainly banged up, as some key players missed Saturday’s loss in Lexington. But now the margin for error is essentially 0 if the Tigers want to make the Playoff for the first time since that magical 2019 season.
Check out our comparison of 2 of the top predictions markets, Kalshi vs. Polymarket.
6. Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 2-1)
- Previous ranking: 7
- Last week: 52-17 W at Vanderbilt
- This week: vs. Mizzou
Ole Miss absolutely dominated a bad Vanderbilt squad in Nashville on Saturday. It was a nice tuneup for what is now a much more challenging game against Mizzou. The Rebels have been dominant at home in recent years, though, and are rightly favored in that matchup.
5. Kentucky Wildcats (5-1, 3-1)
- Previous ranking: 9
- Last week: 35-34 W vs. No. 10 LSU (OT)
- This week: at Oklahoma
Two things can be true at the same time. First, these last 2 Kentucky wins have been incredibly exciting, thanks to gutsy calls by first-year head coach Will Stein. Second, needing to convert 2-point conversions in overtime in back-to-back weeks to win games isn’t the most sustainable process. Credit to the Wildcats, but they’ll need to be even better this weekend in Norman against a stout Oklahoma defense.
4. Texas Longhorns (4-1, 1-1)
- Previous ranking: 1
- Last week: 27-24 L vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas)
- This week: vs. Florida
If you want to drop the Texas Longhorns below Kentucky in your power rankings, I won’t fight you. But I do still value that home win over Ohio State. That said, Steve Sarkisian‘s offense is broken. Arch Manning has been a below-average SEC QB this year. Last season, the Longhorns’ season went off the rails when they lost at Florida. This week, the Gators make the trip to Austin. I believe this is a must-win for the Horns.
3. Missouri Tigers (5-1, 2-1)
- Previous ranking: 5
- Last week: 27-6 W vs. Texas A&M
- This week: at Ole Miss
Mizzou has not been a good road team as an underdog under Eli Drinkwitz. However, Mizzou also wasn’t very good against ranked opponents, and the Tigers exorcised some of those demons a couple of weeks ago against Florida. Can they buck another worrying trend this week? It won’t be easy in Oxford, as the Rebels have been elite at home. But Jamal Roberts and Austin Simmons at least give them a chance.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-1)
- Previous ranking: 3
- Last week: 20-17 L vs. No. 2 Georgia
- This week: at Tennessee
Thanks to Texas losing, Alabama actually moves up a spot despite a loss of its own. It was pretty clear on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa that the Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs are the 2 best teams in the SEC currently. Now Kalen DeBoer has a tricky task at hand — don’t let 1 loss become 2. Tennessee has beaten Alabama in the last 2 meetings on Rocky Top.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (6-0, 4-0)
- Previous ranking: 2
- Last week: 20-17 W at No. 6 Alabama
- This week: vs. Auburn
Kirby Smart just keeps producing juggernauts. Georgia picked up an impressive win in less-than-ideal conditions on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Gunner Stockton continues to play well and every running back the Dawgs put in the game turns out to be great. The only question remaining is whether the Dawgs can go undefeated in the regular season or not.
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Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
