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The regular season has come to an end, delivering some more incredible SEC action as a farewell.
We had an insane 8-overtime game in which Georgia came from behind to beat Georgia Tech. We had Mizzou scoring a late comeback against Arkansas. We had Texas going into College Station to beat the Aggies in a renewal of a long-standing rivalry. And we had South Carolina upsetting Clemson on the road.
Yes, this regular season will be one to remember. But for now, there’s still plenty to be decided in the postseason.
As the 2024 regular season ends, though, so to do our weekly power rankings. Here’s how we have all 16 SEC squads stacking up heading into postseason action:
16. Mississippi State (2-10 overall, 0-8 in SEC)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: 26-14 L at No. 14 Ole Miss
A winless SEC season ended with a loss in the Egg Bowl to rival Ole Miss. There are some good pieces on this team, but Jeff Lebby will need to hit the recruiting trails and the transfer portal hard this offseason.
15. Kentucky (4-8, 1-7)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: 41-14 L to Louisville
The Wildcats’ season ended with an embarrassing home loss to rival Louisville. Mark Stoops says he’ll be back next year, and he probably is right. But he’ll be on the hot seat entering 2025, especially since his buyout will drop a bit.
14. Oklahoma (6-6, 2-6)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: 37-17 L at LSU
This wasn’t the debut SEC season the Sooners were hoping for. The defense was mostly good, but the offense struggled all year. In 2025, we’ll see if the Sooners’ receivers can stay healthier and if QB Jackson Arnold takes a step forward. Oklahoma might look into adding a QB through the portal, too, so stay tuned.
13. Auburn (5-7, 2-6)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: 28-14 L at No. 13 Alabama
Hugh Freeze is supposed to be an offensive guru, but this team was inconsistent on offense all year long. He needs to find an answer at the quarterback position, and I’m not sure the answer is on the roster currently.
12. Arkansas (6-6, 3-5)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: 28-21 L at No. 21 Mizzou
It seems as though Sam Pittman will keep his job heading into 2025. There had been some speculation that he’d retire, but the Head Hog will return next season. Like Stoops at Kentucky, he’ll be on the hot seat next year.
11. Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: 36-23 L to No. 8 Tennessee
The Commodores got off to a hot start against the Vols, but couldn’t pull off another Playoff-altering upset. This team is going to a bowl game, though, and that’s a huge step for Clark Lea and company. Ending the year with a 7-6 record would be amazing.
10. LSU (8-4, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: 37-17 W over Oklahoma
This was the sort of win I expected to see more of in 2024 from the Tigers. The offense was great and the defense did enough to make this a comfortable victory. This team needs to get on the same page this offseason and come back strong in 2025.
9. Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: 26-14 W over Mississippi State
The Rebels ended a disappointing regular season on a high note by ensuring the Egg Bowl trophy remains in Oxford. Now we’ll see where this team stands in Tuesday night’s CFP rankings.
8. Florida (7-5, 4-4)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: 31-11 W at Florida State
Burying the Florida State program even further had to feel good for Billy Napier and the Gators. This is a team on an upward swing heading into 2025, as evidenced by the recent wins on the recruiting trails.
7. Mizzou (9-3, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: 28-21 W over Arkansas
The Tigers always make it interesting, but they finished the regular season with 9 wins, which is a solid effort from Eli Drinkwitz and company. Fittingly, QB Brady Cook scored the winning touchdown, putting the cap on his storybook Mizzou career.
6. Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: 17-7 L to No. 3 Texas
The Aggies lost their chance at the Playoff by faltering at home against rival Texas. It was a tough loss, but what an atmosphere at Kyle Field. Mike Elko seems to have this program pointed in the right direction heading into 2025.
5. Alabama (9-3, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: 28-14 W over Auburn
The Crimson Tide offense still looked iffy at times, but earning a win in a rivalry like the Iron Bowl is always something to be celebrated, no matter how ugly it might be. Now the Tide wait to see where they stand in Tuesday’s CFP rankings. Their spot in the top 25 will likely be hotly debated no matter what it is.
4. South Carolina (9-3, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: 17-14 W at No. 12 Clemson
No one has finished the season stronger than South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been on a run for the ages, and Saturday’s 17-14 road win at Clemson was the icing on the cake. We’ll see how things shake out in the final CFP field, but perhaps no team has played better in the last 6 weeks than Shane Beamer’s crew.
3. Tennessee (10-2, 6-2)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: 36-23 W at Vanderbilt
Another week, another slow start for Tennessee. The Vols get a ton of credit for pulling off yet another impressive victory, but it’d be nice to see this team jump out to a hot start in a game soon. In the Playoff, every drive matters.
2. Georgia (10-2, 6-2)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: 44-42 W over Georgia Tech (8OT)
Utterly insane. That’s the only way to describe Georgia’s come-from-behind win on Friday night. The Bulldogs had no business winning that game after how they played for 3 quarters. But you have to credit Kirby Smart and his squad for never giving up. Now a first-round bye in the Playoff is still in play if they can beat Texas for a second time.
1. Texas (11-1, 7-1)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: 17-7 W at No. 20 Texas A&M
This win should silence a few critics who questioned Texas’s strength of schedule (or lack thereof). Look for the Longhorns to enter championship weekend as the No. 2 team in the CFP rankings. Not a bad spot to be.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
