The top of the SEC rankings this week became chaos, with Mizzou losing to Tennessee before beating Arkansas and Tennessee losing at home against Alabama. The Tigers (No. 13) and Vols (No. 9) are the only 2 SEC teams in the AP Poll, but Florida is the first team in the “also receiving votes” section.

Florida and Alabama are 2-0 in SEC action. Auburn is 0-2. Meanwhile, South Carolina has yet to play its first SEC game.

So, how do the 14 SEC teams stack up against one another this week? Let’s take a look at this week’s power rankings:

14. South Carolina (2-2 overall, 0-0 in SEC play, Last week: 14)

The Gamecocks beat Florida A&M on Saturday, but it was an absolute battle, with the lead changing hands a couple of times before South Carolina pulled away late for a 78-71 win. It was clear this is a team that is still getting its legs under it after a nearly 4-week layoff due to COVID-19 issues.

Let’s just say the Gamecocks were lucky they weren’t playing an SEC team Saturday. I will add that I was impressed with AJ Lawson, who scored 25 points and had 5 rebounds and 2 steals. South Carolina will need more of that from him moving forward to climb out of the cellar.

13. Vanderbilt (4-3, 0-1, LW: 12)

I’ve said I don’t think Vanderbilt will finish last in the SEC, but I’m going to need to see a lot more from Jerry Stackhouse’s team before I feel comfortable with that prediction. The Commodores lost 91-72 to Florida in Nashville on Saturday and were never really close.

Scotty Pippen Jr. continues to play well, as he had 18 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds against the athletic Gators. If the Commodores can’t pick up a win at Kentucky on Tuesday night or against Mississippi State on Saturday, it could be another long year.

12. Ole Miss (5-3, 0-1, LW: 8)

It was a rough week for the Rebels, who lost both games they played. First, they were blown out at Alabama to start SEC play, then lost at home to Wichita State on Saturday. Romello White showed he can hold his own in SEC play, though, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against the Tide.

We’ll see if he can continue to make an impact and get the Rebels into the SEC win column this week when they play Auburn on Wednesday night and South Carolina on Saturday.

11. Mississippi State (6-4, 1-1, LW: 11)

The Bulldogs impressed me this week, but it’s tough to move them up from No. 11 because I still think there’s work to be done with this team. Still, going into Athens and handing Georgia its first loss was a great sign. Then, the Bulldogs battled Kentucky into double overtime before losing.

DJ Stewart and Iverson Molinar continue to cause problems for opponents, so we’ll see if the Bulldogs can upset Mizzou on Wednesday night or beat Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday.

10. Auburn (6-4, 0-2, LW: 7)

I had high hopes for the Tigers after some nice nonconference wins, but they’re off to a sluggish start in SEC play. Losing to Arkansas in an exciting SEC opener wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but falling at Texas A&M on Saturday wasn’t great. At least Jamal Johnson has come ready to play. He scored 21 points against Arkansas and 20 against A&M.

This week will tell us a lot about Auburn, as the Tigers travel to Ole Miss on Wednesday night before hosting rival Alabama on Saturday.

9. Kentucky (2-6, 1-0, LW: 13)

Kentucky coach John Calipari didn’t play Dontaie Allen much during nonconference play. He’ll have a lot to answer for about that decision as Allen exploded during the SEC opener at Mississippi State on Saturday. He scored 23 points, knocking down 7 3-pointers in the process.

Here’s a long-range shot he drilled late in the second half to keep the Wildcats in the game, which they eventually won 78-73 in double-overtime:

And, here was the dagger in double-overtime:

It’s probably safe to say Allen will be getting a lot more court time moving forward. We’ll see how he fares against Vanderbilt on Tuesday night before a huge road trip to Florida on Saturday.

8. Georgia (7-1, 0-1, LW: 5)

I still think this Georgia team has talent, but good teams don’t lose at home to Mississippi State. That was a rough loss for Tom Crean’s squad. PJ Horne scored 21 points in probably his best game as a Bulldog, but the 83-73 loss really put a damper on the Dawgs’ 7-0 start.

Now, they have to travel to LSU on Wednesday and to Arkansas on Saturday. Neither game will be easy, but the Bulldogs can’t afford an 0-3 SEC start.

7. Texas A&M (6-2, 1-1, LW: 9)

The Aggies bounced back from a 23-point loss at LSU to open SEC play by beating Auburn in College Station on Saturday. Emanuel Miller continues to fly under the radar, despite being A&M’s best player. He scored 16 points and had 5 rebounds against Auburn, including this nice play on both ends of the court:

https://twitter.com/ejsilvaBB/status/1345489512483459080

The Aggies face an interesting week, traveling to South Carolina on Wednesday before hosting Tennessee on Saturday. This is a team right now that could absolutely beat the Vols if everything is clicking.

6. LSU (6-2, 1-1, LW: 6)

Win or lose, LSU freshman Cam Thomas is a sight to behold every time he takes the court. He scored 32 points in LSU’s rout of Texas A&M in the SEC opener. He then scored 28 in Saturday’s loss to Florida.

But look at how smooth he is, shooting off screens, off the dribble and launching 3s with a hand in his face:

He’s a special player and the best scorer in the country. Now, we’ll have to see if he can shoot the Tigers to victory vs. Georgia on Wednesday and at Mizzou on Saturday.

5. Arkansas (9-1, 1-1, LW: 3)

Arkansas passed its first test of the year by going to Auburn and winning. However, it flunked its second test of the year, losing in blowout fashion at home to Mizzou. It was a horrendous shooting effort from the Razorbacks, who went 19-for-71 (26.8%) from the floor. Freshman Moses Moody had an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double and JD Notae had a team-high 19 points, but beyond that, everyone struggled.

Big man Connor Vanover went 0-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Desi Sills wasn’t much better, shooting 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.

The Hogs also missed a ton of easy looks at the rim. Look at how exasperated Eric Musselman (who was ejected in the second half) was after the game:

It’s safe to say the Hogs won’t have many games like that one, but when it does happen, it’s really ugly. We’ll see if they can bounce back at Tennessee on Wednesday and against Georgia on Saturday.

4. Alabama (7-3, 2-0, LW: 10)

The Crimson Tide are the biggest risers this week, shooting up from No. 10. But, hey, that’s what 2 strong SEC wins will do for a team.

The Tide trounced Ole Miss 82-64 in the SEC opener and then surprised everyone by going into Knoxville and beating No. 7 Tennessee 71-63 on Saturday. The best news was that John Petty Jr. was the team’s leading scorer. He has been in a slump all year, but he broke out for 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

He’s shooting from long range with confidence:

https://twitter.com/CrimsonXover/status/1345527050795245568

And he even dished out this beautiful alley-oop to Herb Jones:

The Tide face another tough week, hosting Florida on Tuesday night before heading to Auburn on Saturday. Win those games and it’ll have all the makings of a special SEC season in Tuscaloosa!

3. Mizzou (7-1, 1-1, LW: 1)

The Tigers really showed what they’re made of this past week. Yes, they got blown out at home by Tennessee and looked like they didn’t belong in the same gym as the Vols. Then, on Saturday, they went to Fayetteville and trounced rival Arkansas, holding the Hogs to the aforementioned horrendous shooting performance.

Jeremiah Tilmon was the star, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He was hot early:

Then, his teammates kept looking for him down low, and he delivered time after time:

Oh, and he went 7-for-10 from the free-throw line, which is always a great sign for him. Tilmon has been frustrating for Mizzou fans to watch over his career because they’ve been waiting for a game like this from him. If he can continue to play like this and impact the game on both ends of the floor, the Tigers will continue to be one of the best teams in the SEC.

2. Tennessee (7-1, 1-1, LW: 2)

It was a weird week for the Vols, to say the least. They absolutely crushed Mizzou in Columbia to open SEC play then turned around and lost 71-63 at home against Alabama. Did they just buy into their own hype a bit too much?

I’m not sure what to make of Tennessee, but I still think this is one of the best teams in the league. I’ll keep them at No. 2 for now, but the Vols have a chance to snag the No. 1 spot if they play well at home against Arkansas on Wednesday night and at Texas A&M on Saturday.

1. Florida (5-1, 2-0, LW: 4)

Florida is 2-0 in SEC play after beating LSU and Vanderbilt last week. The Gators’ only loss came in Tallahassee against a ranked Florida State team in a game where their star player collapsed on the floor. Thankfully, Keyontae Johnson is doing much better and is basically an extra coach on the bench at this point.

That sounds like a top SEC team to me. Also, the Gators have indeed been more fun to watch this season under a new fast-paced style of play. Transfer PG Tyree Appleby is hands-down the best alley-oop thrower in the nation:

https://twitter.com/onlygators/status/1345453283545067521

Scottie Lewis is showing off his vast potential, but the play of big man Colin Castleton has been a sight to behold. He has led the Gators in points in both SEC games, scoring 23 against Vandy and 21 against LSU. When you’re hot, you’re hot:

His emergence has been great for the Gators. We’ll see if he can keep it going this week as Florida plays in Alabama on Tuesday night before hosting Kentucky on Saturday.