SEC Power Rankings After Week 13
The Week 13 slate looked lackluster on paper. That was also the case back in Week 6.
Just like Week 6, Week 13 delivered utter chaos. Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all lost to teams toward the bottom of the SEC standings.
Meanwhile, teams like Georgia and Tennessee solidified their Playoff standing (and Georgia even clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game) while beating up on cupcakes.
This weekend’s games have disrupted our power rankings more than any other week since Week 2.
Here’s a look at our updated SEC power rankings now that the dust has settled from a wacky Week 13:
16. Mississippi State (2-9 overall, 0-7 in SEC)
Previous ranking: 14
This week: 39-20 L to No. 23 Mizzou
Next week: at Ole Miss
The Bulldogs put a scare into the Tigers in the third quarter on Saturday. This team fights for Jeff Lebby, but the results just aren’t there. A win at Ole Miss next week is unlikely, but there are pieces to build around for 2025 and beyond on this roster.
15. Kentucky (4-7, 1-7)
Previous ranking: 15
This week: 31-14 L at No. 3 Texas
Next week: vs. Louisville
This has been an awful season for the Wildcats. Can they salvage a bit of momentum for 2025 by beating rival Louisville? The Cardinals have struggled down the stretch, but the old cliché is to throw out the records when rivals play. We’ll see what happens on Saturday. A season-ending loss to a rival won’t go over well in Lexington.
14. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5)
Previous ranking: 16
This week: 24-3 W over No. 7 Alabama
Next week: at LSU
Oklahoma didn’t just beat Alabama – it demolished the Tide. Danny Stutsman and the defense put on a virtuoso performance, confusing Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense all night long. Jackson Arnold looked like Lamar Jackson running the ball. This team will be going to a bowl game this season. Now we’ll see if they can continue the momentum in Death Valley to close out the regular season.
13. Auburn (5-6, 2-5)
Previous ranking: 13
This week: 43-41 W over No. 15 Texas A&M (4OT)
Next week: at Alabama
Wow. What a showing from the Tigers. After jumping out to a 21-0 lead over the shellshocked Aggies, Auburn tried to give the game away. But once it got to overtime, the Jordan-Hare magic took over. A victory in 4 overtimes will be remembered for a long time on The Plains. Now an upset over Alabama in the Iron Bowl would get the Tigers to a bowl game. Crazier things have happened…
12. Arkansas (6-5, 3-4)
Previous ranking: 12
This week: 35-14 W over Louisiana Tech
Next week: at Mizzou
The Hogs clinched a bowl berth with a solid (if not overly impressive) win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Will that be enough to save Sam Pittman’s job? That could depend on how Arkansas looks in a rivalry game at Mizzou to close out the regular season. When Arkansas is playing its best, it has the talent necessary to take down the Tigers.
11. Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4)
Previous ranking: 9
This week: 24-17 L at LSU
Next week: vs. Tennessee
The Commodores have come back down to earth a bit after some magic to start the SEC season. Still, Clark Lea has built a program that can’t be taken lightly moving forward, and that’s a better spot than Vanderbilt’s been in years. The Vols have Playoff aspirations heading into Rivalry Week, and there’s nothing the Commodores would love more than to spoil Tennessee’s season.
10. LSU (7-4, 4-3)
Previous ranking: 11
This week: 24-17 W over Vanderbilt
Next week: vs. Oklahoma
Things are getting toxic in Baton Rouge. After Vanderbilt took an early 7-0 lead, some fans were chanting about firing Brian Kelly. He can’t stop yelling at players. The offense did just enough to beat a tough Commodores squad, yes, but Oklahoma comes to town to end the regular season coming off a dominant victory over Alabama.
9. Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3)
Previous ranking: 3
This week: 24-17 L at Florida
Next week: vs. Mississippi State
The Rebels had all of their goals ahead of them. They just needed to beat the Gators and then take care of business in the Egg Bowl against the worst team in the SEC. Instead, they fell flat on their faces in The Swamp. Credit to Florida, but Lane Kiffin’s 4th-down decisions and Jaxson Dart’s late-game collapse deserve a lot of criticism, too.
8. Florida (6-5, 4-4)
Previous ranking: 10
This week: 24-17 W over No. 9 Ole Miss
Next week: at Florida State
It’s looking more and more like the decision not to fire Billy Napier was the right one. That’s a much-needed win for embattled Florida AD Scott Stricklin. Napier urged patience when he was building this program, and now it’s paying off. Not many would have predicted that the Gators would have a chance to finish the regular season with a 7-5 record back in late September.
7. Mizzou (8-3, 4-3)
Previous ranking: 8
This week: 39-20 W at Mississippi State
Next week: vs. Arkansas
The Tigers take care of business against teams they’re supposed to beat. They’re what some would call a good bad team. Beat up on teams below you in the standings and lose to those ahead. There’s nothing wrong with that, as the Tigers still have a chance at a 10-win season. But fans were hoping for a bit more, particularly from this star-studded offense.
6. Alabama (8-3, 4-3)
Previous ranking: 2
This week: 24-3 L at Oklahoma
Next week: vs. Auburn
Alabama has been a very confusing team this year. On one hand, the Tide have taken down Georgia, South Carolina and LSU. On the other, they’ve lost at Vanderbilt, at Tennessee and at Oklahoma. The Oklahoma loss has all but buried the Tide’s Playoff hopes. This wasn’t the Year 1 most fans were hoping for from Kalen DeBoer.
5. Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2)
Previous ranking: 5
This week: 43-41 L at Auburn (4OT)
Next week: vs. Texas
This loss hurt, but the Aggies still have a path to the College Football Playoff. They need to beat rival Texas in what should be one of the craziest environments of the season at Kyle Field. Then they probably need to win the SEC Championship Game to avoid a 4th loss. That would clinch a top-4 seed. We’ll see if the Aggies are up to the task.
4. South Carolina (8-3, 5-3)
Previous ranking: 7
This week: 56-12 W over Wofford
Next week: at Clemson
The game of the week this coming Saturday might actually take place at Clemson, where the Gamecocks will be hungry to score a big-time road win to show they belong in the Playoff, even with 3 losses. Expect South Carolina to be ready to play on Saturday afternoon. This should be a primetime game, not a noon kickoff.
3. Tennessee (9-2, 5-2)
Previous ranking: 6
This week: 56-0 W over UTEP
Next week: at Vanderbilt
No one in the SEC benefited from Week 13 more than the Vols, who sat back and watched chaos ensue. Now if they can win at Vanderbilt (no easy task this year), they should be in the Playoff field at 10-2. And they won’t have to risk a third loss in the SEC Championship Game. The offense needs to get off to a quicker start against Vanderbilt than it did in an eventual blowout win over UTEP on Saturday.
2. Georgia (9-2, 6-2)
Previous ranking: 4
This week: 59-21 W over UMass
Next week: vs. Georgia Tech
For a team that allowed 21 points at home to UMass, Saturday actually turned out really well for the Bulldogs. They clinched a spot in the SEC Championship Game due to the chaos that happened across the rest of the league. And their Playoff hopes got a big boost, too. Not a bad weekend, though I’m sure Kirby Smart will be all over the Georgia defense for its lackluster effort.
1. Texas (10-1, 6-1)
Previous ranking: 1
This week: 31-14 W over Kentucky
Next week: at Texas A&M
Obviously, the Longhorns’ ability to stay at No. 1 in these rankings hinges on the health of QB Quinn Ewers. I like Arch Manning, but being thrust into a situation where he might have to start at Kyle Field in the first game in the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry since 2011 is not ideal. Ewers is expected to start, but we’ll see how effective he’s able to be.
The Volginas.
Choking since 1998.
Classy, Beavis.
Georgia, the only blue voting state in the SEC. Also copy the G from Green Bay and also only Southern state to pay homage to a Northern fight song The Battle Hymn of the Republic…
GT is going to beat them
if…
GT wins…
Georgia will be the three loss team in the playoff
No they won’t. Losing to a 4 loss ACC team is enough to let South Carolina slip by if they beat Clemson.
The old blue blood Georgia
or a well-liked young old friend [South Carolina] that you haven’t seen around these parts [playoff territory] in a long while. “Been a long time, friend.”
Georgia has already beaten Clemson handily so that win would only carry you so far. Additional Georgia Tech has the same record as LSU.
At the end of the day Tech should be a win, but it has been a crazy year. Point is I don’t see it either way.
Is that so, pig? I love how chirpy South Carolina fans get whenever their team isn’t an utter floor mat.
I guess someone missed that whole election thing a couple weeks ago.
Do the names Ossoff and Warnock mean anything to you?
Not my Senators, however I do know they were not on the Ballot this year.
“Do the names Ossoff and Warnock mean anything to you?”
It’s funny how you left out the freaking governor who is a Repub lican.
You also left out the fact that GA is solid red.
Trump won GA, retard.
Very little in the South is solid red or blue, inbreeding has turned it full-on purple.
What’s it like living 160 years in the past?
What’s it like living in a blue state?
“What’s it like living in a blue state?”
You are effing stupid.
GA has a Rep governor, house and senate.
Trump won GA.
G F Y
You know the Civil War ended 159 years ago, right? This is a football discussion site. Leave politics alone here.
I guess some Tennessee fans didn’t pay attention to the recent election
“I guess some Tennessee fans didn’t pay attention to the recent election”
They’re illiterate and retarded. I live in GA. I know.
GA is not a blue state.
“Georgia, the only blue voting state”
Trump won GA. Kemp beat Fatty Abrams.
GA is red, buddy.
I thought that’s what UGA did when they go up against Bama?
mzsuk
Brian Kelly…
needs a season ending victory against Oklahoma, the bowl game can go either way but a win there would be nice too; then he’s gonna need 7 or 8 victories before he loses next year…
he doesn’t have much room for error.
Lots of fun games this Saturday. This for sure is one I wouldn’t bet on…
I was at the Vandy game last weekend Grit, the first couple minutes started poorly. Some people were chanting to fire Kelly, I attribute that to the drink. What I took away from the game is after the opening Vandy TD pass the Tiger offense settled down and answered with a score, our defense tightened up and Vandy didn’t see the end zone again until the six minute mark of the fourth quarter. The team hasn’t quit on Kelly and most of the fans haven’t either, this whole “toxic environment” narrative is clickbait bs.
Drunk or not, they meant what they chanted. I agree that he has to win this week. A 7-5 record would be viewed as unacceptable. But I also agree that it’s not a toxic environment. Sloan may have to go, not a great loss.
Bama Bengal…
thank you for your post…
good to know the team hasn’t quit on Kelly; I believe in Kelly, but he’s in a tough spot and that may be right where he needs to be, because there’s only one way out to get out of the corner one has been backed into.
Kelly is a passionate fighter, his team knows that and it’s why they haven’t quit on him.
If Florida could play every game at the swamp, then they might do well enough to be in the top half of the SEC. They haven’t shown up on the road though, at least not against a team with a pulse. The same is true of Missouri and South Carolina. An upset or two at home shouldn’t really propel you to the top half of the SEC when you don’t show up at all against decent teams on the road.
What are you trying to spin? You’ve said this in multiple comments now.
Oklahoma capacity is 83.5k. That’s not a significant away win? Tell that to Alabama.
What about losing an SEC game at home to mid shelf team?
I’m not sure who you think should be at the top of the SEC but can guarantee there’s a few gaping holes in your logic for whatever teams you pick.
Oklahoma stinks. They are 14th on this list. You consider that a “significant” win? sheesh. I’m not trying to “spin” anything. Just stating facts. Those three teams have not shown up against good teams on the road.
and yes, you are correct, SC also lost to a mid-tier team at home. If you agree with this ranking, they actually lost to TWO mid-tier teams at home, one by three scores.
This author, for a challenge, should power rank “weekly” the “weak” SEC based on how their game of that week was played…
for example, it would be…
16. ALABAMA [8-3, 4-3]
Previous ranking: 2
Previous week’s #2 ranking was deserved, and this week’s #16 ranking would also be deserved…
no SEC team other than Alabama scored less the 14; Alabama’s 3 says more about Milroe than any other player on Alabama’s roster…
Milroe is a senior and he should be a leader, with everything on the line, lead he did not do in Norman. The waves Milroe had caused before he arrived in Norman, calmed in Norman.
sidenote: does anyone else notice that both Georgia and Alabama have been losing road games; funny little sidenote of my own, Alabama and Georgia, when it comes to the games they get to play in the CFP have been home more often than not…
O’Gara: “Significant? You bet!”
How would you rank the top 6 teams?
Georgia, they play home games here on out
Texas, could win it all, could also lose their first playoff game, if they get there.
ATexasM, top six if they beat Texas
Tennessee in a playoff game with Vanderbilt
South Carolina, maybe, if they win out
no need to go any further…
How to poll voters ranked them:
AP 1) Texas, 2) Georgia, 3) Tennessee, 4)Alabama, 5) Ole Miss, 6) South Carolina, 7) Texas A&M 8-16) the rest not worthy of consideration.
Coaches 1) Texas, 2) Georgia, 3) Tennessee, 4)Alabama, 5) South Carolina, 6) Ole Miss, 7) Texas A&M 8)Missouri 9-16) the rest not worthy of consideration.
In this crazy year, there is certainly room for disagreement, but those two authoritative sources are good enough for me even though I do not 100% agree with them.
Interestingly, Sagarin, which is a true power ranking using actual metrics (which of course is only as good as the algorithm developer makes it but is fun to look at nonetheless) has 1) Texas, 2) Georgia, 3)Ole Miss, 4) Alabama, 5) Tennessee, 6) South Carolina, 7) Texas A&M, 8) Oklahoma (?!), 9) Florida, 10) LSU, 11) Missouri, 12) Auburn, 13) Arkansas, 14) Kentucky, 15) Vanderbilt, 16) Mississippi State.
It seems that the only thing that everyone agrees on is 1) Texas, 2) Georgia and 16) Mississippi State. Everything in between is open for debate.
I go with the JP poll
Obviously a ton of you guys at SDS are trying to create a wave of recency bias for S. Carolina. They’ve lost to both Bama and LSU and completely dismantled by Ole Miss. One thing about waves, they always crash. Good luck.
No sane person should or would rank Texas ahead of Georgia (of course “sane” excludes the playoff committee). Even if Georgia hadn’t beaten the tar out of Texas on the field in Austin (which is a huge IF), UGA’s resume of is much better. The craziness continues . . .