SEC Power Rankings after Week 2
Y’all.
The SEC might not be good this year.
Alabama lost to Texas. Vanderbilt lost to Wake Forest. Mizzou struggled against Middle Tennessee. Tennessee had problems with FCS foe Austin Peay. Kentucky struggled vs. Eastern Kentucky.
It hasn’t been a banner year for the league thus far, but of course, there’s still time to turn things around. Can the SEC get back on track starting in Week 3?
We’ll see what happens moving forward, but the SEC is going to face its fair share of media scrutiny this coming week.
That said, here’s a look at our updated power rankings after Week 2:
14. Vanderbilt (2-1)
Last week: 36-20 L to Wake Forest
This week: at UNLV
Previous ranking: 14
The writing was on the wall when Vanderbilt couldn’t beat up on weaker foes like Hawaii and Alabama A&M. Sure, the Commodores won those games, but they weren’t dominant performances. Thus, Saturday’s loss at Wake Forest wasn’t a huge surprise. This team still has a long way to go to be a bowl-worthy squad.
13. Florida (1-1)
Last week: 49-7 W over McNeese
This week: vs. Tennessee
Previous ranking: 13
Forgive me for not moving the Gators up after a dominant win over an FCS opponent. Yes, this was a solid confidence booster, but Florida needs to be even better when Tennessee comes to The Swamp next weekend. That should be a true test of where this Florida program is in Year 2 under Billy Napier.
12. South Carolina (1-1)
Last week: 47-21 W over Furman
This week: at Georgia
Previous ranking: 12
Giving up 21 points at home to an FCS opponent when you’re going into a game at No. 1 Georgia. The defense has major question marks. The offensive line is still a problem. Things could get ugly at Sanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon unless Spencer Rattler has a transcendent performance.
11. Texas A&M (1-1)
Last week: 48-33 L at Miami
This week: vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Previous ranking: 5
Oof. Let the Jimbo Fisher hot seat rumors intensify yet again. After taking a 17-7 lead in this game, the Aggies completely imploded in Miami on Saturday afternoon. This was a bad loss for Texas A&M and a bad sign for what’s to come the rest of the year. Can Fisher survive the 2023 season? He’s off to an awful start.
10. Mizzou (2-0)
Last week: 23-19 W over Middle Tennessee
This week: vs. Kansas State
Previous ranking: 10
The Tigers, like many of the teams already mentioned in these rankings, have problems. The offense is lackluster. Brady Cook might not be the answer at quarterback. No one is stepping up in the receiving corps alongside Luther Burden. The defense isn’t as dominant as it was last year. But wins are wins, and the Tigers have 2 of them. We’ll see if that holds when a tough Kansas State team visits Columbia next weekend.
9. Kentucky (2-0)
Last week: 28-17 W over E Kentucky
This week: vs. Akron
Previous ranking: 8
Much like Mizzou above, the Wildcats keep winning, but are doing so in less-than-impressive fashion. The offensive line isn’t great. The defense allowed too many points to an FCS foe. Devin Leary doesn’t seem to have settled in at quarterback just yet. The Wildcats have 1 more tuneup against a MAC school next weekend before SEC action starts and things get real.
8. Auburn (2-0)
Last week: 14-10 W at Cal
This week: vs. Samford
Previous ranking: 9
I guess this is where we’ll put the Tigers? Auburn didn’t impress offensively in a Pac-12 After Dark game at Cal late Saturday night, but a win is a win. And with the league’s struggles against Power 5 nonconference foes thus far, a win over the Bears is nothing to turn your nose up at. Yes, there’s a lot of work for Hugh Freeze and his staff to do moving forward, but sitting at 2-0 is a good sign.
7. Mississippi State (2-0)
Last week: 31-24 (OT) W over Arizona
This week: vs. LSU
Previous ranking: 11
This is as much about Mississippi State pulling off a nice win as it is about the rest of the SEC struggling. I have no idea what to make of the middle-of-the-pack SEC squads through 2 weeks. Mississippi State showed a lot of heart beating Arizona in OT in Starkville, though. Can they knock off LSU in Starkville next weekend? Don’t rule anything out in the SEC this year.
6. Arkansas (2-0)
Last week: 28-6 W over Kent State
This week: vs. BYU
Previous ranking: 6
The Hogs hold steady after a solid, but not overly exciting, victory against Kent State on Saturday. The defense looked sharp, though, and that’s encouraging. This week, the Hogs take on an interesting opponent when new Big 12 school BYU pays a visit to Fayetteville.
5. LSU (1-1)
Last week: 72-10 W over Grambling
This week: at Mississippi State
Previous ranking: 7
The Tigers jump a couple of spots due to ineptitude around the rest of the conference. I don’t put too much stock in a dominant win over an FCS foe, but it was a good offensive night for the Tigers. If Jayden Daniels can carry this confidence into next week, LSU has a real chance to go into Starkville and make a statement to start SEC play.
4. Alabama (1-1)
Last week: 34-24 L to No. 11 Texas
This week: at USF
Previous ranking: 2
Did Alabama get schooled on Saturday night at home by the Longhorns? Yes. Do I still think Alabama can beat everyone else we’ve already discussed in these rankings? Also yes. The Tide have some problems on offense. The defense isn’t pressuring the QB the way it needs to. But there’s talent to work with in Tuscaloosa. And it’s a down year in the SEC. That helps, too.
3. Tennessee (2-0)
Last week: 30-13 W over Austin Peay
This week: at Florida
Previous ranking: 3
Yeah … there were concerning signs for Tennessee against FCS foe Austin Peay on Saturday evening. Joe Milton struggled in the first half as the Vols scored late to take a narrow 13-6 lead into the intermission. He started 1-for-8 passing for 11 yards. But he came on strong in the second half, finishing the game with 228 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The running attack remains dominant. There are good things happening, but it’ll be important to show signs of improvement next weekend.
2. Ole Miss (2-0)
Last week: 37-20 W over No. 24 Tulane
This week: vs. Georgia Tech
Previous ranking: 4
Going to Tulane and scoring a win, even in a game where Green Wave QB Michael Pratt didn’t play due to injury, is impressive. This is a really good Tulane team. Ole Miss struggled early, but stayed the course and picked up the victory. Lane Kiffin was his usual aggressive self, going for it on a couple of key first downs and trusting his kicker with a career-long 56-yard field goal. He pressed all the right buttons. It’s clear he trusts DC Pete Golding. The Rebels are for real.
1. Georgia (2-0)
Last week: 45-3 W over Ball State
This week: vs. South Carolina
Previous ranking: 1
As the rest of the SEC struggles, Georgia keeps chugging along. Now, the Bulldogs haven’t played any school even remotely as competent as the Power 5 schools the rest of the SEC is struggling with, but you have to admire what the Dawgs are doing. The offense is balanced through the air and the defense continues to thrive. This is still the best team in the country, folks.
Based on the overreaction article, UGA is barely in the top 10. Doesn’t really matter. The games will give us the answer, starting next week.
Really would love to see a bit more push and bullying from our offensive line. Hoping we right that in the SC game.
Lots of unknowns on many teams. The schedule finally starts to pick up with competition and the contenders will start to separate themselves from the pretenders.
Next few weeks are going to be very interesting.
I would hardly call requiring OT to beat Arizona at home a “nice win” for State, but it is a win. I believe that Ole Miss is the only SEC team to beat a ranked team and they did it on the road. That is a nice win, but not deserving of the number two spot in the conference by any stretch. Ole Miss has a lot of issues that they had better fix fast with the brutal upcoming schedule.
I would love to say that Ole Miss is the second best team in the conference, but I haven’t seen anything to support that yet
I agree. But, I think the true realization this weekend is that the SEC west is wide open. Everyone looks beatable. If anything, OleMiss deserves to be in the conversation more than most on this site have considered so far.
Agreed. The West is pretty open. Who wants it? Everyone will say they do, but nobody is playing like it.
Although I would love to be able to say that Ole Miss is the second best team in the conference, I agree that they have not done anything to merit that spot yet.
So then put someone else at No. 2.
You can say Ole Miss doesn’t deserve it all you want, but if you look around the rest of the league, who gets the No. 2 spot? Should I put Georgia at No. 1 and No. 2?
Totally agree. Honestly these first 2 weeks have looked awful around the league. Worst start for the SEC that I can remember in at least a decade.
Adam how does Mizzou stay at 10? They barely escape two FCS programs.
“They barely escape two FCS programs.”
Wrong and wrong.
It seems most of the teams on this list found their placement via default. That’s an odd thing for the SEC. The whole conference could use a dose of moxie.
Lots of struggles around the league. Is the league just that bad? I don’t think so but it clearly isn’t as good as many thought. As far as the power rankings go you could switch a lot of teams around and make a pretty good argument. Ole miss at 2 seems like a stretch. Pratt is the most important player on that team. But nobody else really stepped up so they are as good a pick for #2 as several others. Thankful to start sec play… I think. Vols better bring their A game to Gainesville and leave that other team at home.
2 is a stretch but honestly anyone at 2 would feel off right now.
OleMiss is a good team in a wide open SEC west who overcame adversity on the road against a good squad. Need to get the receiving corps healthy before SEC play. My guess is the SEC west champ will be a 2 loss team this year.
Struggles for sure but WR isn’t one of them. Burden is getting the ball because Burden is good. Doesn’t mean no one else is. I really like what I’ve seen so from Wease and Miller. Should’ve been a 31-10 win last night. Missed extra point and safety… Brady Cook doing Brady Cook things… same sh** as last year.
Yes, it does appear to be a down year for the SEC. Several SEC teams, especially Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M, were probably overrated coming into the season. I’m not a big SEC fan, but I do pull for SEC teams, generally speaking, in non-conference games. I was pulling for Tulane and Texas yesterday, because Tulane is a Louisiana team and Texas was playing Alabama. I was pulling for Texas A&M. I didn’t see the game against Miami, and I’m wondering how Miami managed to score 48 points against a supposedly very good A&M defense.
Miami scored 48 bc this is basically the same ATM team as last year. Why they keep getting propped up year after year in the rankings is bamboozling to me…
No, that’s too easy. If you’re implying that they are inconsistent, I can’t argue with that. But they were playing a lot of freshmen last year, so inconsistent play was expected. They are more experienced now and loaded with talent. That Miami score was inexcusable.
Miami made it look easy on offense. The Aggie D was terrible. Terrible.
Bama, LSU and A&M all look quite vulnerable. This should at least make the West race wide open and more interesting this year.
Also, credit to those schools for actually scheduling real nonconference opponents unlike a certain back-to-back national championship team.
stay salty
It’s still early, but so far this league is an enigma. First time in a while the SECCG participants are far from clear. Don’t quite know if it’s a really down year for the SEC, or the BIG12 and PAC12 are just loaded, or both.
Should be a fun season!
The ACC doesn’t look too shabby, either. Take it from an LSU fan.
A single non-conference loss isn’t going to keep Bama, LSU, or TAMU out of the playoffs if one wins the SEC. They feel vulnerable at week 2, but may be worldbeaters by end of season.
UGA is just looking ho-hum. Some of that feels intentional from vanilla play calling to different personnel groups on the field. They’re still trying to figure out what they have. That being said, what other top 10 schools has pulled most of their starters in the 3Q and are playing their 3rd string units during Q4?
Finally, something like 10 or the 14 SEC schools have new OCs/playcallers this year. Quite a few of thise sale teams have 1st year starting QBs. Frankly it doesn’t shock me that there ate slow starts and early hiccups.
If Arkansas is the 6th best team this league is really bad. Evidently you didn’t watch that game. The coach and fans were embarrassed by the inability to score most of the first half.
I would rank Georgia, LSU, Bama, and ole miss anthe rest tied for 14.
Really interesting to see the difference in opinion of Tennessee vs FCS and South Carolina vs FCS.
Y’all don’t make much sense. Last week we were underrated, this week we are overrated. I should hope a middle of the pack SEC team that can generate 5 turnovers would not have to go into overtime to beat a non conference team.
Rankings prior to October are pretty useless. I honestly think the Vols are a ? this week. Any result could happen in Hawgtown. I NEVER bet on the Vols. NEVER! They can jump up and slap your team down hard, or go belly up terrible. I just have no idea where in between!
Missouri will have to turn some play book pages this weekend. People forget that Missouri didn’t get run out of the Deuce Vaughn show till the tornado rain blew in last year. Since nobody in the SEC has played their league games these rankings are like blowing smoke out of your shorts at best. Put another way, we’re not buying your favorites promo story.
Why isn’t Florida ahead of South Carolina