SEC Week 3 was another barn-burner. Upsets, games coming down to the last play, we had a little bit of everything. With Week 3 in the books, here’s our updated SEC Power Rankings. As usual, we’re ranking teams based on what we’ve seen, not what might come next. Here’s where they stand.

14. Vanderbilt (0-3, lost to South Carolina 41-7)

The Commodores are the only winless team in the SEC, and they might stay that way for awhile. Vandy can’t score and has an overmatched defense that struggls to keep them in games. Roster depletion due to COVID didn’t help, either. Even in a reduced year, it’s going to be a long season in Nashville.

13. LSU (1-2, lost to Missouri 45-41)

Is this partially just a shock value pick? Well, yes. But losing to Mississippi State and Missouri makes it hard to find too many good things to say about LSU. Given the number of 5-star recruits on this roster, nobody else is doing less with more.

12. Mississippi State (1-2, lost to Kentucky 24-2)

If we weren’t mad at LSU, the Bulldogs would probably be 13th. Losing to Kentucky is one thing. Scoring only a safety at Kentucky the week after Ole Miss put up 42 in Lexington is just not a good sign. This defense can’t win many games without some legitimate help from the offense.

11. South Carolina (1-2, beat Vandy 41-7)

Is Carolina actually any good? This was a game that proved virtually nothing, and it gets Carolina ranked ahead of teams that had soul-crushing losses but not really anybody else.

10. Kentucky (1-2, beat Mississippi State 24-2)

It was a win that Kentucky had to have, and the Cats got it … but a week after wondering if they could stop anybody, we’re now wondering if they can score on anybody.

9. Missouri (1-2, beat LSU 45-41)

Winning with a goal-line defensive stand in a 45-41 game might be the most 2020 thing yet. But the Missouri passing attack looked sharp, and the Tigers picked up a win that should give them plenty of momentum moving forward.

8. Arkansas (1-2, lost to Auburn 30-28)

Yes, it was a loss, but Arkansas took a significantly favored Auburn team down to the closing seconds before falling in part because of a botched call. The Hogs are perhaps the SEC’s positive surprise of the year.

7. Ole Miss (1-2, lost to Alabama 63-48)

This team is a heck of a lot of fun to watch, unless you happen to be a defensive coordinator. Should they actually be 7th, when they’re a doinked extra point from potentially being 0-3? Well, they can score on anybody. But at the same time, forgive us if we’re not entirely sure this spot lasts. 

6. Auburn (2-1, beat Arkansas 30-28)

Beating Arkansas by 2 felt like the emotional equivalent of losing to Georgia by 21. Auburn is not a great team right now, and in fact, isn’t even a very good team right now. The Gus Bus needs a mid-year rally or this could be ugly down the stretch.

5. Tennessee (2-1, lost to Georgia 44-21)

Tennessee lost by 23 and sits still in our power rankings. If you’re wondering how that happens, ask yourself if Tennessee is actually worse than any of the teams ranked lower. Auburn is arguable and Ole Miss might outscore UT in a “Lane Bowl,” but the SEC looks like a couple of great teams, a few pretty good teams, and then some absolute chaos. Including the kind of chaos that holds UT’s spot at 5th.

4. Florida (2-1, lost to Texas A&M 41-38)

Disappointing loss for the Gators, but it could be that the Aggies are both 3+ touchdowns worse than Alabama and still the 2nd-best team in the West. Florida is at a disadvantage now for the East title, but will likely regain control of its destiny if it beats LSU in Week 4.

3. Texas A&M (2-1, beat Florida 41-38)

Are the Aggies really the 3rd-best team in the SEC? Maybe so. It’s hard to pick anybody that deserved to be ranked ahead of them. Certainly not Florida or Tennessee. If A&M does end up 2nd in the West, how could they not actually be 3rd in the SEC?

2. Georgia (3-0, beat Tennessee 44-21)

The Bulldogs definitely make some space ahead of Florida as the top team in the East. Georgia has stretches where it looks as tough as anybody in the nation … and stretches where it looks like the Dawgs could lose to Arkansas or Tennessee.

1.Alabama (3-0, beat Ole Miss 63-48)

The Tide might not get a ton of style points from an Arena-league looking game, but they’re still the best team in the SEC, even if the lack of defensive stops was concerning. Maybe concerning for the CFP Final.