While there were a few bigger games on the national scene in Week 7, including Washington-Oregon, the SEC had plenty of intrigue on Saturday as well.

Some of the league’s top teams survived lackluster performances. Some middle-of-the-pack teams turned it up a notch. A few programs are ready to press the panic button.

How do we sort through a busy weekend of SEC football as Week 8 quickly approaches? Here’s a look at our updated SEC power rankings after Week 7 action:

14. Vanderbilt (2-6 overall, 0-4 in SEC)

Previous ranking: 14
This week: 37-20 L to No. 1 Georgia
Next week: OFF

The Commodores played the No. 1 team in the country tough, but that doesn’t count when it comes to the wins column. Vanderbilt has shown fight all year long, but until that starts to result in SEC victories, I have no choice but to keep the Commodores at the bottom of the rankings.

13. Arkansas (2-5, 0-4)

Previous ranking: 12
This week: 24-21 L to No. 11 Alabama
Next week: vs. Mississippi State

Yes, Arkansas played well at Alabama, but the fact of the matter is the Hogs went 0-1 this week. They’re now 2-5 on the season and things are not going well in Fayetteville. They have a big home game against Mississippi State this week to try to get things together before a chance at a bowl berth slips away.

12. Mississippi State (3-3, 0-3)

Previous ranking: 13
This week: OFF
Next week: at Arkansas

The Bulldogs got some much needed time off this weekend. Will it pay off? They have a big trip to Fayetteville this coming Saturday. The loser of that game might very well finish in last place in the SEC West this year. That’s not a spot either of these squads want to be.

11. Auburn (3-3, 0-3)

Previous ranking: 11
This week: 48-18 L to No. 22 LSU
Next week: vs. Ole Miss

Auburn didn’t handle its first test against a high-powered SEC West offense well, getting torched by the LSU Tigers this weekend. Now Ole Miss comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium. If Hugh Freeze can’t figure out a way to get his offense in the end zone more often, the game against the Rebels could get ugly, too.

10. South Carolina (2-4, 1-3)

Previous ranking: 10
This week: 41-39 L to Florida
Next week: at Mizzou

The offense was exciting on Saturday as the Gamecocks put up 39 points on Florida. But the defense was not good at all, giving up 41 points. The Gamecocks haven’t really put together a solid all-around performance yet this season. A trip to Mizzou this coming weekend won’t be easy. The Tigers are playing great football and could put up even more than 41 points if things don’t change for South Carolina.

9. Florida (5-2, 3-1)

Previous ranking: 9
This week: 41-39 W at South Carolina
Next week: OFF

The Gators showed they can, in fact, win away from The Swamp. That was big. But South Carolina is not one of the better SEC teams this season. Now, if they can go to Jacksonville and beat No. 1 Georgia in a couple of weeks? That would be something. Crazy things happen at the Cocktail Party…

8. Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)

Previous ranking: 8
This week: 38-21 L to Mizzou
Next week: OFF

The Wildcats are lucky I can’t really move them lower, considering they demolished Florida earlier this year. But there are some major issues on both sides of the ball here. Every fan base likes to panic after losing to Mizzou, but the Tigers are good this year. Kentucky proved Saturday night that it’s a tick behind Mizzou in 2023. We’ll see if the off week can help QB Devin Leary get back on track.

7. Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2)

Previous ranking: 5
This week: 20-13 L to No. 19 Tennessee
Next week: OFF

Yes, the Aggies rank higher than a couple of 5-win teams, but their 2 SEC losses have been against Alabama and at Tennessee. The defense is legit. The offense needs to use this off week to get back on track under backup QB Max Johnson. He needs to be better than he was on Saturday afternoon for the Aggies to stay in the mix for a solid bowl game.

6. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1)

Previous ranking: 7
This week: 20-13 W over Texas A&M
Next week: at Alabama

The Vols’ offense didn’t look great against Texas A&M’s stout defense, but they proved they can win in tough battles against quality SEC teams. Surprise, surprise – that’ll come into play again next week as Tennessee heads to Alabama. This was the perfect confidence-boosting victory for the Vols. Can they make a statement at Bryant-Denny Stadium next Saturday?

5. Mizzou (6-1, 2-1)

Previous ranking: 6
This week: 38-21 W over No. 24 Kentucky
Next week: vs. South Carolina

That was a statement win for the Tigers. Nothing was working well in the first half. That’s usually when the Tigers compound their struggles with self-inflicted wounds. Not this time. On Saturday night in Lexington, Mizzou picked itself up and bounced back to score a resounding 38-21 road victory. Kentucky did a good job of limiting Luther Burden to 2 catches for 15 yards, but the Tigers have so many weapons that it didn’t matter. Great win for Eli Drinkwitz and company.

4. LSU (5-2, 4-1)

Previous ranking: 4
This week: 48-18 W over Auburn
Next week: vs. Army

LSU might be the best 2-loss team in the country. Jayden Daniels deserves even more Heisman buzz than he’s getting. Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas form one of the best WR tandems in America. The Tigers play a strange nonconference game against Army this weekend before returning to SEC action, so we’ll see if they can build even more momentum for the home stretch of their season.

3. Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1)

Previous ranking: 3
This week: OFF
Next week: at Auburn

LSU provided the blueprint for how to beat Auburn on Saturday. Can the Rebels put a similarly lopsided defeat on the Tigers this coming weekend? Lane Kiffin’s crew is coming out of an off week, so they should be fresh and energized. That’s bad news for an Auburn squad that needs a chance to regroup offensively and defensively.

2. Alabama (6-1, 4-0)

Previous ranking: 2
This week: 24-21 W over Arkansas
Next week: vs. Tennessee

Alabama barely escaped against Arkansas on Saturday, but the Tide did just enough to avoid the major upset. You can bet Nick Saban will use this week’s lackluster effort to motivate his team ahead of a visit from Tennessee this weekend. The Tide can’t get away with this week’s performance when the Vols head to Tuscaloosa.

1. Georgia (7-0, 4-0)

Previous ranking: 1
This week: 37-20 W over Vanderbilt
Next week: OFF

Another week, another so-so showing from the No. 1 team in the nation. But the Bulldogs keep piling up wins, and that’s all that matters. Now the Dawgs get a week off ahead of a looming rivalry game vs. Florida in Jacksonville. With a week off to improve, could the Cocktail Party turn into a statement game for Georgia?