Week 9 in the SEC was a lot of chalk. We had several top teams, like Alabama, LSU and Mizzou, taking the weekend off.

We had Georgia looking like the No. 1 team. We had ranked Ole Miss and Tennessee squads taking care of business. Bad teams looked bad. Good teams looked good.

That led to a mostly stagnant update to our power rankings, but there were a few changes in store after Week 9.

Here’s a look at how things stand around the league heading into Week 10:

14. Vanderbilt (2-7 overall, 0-5 in SEC)

Previous ranking: 14
This week: 33-7 L to No. 12 Ole Miss
Next week: vs. Auburn

Ho-hum. Another week, another loss in which Vanderbilt wasn’t even competitive. All the compliments I gave this team earlier in the year about playing hard? They’re done. This is awful. The Commodores are cruising to an 0-8 SEC season if they can’t beat Auburn in Nashville next weekend.

13. Arkansas (2-6, 0-5)

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

This has obviously not been a good year at all for Arkansas. Yes, the Hogs should beat FIU later this year, but this has the chance to be a Vanderbilt-like 0-8 SEC season for Sam Pittman and company. Florida, Auburn and Mizzou remain on the SEC slate for the Hogs. Could Pittman survive an 0-8 SEC record? Arkansas fans are hoping we don’t have to find out the answer to that question.

12. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4)

Previous ranking: 12
This week: 27-13 L at Auburn
Next week: vs. Kentucky

This offense has absolutely fallen off a cliff. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea for Zach Arnett to pivot so far away from Mike Leach’s Air Raid system. Kentucky is another team struggling offensively, so let’s hold off our final judgements of this team until next weekend’s game is in the books, but it’s not looking good for Arnett at the moment.

11. South Carolina (2-6, 1-5)

Previous ranking: 11
This week: 30-17 L to Texas A&M
Next week: vs. Jacksonville State

The Gamecocks need to be dropped lower, but I can’t do it because the 3 teams ranked below them are even more incompetent somehow than Shane Beamer’s squad. Yes, I know this team has injury issues, but this is not where Gamecocks fans thought they’d be after last year’s impressive finish. I’m not going to dive into certain rumors in this space, but suffice it to say Beamer needs a strong finish again this year if he wants to avoid being on the hot seat heading into 2024.

10. Auburn (4-4, 1-4)

Previous ranking: 10
This week: 27-13 W over Mississippi State
Next week: at Vanderbilt

No, Auburn doesn’t move up in the rankings this week after beating lowly Mississippi State in convincing fashion, but there is the potential to make a jump in the coming weeks. Payton Thorne looked, shall we say, competent throwing the football against a bad Bulldogs team. If the Tigers can improve to 5-4 overall next week against lowly Vanderbilt, we can start to have a talk of moving them into the top 9.

9. Kentucky (5-3, 2-3)

Previous ranking: 9
This week: 33-27 L to No. 21 Tennessee
Next week: at Mississippi State

Yet another team I can’t dock after a disappointing loss because the other teams below it are so disappointing. The good news is that QB Devin Leary had perhaps his best game in a Kentucky uniform. If he can build off of that momentum next week in Starkville, that’ll be a great thing for Mark Stoops and company. There are playmakers on this team. Leary just needs to get them the ball.

8. Florida (5-3, 3-2)

Previous ranking: 6
This week: 43-20 L to No. 1 Georgia
Next week: vs. Arkansas

This is going to sound weird, but the game I wish I could see most down the stretch this year is Florida-Texas A&M on a neutral field. These, to me, are the exact same teams. I have no idea who to put at 8 and who to put at 7. I went with the Aggies at 7 this week since they won and bumped the Gators down to 8. But I want to see these 2 teams play in Nashville or something.

7. Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2)

Previous ranking: 8
This week: 30-17 W over South Carolina
Next week: at Ole Miss

As mentioned above (I’m just going to keep talking about this), if Jimbo Fisher and Billy Napier just switched teams for these final 4 weeks, would it make a difference? I’m not so sure it would. They beat the teams they should beat and lose on the road to better or equal teams. If the Gators and Aggies traded Napier for Fisher this offseason, would both schools be better off? Worse off? The exact same?

6. Tennessee (6-2, 3-2)

Previous ranking: 7
This week: 33-27 W over Kentucky
Next week: vs. UConn

No, Kentucky isn’t as great as it has been in years past, but this was still a very solid Devin Leary game. Tennessee took the Wildcats’ best shots in Lexington and still earned a convincing win. The Vols are going to be dangerous down the stretch. They still have Georgia and Mizzou on their schedule. After this weird nonconference matchup against UConn, they’ll have their say in the SEC East race.

5. Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1)

Previous ranking: 5
This week: 33-7 W over Vanderbilt
Next week: vs. Texas A&M

Ole Miss is lurking as the biggest threat to completely shake things up in the SEC down the stretch. No, the Rebels are not getting much credit for beating Vanderbilt in Oxford on Saturday, but this team has the opportunity to knock off Georgia in a couple of weeks. The Rebels just need to keep winning and they could still reach Atlanta. That’s right where you want to be as the calendar nears a flip to November.

4. Mizzou (7-1, 3-1)

Previous ranking: 4
This week: OFF
Next week: at Georgia

The top 4 teams in the SEC will all face each other next weekend. That’s incredible. And all 14 SEC teams will be in action! But the biggest game in the SEC East takes place in Athens, where 7-1 Mizzou faces 8-0 Georgia with first place in the division on the line. The Tigers gave the Dawgs all they could handle last year in Columbia. Can they take their show on the road?

3. LSU (6-2, 4-1)

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

LSU has had a couple of disappointing losses this year, albeit to a pair of teams that are still very much alive in the Playoff race. All of that disappointment can go away if the Tigers go into Tuscaloosa and score a big win against Alabama, though. Also at stake? If Jayden Daniels plays well and LSU beats the Tide, he should be at No. 1 on everyone’s Heisman list.

2. Alabama (7-1, 5-0)

Previous ranking: 2
This week: OFF
Next week: vs. LSU

Alabama holds steady this week. As with LSU in the No. 3 spot, a huge showdown awaits. The SEC West title is potentially on the line (though Ole Miss will still potentially have a say in that). It’ll be a night game on CBS. What could be better? Will Alabama’s offense be able to keep up with LSU’s? Will LSU’s defense be able to get as many stops as Alabama’s? This is going to be a fun matchup!

1. Georgia (8-0, 5-0)

Previous ranking: 1
This week: 43-20 W over Florida
Next week: vs. Mizzou

The Bulldogs are No. 1. Anyone who tells you the Bulldogs shouldn’t be No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff poll on Tuesday night is just trying to pick a fight. The Dawgs are as complete a team as there is in the entire country. Oscar Delp looked great filling in for Brock Bowers. This remains an elite team.