Wow.

What a Week 1 in college football, and particularly in the SEC. We had Georgia’s beatdown of Oregon, Florida upsetting Utah in The Swamp, LSU and Florida State playing a thriller in New Orleans, Alabama shutting out Utah State, and much, much more.

So, which teams were more impressive than the rest? Without further ado, let’s dive into our SEC power rankings following all the Week 1 action:

14. Vanderbilt (2-0)

Previous ranking: 14
This week: 42-31 W over Elon

I’m impressed by the Commodores’ 2-0 record, but I’m not going to overreact to victories over Hawaii and Elon. The offense is clicking, but beating FCS Elon by 11 points in Nashville is hardly a “great” performance. We’ll find out more about Clark Lea’s squad this weekend when a ranked Wake Forest team makes the trip to face the Commodores.

13. Mizzou (1-0)

Previous ranking: 13
This week: 52-24 W over Louisiana Tech

Luther Burden was incredible in his collegiate debut, scoring 2 touchdowns in a well-rounded effort for the Tigers. The defense, loaded with transfers, looked much better than last year’s defensive unit. Yes, they allowed too many big plays and gave up a garbage-time touchdown, but the Tigers looked feisty, which is a good sign heading into a tough Week 2 matchup at Kansas State.

12. Auburn (1-0)

Previous ranking: 12
This week: 42-16 W over Mercer

Auburn’s running game is legit! So is the Tigers’ defense. But the quarterback position is still a concern. Robby Ashford made an impact as a runner, and perhaps the Tigers will look to give him more playing time moving forward. One thing is for sure – TJ Finley’s starting job isn’t very safe heading into Week 2 and beyond.

11. LSU (0-1)

Previous ranking: 8
This week: 24-23 L to Florida State

The offense had trouble scoring for most of the night in New Orleans on Sunday. But a 99-yard drive to cut Florida State’s lead to 24-23 was one for the ages. All the Tigers needed was a simple extra point to send the game into overtime.

Blocked.

What a painful way to lose, especially on a night where a field-goal attempt in the first half had also been blocked. Brain Kelly has his work cut out for him moving forward after a lackluster effort in Week 1.

10. South Carolina (1-0)

Previous ranking: 9
This week: 35-14 W over Georgia State

Georgia State is always a tricky opponent to prepare for, as Tennessee and Auburn have discovered in recent years. But the Gamecocks overcame a slow start to earn a convincing win in Spencer Rattler’s debut as South Carolina’s quarterback. We’ll see if Shane Beamer’s crew can look a bit more convincing moving forward, but they’ll take this win with a smile on their faces.

9. Ole Miss (1-0)

Previous ranking: 6
This week: 28-10 W over Troy

The Ole Miss defense looked stronger than in recent years. The running game was electric with Zach Evans and Ulysses Bentley. But the passing game has a lot of work to do under Jaxson Dart. Lane Kiffin admitted as much after the game. Still, there are plenty of positives to build on heading into Week 2 and beyond.

8. Kentucky (1-0)

Previous ranking: 5
This week: 37-13 W over Miami (Ohio)

The Wildcats always seem to struggle early in these openers against MAC schools. That was the case again Saturday, as it took Kentucky until the second half to really start to pull away. The running game is a concern without Chris Rodriguez, as the Wildcats averaged 1.9 yards per carry. Will Levis threw for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Virginia Tech transfer WR Tayvion Robinson was as advertised, catching 6 passes for 136 yards. But now, a tough test looms, as the Wildcats visit The Swamp on Saturday.

7. Mississippi State (1-0)

Previous ranking: 10
This week: 49-23 W over Memphis

It’s clear the Bulldogs have been waiting a long time to get revenge for last year’s controversial loss to Memphis. Will Rogers threw the ball all over the yard, amassing 450 total yards and 5 touchdowns. Even a lengthy weather delay couldn’t slow down the Mississippi State offense. If Rogers plays like that every week, the Bulldogs will be tough to beat.

6. Texas A&M (1-0)

Previous ranking: 4
This week: 31-0 W over Sam Houston State

Like many A&M fans, I was very impressed with the Aggies’ defense. The offense? Not so much. Haynes King warmed up as the game went on, but I was hoping to see more from a team that some think has the ability to make a run at the College Football Playoff. The team I saw on Saturday is nowhere near Playoff-worthy. The Aggies host a tough Appalachian State team this weekend. We’ll see if King and the offense can look a little smoother.

5. Florida (1-0)

Previous ranking: 11
This week: 29-26 W over No. 7 Utah

Anthony Richardson is the real deal. That is for sure. And Billy Napier is already working wonders in Gainesville. No SEC team had a bigger win than Florida in Week 1, as the Gators took down a Playoff-hopeful Utah squad 29-26 in thrilling fashion. Yes, the Utes had their opportunities to win, but the Gators made one more big play than their foes. This is absolutely a game Florida would have lost the past 2 years. To pick up a win in Napier’s opener signals good things for the weeks to come.

4. Arkansas (1-0)

Previous ranking: 7
This week: 31-24 W over No. 23 Cincinnati

KJ Jefferson was magnificent on Saturday against Cincinnati, accounting for 4 touchdowns – 3 through the air and 1 as a runner. The Razorbacks needed every one of them in a narrow win over a tough Cincinnati squad. Rocket Sanders ran for 117 yards on 20 carries, so Jefferson wasn’t a 1-man show by any means, but it was a performance for the ages in Fayetteville.

3. Tennessee (1-0)

Previous ranking: 3
This week: 59-10 W over Ball State

The Vols looked the part of an elite offensive team in an easy Week 1 win over an overmatched Ball State team. Tougher tests await, starting this weekend with a trip to take on a Pitt team that just narrowly escaped with a win in the Backyard Brawl in Week 1. A win in Pittsburgh will establish the Vols as one of the top teams in the SEC.

2. Georgia (1-0)

Previous ranking: 2
This week: 49-3 W over No. 11 Oregon

I didn’t see Georgia’s dominance coming. Sure, I thought the Bulldogs would beat the Ducks convincingly in Atlanta, but winning by 46 points and not allowing a touchdown? That was a bit of a surprise. Malaki Starks, the 5-star freshman cornerback, is the real deal. I’ve already got him penciled in as a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Stetson Bennett has to be one of the early Heisman favorites after his dominant performance. If this offense continues to look like it did on Saturday, the Bulldogs should make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game with a perfect record.

1. Alabama (1-0)

Previous ranking: 1
This week: 55-0 W over Utah State

Bryce Young looked like the Heisman Trophy winner he is. Will Anderson Jr. looked like a menace to society, wrecking Utah State’s every plan on offense. Georgia transfer WR Jermaine Burton stepped into the offense seamlessly. Even a Nick Saban depth chart rant following the game can’t dampen my enthusiasm for this team. This is the No. 1 squad in the country until proven otherwise.

There’s a reason this team is 17-point favorites heading into a road game at Texas this weekend. The Tide should roll once again in Week 2.