Every Thursday, we rank the SEC and ACC teams in one power poll. The order of the SEC teams is based on the Week 2 SDS SEC Power Poll.

The ACC has bragging rights following Florida State’s BCS Championship win over Auburn in January, but outside of the Seminoles, few teams along the Atlantic Coast are national contenders.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF POTENTIAL

The defending champ and top-ranked team hails from the ACC, but the next four slots are all taken by SEC opposition. The league’s Western Division is college football’s toughest, boasting four teams in the Top 10 nationally. Alabama’s the preseason favorite, East frontrunner Georgia looked scary good with Todd Gurley its first time out and Auburn hasn’t missed a beat offensively without Tre Mason. Texas A&M’s the sexy wild-card pick right now and posted the most impressive opening weekend victory of any team mentioned in this list.

1. Florida State
2. Alabama
3. Georgia
4. Auburn
5. Texas A&M

ON THE CUSP OF ELITE

Virginia Tech’s upset win at Ohio State last weekend pushed the Hokies into the Top 25, an unexpected early-season surge from an ACC contender. Clemson’s a threat on both sides of the football and will be favored in every game the rest of the year except next Saturday’s date with Florida State. LSU looked the part in the opener with a 17-point comeback win over Wisconsin and should have a say in the SEC West picture equipped with what appears to be an elite defense.

6. Virginia Tech
7. LSU
8. Clemson

SCARY TO THE BIG BOYS

Each one of these teams own dynamic playmakers hoping to prove their worth against some of the heavyweights this season. Bobby Petrino’s first year during his second stint at Louisville has started with a bang while the Gators lit up the scoreboard for 65 points in their opener with new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper. Pittsburgh and Mississippi St. have weapons capable of damaging the competition ranked just ahead.

9. Ole Miss
10. Louisville
11. Florida
12. Pittsburgh
13. Mississippi State

JURY’S STILL OUT

We’ll know more about these two teams after Saturday’s games. The unbeaten and defending East champion Tigers host upset-minded UCF at noon before South Carolina’s home showdown with fifth-ranked Georgia. Another loss would be the Gamecocks’ second in SEC play and likely fatal to division title hopes.

14. Missouri
15. South Carolina

TEETERING WITH TALENT

When is Larry Fedora going to get the Tar Heels over the hump? Recruiting has picked up during Fedora’s three-year stint in Chapel Hill but have been average considering the fanbase’s expectations in what has been a weak league overall. North Carolina’s won at least seven games every season since 2008, but never more than eight. Kentucky’s 2-0 this season, but the true litmus test comes Saturday when the Wildcats try and snap a 27-game losing streak against Florida.

16. Duke
17. North Carolina
18. Miami
19. Kentucky

BOWL POSSIBILITIES

These four scream bowl eligibility, especially Georgia Tech and Tennessee after 2-0 starts.  None are serious factors in their respective leagues, but could play spoiler against ranked competition later in the season.

20. Georgia Tech
21. Tennessee
22. Boston College
23. Arkansas

NOT THERE YET

The bottom-feeders. These five teams are a combined 5-4 this season with wins over Villanova, Georgia Southern, Gardner-Webb, Richmond and Old Dominion. Vanderbilt has two of this group’s four bowl wins since the start of the 2012 season, but the Commodores have fallen off quickly following James Franklin’s departure as the FBS ranks’ only team without an offensive touchdown.

22. Syracuse
23. Virginia
24. N.C. State
25. Wake Forest
26. Vanderbilt