Week 0 preparations are underway for many college football teams, and that includes one SEC program. Therefore, it’s time to deliver our first round of SEC Power Rankings this season. Based on where they finished last year, returning talent and what they brought in, here’s every team’s standing right now.

14. Florida

Yes, Billy Napier’s Florida Gators start the year at the bottom. Now, this isn’t about where they’re projected to finish, just where they should be right now. Florida lost its last three games of the season and lost a first-round NFL Draft pick at quarterback, replacing him with Wisconsin Badgers transfer Graham Mertz. They have to play their way out of this spot.

13. Vanderbilt

Beating Florida late last year is what puts the Vanderbilt Commodores out of last place in our SEC Power Rankings. Clark Lea’s team finished the season winning two of three and now has a Week 0 matchup with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Saturday. Could this be the start of them squeaking into a bowl game? Don’t sleep on that possibility.

12. Texas A&M

Regardless of what you think of the talent, how the Texas A&M Aggies played last year can’t be ignored. Bobby Petrino joining Jimbo Fisher changes nothing. The only thing keeping them out of the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings is the fact that they won the last two games on the year, but the state of the program is still very low overall.

11. Auburn

There’s plenty of reason to have faith in Hugh Freeze and what he will do with the Auburn Tigers, but at this point, he’s inheriting a program that went 5-7 last year. Beating Texas A&M late in the season means nothing, evidenced by where we have Fisher’s program right now, so Auburn will have to play its way out of this spot.

10. Ole Miss

They may have won the transfer portal, and Lane Kiffin is a great offensive coach, but the Ole Miss Rebels lost their last four games to close out the year. Regardless of what you think about what they’ll do this year with new talent, there’s no way to get around the fact that they are slumping at the moment.

9. Kentucky

Devin Leary and the return of Liam Coen are reasons for optimism surrounding the Kentucky Wildcats this year, but they still lost three of their last four in 2022, including a shutout loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. With or without Will Levis, that was a bad look, so while they may be a lot better this year, they have to play their way up this list.

8. Missouri

Eli Drinkwitz may be the laughingstock of the East with his mannerisms and gimmicks, but his Missouri Tigers were four plays away from going 10-3 last year instead of 6-7. A loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their bowl game has them down here in our SEC Power Rankings, but they did win two straight to close out the regular season, and they easily could’ve been in the top half.

7. Arkansas

Sam Pittman’s Arkansas Razorbacks were the letdown of the year last season, and K.J. Jefferson enters this year needing to prove he wasn’t a fluke at quarterback. They should be behind Mizzou because of the final regular season game for both teams, but both played in bowl games, and the Hogs won theirs, keeping them in the top half for now.

6. Mississippi State

The tragic passing of Mike Leach gives us plenty of valid reasons to be skeptical about the Mississippi State Bulldogs this year and what Will Rogers can do, but they did win their bowl game last year in a defensive struggle. That was part of a three-game winning streak to close out the season, so for now, they belong up here.

5. South Carolina

Spencer Rattler’s revival to finish the season vaulted Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks up this list. They ended two teams’ College Football Playoff hopes to close out the regular season and then went toe-to-toe with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their bowl game. It’s debatable if they can keep this up, but with Rattler back, they have to be here.

4. LSU

Yes, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the LSU Tigers and even pick them to repeat as SEC West champions. However, a loss to Texas A&M to close out the regular season and a blowout loss int he SEC title game prove they have to play their way up our SEC Power Rankings. Even with Jadyn Daniels back, we can’t just go off their 63-7 bowl win.

3. Alabama

They lost two games last year on the final play and finished 11-2. Losing Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. could knock the Alabama Crimson Tide further down this list, but Nick Saban’s team is still loaded with returning talent and was one of the top three teams in the league last year, so it’s hard to drop them from that spot just yet.

2. Tennessee

After beating the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl, the Vols should’ve finished ranked ahead of Alabama. That’s what vaults them to No. 2 on this list while South Carolina, who beat them in November, is No. 5 after losing to Notre Dame. Winning that game with Joe Milton III as the starting quarterback is reason enough to keep UT at No. 2.

1. Georgia

Is there any debate about this one? The Georgia Bulldogs lost a ton of talent in 2022 and then repeated as national champions. Why should we believe they can’t do the same thing this year? Carson Beck replaces Stetson Bennett at quarterback, but until Kirby Smart’s team loses, they’ve earned the right to top these rankings.