Five teams from the Southeastern Conference had a bye this past weekend. As of right now, five teams control their own destiny to win the league Championship, but only one controls their own destiny to reach the College Football Playoff. With that in mind, here are our SEC Power Rankings following Week 8 of the 2023 season.
14. Vanderbilt
Clark Lea’s Commodores are easily the worst team in the league, and while that’s to be expected, they were in the same spot last year right around this time before finishing strong. Could there be a repeat of that this year? If they are going to, they have to have made good use of the bye Saturday, but until then, they belong down here.
13. Arkansas
Crazy enough, the Razorbacks are barely above Vandy. The Hogs lost another close on Saturday, but it’s to a team they should’ve beaten at home in the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The 7-3 debacle resulted in Dan Enos getting fired before even finishing out a year, but Sam Pittman could be in trouble before it’s all over too.
12. South Carolina
Shane Beamer has one player on his team, Spencer Rattler, and literally nobody else. People have figured out how to beat him after he had a strong finish to last year, and the Gamecocks are now not even likely to reach a bowl game. This program is in serious trouble, just as its in-state rival the Clemson Tigers are.
11. Mississippi State
Zach Arnett has this team above .500, and the win at Arkansas is as impressive as the home win over the Arizona Wildcats. This isn’t a powerhouse team, but MSU can be a factor, and a bowl game is on the table for them this year. They just need to air it out more given their quarterback play, even without Will Rogers. Channel the late Mike Leach.
10. Florida
It’s insane to talk about, but the Florida Gators actually control their own destiny in the title race right now, and they’re at No. 10 in our SEC Power Rankings. That win over the Tennessee Vols did wonders for Billy Napier’s program. Now, coming off a bye, they get to prove if they’ve taken another step, as the Georgia Bulldogs are next.
9. Kentucky
Mark Stoops’ Wildcats had a much-needed bye after a 5-0 start turned into 5-2 with two tough losses. Now, they get to face a reeling Tennessee team at home. If they can get a win there, then all of a sudden, another 10-win season is possible, but with a loss, they’re likely to have to fight their way to a 6-6 record, so this game is huge.
8. Auburn
Hugh Freeze’s Tigers continue to be in lots of games, this time putting up a fight against the Ole Miss Rebels. This is a dangerous program that’s going to be great in the future, and it’s much better than its 3-4 record. Heck, we still have them above a two-loss Kentucky and a two-loss Florida team in our SEC Power Rankings. Their schedule has just been brutal
7. Texas A&M
Right now, the worst loss on the Aggies’ schedule is to the Miami Hurricanes. Early signs are there for the season to collapse once again under Jimbo Fisher, and the team may even split and rally behind Bobby Petrino, but they aren’t there just yet. Perhaps they used last weekend’s bye to make some real adjustments. We’ll see.
6. Tennessee
There’s absolutely no shame in losing on the road to Alabama. Although the Vols clearly thought they had a chance to win that game up 20-7 at halftime, the Crimson Tide is still the better team. If not for that Florida loss, though, we’d be looking at Josh Heupel’s team very differently. They’re still one of the better teams in the league.
5. Missouri
We have no choice. Mizzou has to be considered a top five team in our SEC Power Rankings. They may actually control their own destiny to reach the College Football Playoff right now. Everybody keeps waiting on Eli Drinkwitz’s team to come back to reality, and they keep proving us wrong. As a result, they are still a top five team with just one loss.
4. LSU
Don’t look now, but Brian Kelly’s team is probably the best two-loss team in the nation. They could still theoretically win the SEC if the Rebels lose another game, and after blowing out the Army Black Knights 62-0, they have a Heisman contender at quarterback. If a two-loss team makes the CFP, LSU would be that team.
3. Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin’s Rebels have nothing to be ashamed of for only beating Auburn by a touchdown. That’s a well-coached team on the road. Mississippi’s flagship school is still one of the top three teams in our SEC Power Rankings, and if things break a certain way, they could actually be in the playoff hunt before it’s all said and done.
2. Alabama
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide continue rolling after that rough, early-season loss to the Texas Longhorns. They shouldn’t apologize for how they played against the Vols. This team won by two touchdowns against a team ranked in the top 20. What’s wrong with that? They control their own destiny to win the SEC and may be the best team when it all ends.
1. Georgia
Coming off a bye, there’s no debate that Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs remain the best team in college football. Right now, they are the only team in the league in control of their own destiny to reach the CFP, so they obviously belong atop the SEC Power Rankings right now. However, with Florida looming and Brock Bowers out, they’re about to be tested.
