Eight teams remain undefeated in the Southeastern Conference, but not all of them are created equal. As we get set to deliver our Week 4 SEC Power Rankings, only three of the undefeated teams belong in a tier of their own, and some of the one-loss teams are either on or above the level of undefeated teams. Let’s break down how every team in the league shakes up after four weeks.
16. Florida
Yeah, Billy Napier’s Gators appear to be quitting on the season. They have a Group of Five loss and double-digit losses to both Power Four teams they have played, and they still haven’t yet beaten an FBS team at 1-3. D.J. Lagway is a disaster as well, so it’s safe to say they are the worst team in the league right now.
15. South Carolina
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks put up a fight against the undefeated Missouri Tigers last weekend, which kept them out of the last spot in our SEC Power Rankings. However, even with 300 yards passing, LaNorris Sellers still looks banged up, we still can’t overlook that blowout loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
14. Kentucky
Mark Stoops and the Wildcats got a much-needed bye as they work out their quarterback situation. For now, though, while they are in the bottom tier of these power rankings, they didn’t lose this past weekend, and that keeps them above Florida and South Carolina. They also may have turned a corner with their new signal-caller.
13. Arkansas
Two late fumbles are keeping Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks away from 4-0 and in the top tier of these rankings, so maybe they should be higher, but the problem is the Hogs seem to do this every week. That heartbreaking loss to the Tigers is clearly part of a trend, one they can’t seem to fix which keeps them here.
12. Mississippi State
For now, the Bulldogs are the worst undefeated team in our SEC Power Rankings, largely because they struggled early with the Northern Illinois Huskies last weekend, and the Arizona State Sun Devils could be worse than we thought. However, Jeff Lebby’s team is still undefeated and has taken a huge leap from last year.
11. Missouri
Despite looking ugly in a win over South Carolina, Mizzou did what it needed to do late, so Eli Drinkwitz’s team is still undefeated with two Power Four wins. The Tigers seemed to have a winner’s mentality with what they did Saturday, as they could have just been toying with the Gamecocks until they truly needed to step up their game when it mattered.
10. Ole Miss
Arkansas losing to Memphis is what makes the Rebels’ win over them look a lot worse than it initially did. Perhaps we’re being unfair keeping them down here, though, as they have some solid Group of Five wins, most notably last weekend in a blowout over the Tulane Green Wave. Can Lane Kiffin keep it up? He’s got his offense rolling once again.
9. Texas
Sure, it was against Sam Houston, but Arch Manning looked elite. At the end of the day, Texas is 3-1, and its only loss is by a touchdown to the defending national champions on the road. You could argue we’re underrating them in our SEC Power Rankings with that resume, but they do need a Power Four win to validate themselves.
8. Alabama
Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide have looked elite on offense the last two times we saw them, and one of them was a Power Four victory over a Wisconsin Badgers team that, admittedly, is just plain bad. Still, coming off a bye, Bama may be getting it together, which makes them dangerous once again.
7. LSU
Yes, Brian Kelly’s Tigers don’t look as good by beating the Clemson Tigers given what’s happening to Clemson, nor does their win over Florida look that impressive. Still, they finally got some offense in an FCS win over the weekend, and at the end of the day, they are 4-0 with two Power Four wins, one on the road. That’s got to count for something.
6. Vanderbilt
Last week’s game against the Georgia State Panthers is historically the type of matchup where the Commodores blow it. They’re undefeated early, they choke against an easy opponent, and the season unravels. This time, though, they didn’t let that happen, hanging 70 on GSU. Blowing out South Carolina and the Virginia Tech Hokies combined with that puts them here.
5. Tennessee
Despite being banged up, the Vols are a missed field goal away from being undefeated with two Power Four wins, and they did blow out the UAB Blazers through three quarters this past weekend. As a result, they are in a tier belonging to teams who have a loss but are in good shape, at least right now.
4. Auburn
Hugh Freeze and the Tigers are a missed call away from potentially being undefeated, which puts them in the same tier as the Volunteers, and with their loss coming on the road, they are slightly higher in our SEC Power Rankings. While the loss narrows their path to the College Football Playoff, though, it doesn’t end it, and Jackson Arnold gives them a chance.
3. Oklahoma
John Mateer and that Washington State Cougars offense have resurrected Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners. Missed call or no missed call, they are undefeated with two Power Five wins and arguably the best resume in college football right now, so they belong in the top tier of these power rankings.
2. Texas A&M
Like OU, the Aggies got to enjoy a missed call for their quality win, but they are still 3-0 right now coming off a bye, and Mike Elko’s team has one of the best wins in the league. Could they finally be turning a corner as a program that has been knocking on the door for what seems like a century to this point? It’s possible.
1. Georgia
Another team that didn’t play this past weekend, the Bulldogs’ win over UT on the road truly did do enough to put them at the top of our SEC Power Rankings. Maybe it won’t mean much in the near future, but Gunner Stockton stepping up like that was a huge deal and enough for us to keep them here.
