SEC Power Rankings Heading Into Week 8

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Wowzers. What a doozie Weeks 6 and 7 of Southeastern Conference football were. Fans were witnesses to mind-blowing excitement. The perennial underdog Vanderbilt Commodores (4-2, 2-1) toppled the conference's crown jewel and the nation's top-ranked team, No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1), then turned around and handled the Kentucky Wildcats (3-3, 1-3). Bama uncharacteristically fell to the Commodores, and then even more uncharacteristically struggled against a lesser South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3) team at home. The inaugural SEC version of the Red River Rivalry was a blowout, and there were two thrilling overtime finishes between traditional SEC rivals. It was an enthralling two weeks. Let's catch up, and take a look at where each team ranks after all the commotion.

No. 1 Texas (6-0, 2-0)

The No. 1 Longhorns got to dip their toes in the muddy waters of the SEC when they hosted the Mississippi Bulldogs (1-5, 0-3) in Week 6. Texas dismantled the Bulldogs 35-13. In Week 7, it was the 120th time the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners (4-2, 1-2) have faced off in the Red River Rivalry, but it was the first time the two teams have met as SEC foes. The Sooner defense showed life early on, but the Longhorns never let the game get close. Texas scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and won the monumental matchup 34-3. Up next for the Longhorns are the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1). Texas has looked like the best team in the country throughout the first seven weeks of the season. The Bulldogs could provide the first major test for the Longhorns.

No. 2 Georgia (5-1, 3-1)

In Week 6 the Bulldogs throttled the Auburn Tigers (2-4, 0-3) at home 31-13. In Week 7, it was Bulldog on Bulldog crime as Georiga hosted Mississippi State. Georgia jumped out to a 27-10 halftime lead but struggled to find any consistency in the run game, and Miss State was able to push the game within 10. Georgia won the game 41-31 behind quarterback Carson Beck's 459 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns. Next up, Georgia takes a trip to Austin, Texas to face the Texas Longhorns in a battle between two playoff-caliber teams.

No. 3 LSU (5-1, 2-0)

After the No. 8 LSU Tigers dismantled the South Alabama Jaguars (2-3, 2-1 Sun Belt Conference) 42-10 in Week 6, all eyes fell upon Baton Rouge, La. for a night game in Death Valley against the No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 1-2). It was one of the more anticipated games heading into the season, and it did not disappoint. It was a wild, back-and-forth game in which LSU never led until the game ended in overtime on a back-shoulder touchdown pass from Tiger QB Garrett Nussmeier to receiver Kyren Lacy. Next for the Tigers is a trip to Arkansas for the annual Battle for the Golden Boot game against the Razorbacks (4-2, 2-1).

No. 4 Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0)

In Week 6 the No. 14 Aggies shocked the No. 19 (No. 9 at the time) Missouri Tigers (5-1, 1-1). Aggie QB Conner Weigman returned to the starting lineup and threw for 276 yards as A&M drubbed Mizzou 41-10. The Aggies are coming off a Bye week and will travel to Starkville, Miss. to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

No. 5 Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1)

Yes. Vanderbilt is College Football Dawgs' fifth-best SEC team. That's not a typo. Vandy has proven they are more than just a fluke. The Commodores beat Virginia Tech (3-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), took the then-No. 11 Missouri Tigers to overtime and just beat Kentucky. Oh, yeah. There's also the whole overthrowing the evil empire that is Alabama thing. Read that again. The Vanderbilt Commodores defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide. In football. This wasn't baseball or a spelling bee. Vandy and quarterback Diego Pavia are the real deal and they're coming for your favorite SEC team. Vandy will host Ball State (2-4, 1-2 Mid-American Conference), before getting another potential shot at the top-ranked team in the nation when Texas travels to Nashville, Tenn. Oct. 26.

No. 6 Alabama (5-1, 2-1)

It has been a long two weeks for the Crimson Tide and first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. First, they dropped the game to Vanderbilt. That is a big no-no for every SEC team, but it is an especially egregious sin for the Tide. Bama fans thought the sky was falling after the Vandy loss. Everything was wrong with DeBoer's approach to coaching from his team discipline down to the way he dressed on the sideline. Then, the Tide did their best to drop the next game to South Carolina. Now the noise has amplified. Buckle up, Bama fans. The post-Saban era is in full swing, and it looks like the ride could be substantially bumpier than it has been for the last 17 years. The Tide travel to Knoxville, Tenn. to face the No. 11 Volunteers in Week 8. Beating a hated rival would go a long way in cooling the DeBoer negativity.

No. 7 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1)

My, how the narrative around the Volunteers has changed over the last seven weeks. Over the first three weeks, Tennessee's offense broke all sorts of school records for points and yards, and QB Nico Iamaleava was everyone's favorite freshman phenom. Since then, the Vols came back down to earth in a 25-15 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, had a bye week and got upset by Arkansas. The Vols host bitter rival Alabama in Week 8. The Bama defense has shown some weakness over the past few weeks. This would be an exceptional time for Iamaleava and the Vols offense to get right.

No. 8 Ole Miss (5-2, 1-2)

The Rebels have dealt with a similar season trajectory as Tennessee. Early season darlings, the best offense in the country and more losses than they had anticipated having by this point. After falling to Kentucky in Week 5, Ole Miss had a get-right game against South Carolina and defeated the Gamecocks 27-3. In Week 7 the Rebels traveled to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers. Missed opportunities was the name of the game for the Rebels, and Ole Miss fell to the Tigers in overtime. Head coach Lane Kiffin and his Rebels head into a much-needed bye week in Week 8 before facing Oklahoma the following week.

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No. 9 Missouri (5-1, 1-1)

The bludgeoning the Tigers took at the hands of A&M was a shocker for Missouri. Mizzou failed to find any consistency on offense, and quarterback Brady Cook played arguably the worst game of his career. In Week 7 Missouri traveled to Massachusetts to face the UMass Minutemen (1-6). Cook and the Tigers' offense took advantage of the dreadful UMass defense and annihilated the poor Minutemen. Was UMass just that bad, or was that Mizzou finding their footing? The Auburn Tigers are up next for Missouri.

No. 10 Arkansas (4-2, 2-1)

The Razorbacks are one of the more surprising teams in the conference in 2024. The two losses came from quality teams in Oklahoma State (3-3, 0-3) and Texas A&M and Arkansas could have easily come out on the other side of those games. Add in the to-10 upset of Tennessee, and Razorback fans find themselves in the thick of the SEC race. Pretty impressive for a team that many had penciled in to make a midseason coaching change. After the Tennessee win, the Razorbacks had a well-deserved bye week. Arkansas will host the LSU Tigers in Week 8.

No. 11 Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2)

The Sooners boast one of the better defenses in the country. When the offense catches up to the defense this will be a dangerous team. After a bye in Week 6, the Sooners faced the Texas Longhorns in the first-ever Red River Shootout to feature two SEC teams. The Sooner defense seemed to have the Longhorn offense out of rhythm early, but that didn't last long. Texas beat OU 34-3. The Sooners welcome South Carolina to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Week 8. The Gamecocks are no easy out, but the Sooners hope to find some offensive consistency against an SC defense that gave up more than 25 points in all three of their losses.

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No. 12 South Carolina (3-3, 1-3)

The Gamecocks failed to score more than 3 points in a loss to Ole Miss in Week 6, but came within 2 points to Alabama in a Week 7 loss. USC has found some offensive firepower behind the arm and legs of quarterback La'Norris Sellers, and running back Rocket Sanders is a force. The Gamecocks will be challenged as they face off against a stellar Oklahoma defense in Week 8.

No. 13 Kentucky (3-3, 1-3)

The Wildcats had higher expectations for the season than where they currently sit, but the record doesn't tell the whole story for UK. Kentucky had Georgia on the ropes and only lost by 1 point, they upset the Ole Miss Rebels in Week 5 and after a bye week in Week 7 they ran into the buzzsaw that is the red-hot Vanderbilt Commodores. Not much to be done about that. Next, the 'Cats travel to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators.

No. 14 Florida (3-3, 1-2)

A 3-3 record isn't stellar by any means, but many expected this to be the type of year that would see head coach Billy Napier fired on the field. But Napier and the Gators keep scratching and clawing. In Week 6, the Gators took down in-state foe UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12 Conference) and followed that performance up by taking Tennessee to overtime. There are no moral victories. Unless you're a head coach who many expected to be on his couch collecting a buyout check by this point in the season. Florida and Napier hope to keep the good vibes rolling as they host Kentucky and the Wildcats' top-10 defense in Week 8.

No. 15 Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3)

The season has been abysmal for the Bulldogs. There have been very few bright spots to talk about. State had a bye week in Week 6, then rolled into Athens, Ga. to face the Georgia Bulldogs. And they got demolished, right? Right? Negative. After a good first-half thrashing, State was able to push the game to within 10 points. Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. threw for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns against the vaunted Georgia defense. So, there's some brightness. State still lost 41-31, and will host a surging Texas A&M team in Week 8. Were the flashes from State and Van Buren a sign of improvement and what is to come? Or was it a sign of playing a superior team that was uninterested by the start of the second half?

No. 16 Auburn (2-4, 0-3)

How do you get fired on your day off? Auburn drops one spot from CFD's previous rankings after a bye week. Auburn and Mississippi State are basically interchangeable at this point, but the Bulldogs get to say they only lost to Georgia by 10. The Tigers weren't so fortunate. Head coach Hugh Freeze has caught some flack over the season after his comments in regard to Auburn potentially having been 5-0 heading into the Georgia game. And while one can understand why that would draw ire, he's not totally off-base.

The Tigers have one of the most explosive offenses in the conference and carry a stingy defense. Turnovers, inconsistent quarterback play and bad decision-making have left the Tigers reeling. If the Tigers can correct their mistakes, they could leap up these rankings in a hurry. Auburn is on the road in Week 8 against a Mizzou team also in search of itself.