Four SEC teams remain undefeated entering the halfway mark in the 2025 season. Oklahoma is among that group at 5-0 and firmly entrenched in the upper tier in this week's SEC Power Rankings.
For the third week in a row, however, there is a new team perched at the top of the rankings. Alabama jumps to the head of the class with its solid 30-14 win over previously undefeated Vanderbilt. Ole Miss, one of seven SEC teams that were idle over the weekend, relinquished the top spot to the Crimson Tide this week, dropping back one spot to No. 2.
There were only five games involving nine SEC teams this past weekend, four of which were conference matchups. The Oklahoma-Kent State game was the only nonconference game on the docket. The only big surprise to speak of was Florida's win over Texas, and it wasn't so much the fact that the Gators won the game, as the decisive manner in which they did it.
Despite the relatively undramatic nature of Week 6 of SEC football, 14 of the 16 teams changed places over their positioning a week ago in the conference power rankings. And with all but three SEC teams (Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Kentucky) in action this weekend, including the annual Red River Rivalry game between Oklahoma and Texas, we're probably going to see more shakeup in the power rankings a week from now and on through the second half of the season.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1, 2-0)
The Alabama team we've seen the past two weekends in wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt is more like what we thought we would see before the season began. Florida State punched the Crimson Tide right in the mouth right from the start in the season opener for both teams and kept on punching to pull off the upset. Bama has won three straight since then and has looked like a much different team in doing so.
The Tide is rolling, but they are about to get another stern challenge this weekend at Missouri. Not quite sure what to make of Missouri yet, but we are going to learn a lot about both Alabama and the Tigers this weekend.
Previous ranking: 2
2. Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0)
Ole Miss is the only SEC team with three conference wins. The Rebels did not play this past weekend and will go out of the conference hosting Washington State this weekend. Lane Kiffin's team has been impressive so far and has moved up to No. 4 in national rankings from No. 21 to start the season. After Washington State this weekend, Mississippi has back-to-back road games at Georgia and Oklahoma. Those are the only two ranked teams Ole Miss will play the rest of the season.
Previous ranking: 1
3. Texas A&M Aggies (5-0, 2-0)
The Aggies are one of the four remaining unbeaten teams in the SEC. After putting away Vanderbilt over the weekend, A&M hosts a rejuvenated Florida team this weekend that is coming of a good-ol'-boy whoopin' of preseason No. 1 Texas. It will be interesting to see if the Gators can maintain the momentum from the upset of Texas. And, if so, how the Aggies will respond.
Previous ranking: 7
4. Oklahoma Sooners (5-0, 1-0)
Oklahoma and Texas get center stage in the SEC lineup this weekend for the annual Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The circumstances surrounding these two teams is much different than what it was at the start of the season.
Despite a top-10 national ranking and a 5-0 record, the early line has the Sooners as underdogs with Texas listed as a 2.5-point to 3-point favorite. Presumably, that is largely based on OU starting QB John Mateer possibly not playing in the game. This game is shaping up as a defensive battle by two teams historically known for their offensive firepower.
Texas began the season as the top-ranked team in the preseason Associated Press Top 25, but has fallen out of the rankings after last weekend's loss to Florida. Current records and standings mean nothing in this classic rivalry. The winner of this game, however, will get a huge momentum boost into the second half of the season. Before the Longhorns dropped out of the rankings, they were one of six ranked teams Oklahoma must face over the remainder of the season.
Previous ranking: 3
5. Georgia Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1)
Georgia, picked to finish second behind Texas in the SEC Preseason Football Poll, took care of business at home over the weekend against a struggling Kentucky team. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will be at Auburn, which will be looking for its first conference win after losses to Oklahoma and Texas A&M in successive weeks.
Saturday will be Georgia's first game away from home since defeating Tennessee in overtime nearly a month ago. The one thing the Bulldogs must avoid on Saturday is taking Auburn too lightly and looking ahead to the Oct. 18 showdown with Ole Miss.
Previous ranking: 4
6. LSU Tigers (4-1, 1-1)
LSU was idle last week and hasn't played since losing two weeks ago at Ole Miss for the first time this season. The Tigers host South Carolina this weekend. After that, they face a gauntlet that includes Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Alabama, with Vandy and Bama on the road.
The LSU defense is as good as any in the SEC, but the offense has been surprisingly inconsistent. LSU ends the regular season with a game at Oklahoma, which could be a critical game in the postseason prospects for both teams
Previous ranking: 6
7. Missouri Tigers (5-0, 1-0)
Missouri is unbeaten and rested after a week off. The Tigers will face their biggest test of the season so far when Alabama comes calling on Saturday.
Seven weeks into the season, and Missouri hasn't played a game away from home yet. Missouri leads the SEC in total offense and is second in the league in scoring and total defense, but the Tigers have yet to be seriously challenged. That will change this weekend, after which we should have a much better feeling for how good this Missouri team really is.
Previous ranking: 10
8. Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1)
If Tennessee is going to continue winning games in the SEC this season, it will be because of the offense and not the Vols' defense. Tennessee ranks first in the SEC in scoring, averaging 51 points a game, and second in total offense, averaging 536 yards per game. Unfortunately, they also give up plenty of points (29) and yards defensively (373 per game). This could be a real problem when the Vols go up against outstanding defensive teams, which they will in a few weeks with Alabama and Oklahoma. No problem this coming weekend, however, with Tennessee squaring off against an Arkansas team that fired its head coach a little over a week ago.
Previous ranking: 9
9. Vanderbilt Commodores (5-1, 1-1)
Don't let anyone tell you differently, Vanderbilt can play with any team in the SEC and may have the best quarterback in the conference in Diego Pavia. The Commodores get a well-deserved week of rest after their battle over the weekend at Alabama.
Vandy has already won at South Carolina, which is not an easy place to play, and could knock off a few more SEC opponents before the dust finally settles on the season. Coming out of their week off, the Commodores will face LSU, Missouri, Texas and Auburn in succession. Only the game with Texas is away from Nashville, which is even more reason not to look past Vanderbilt.
10. Florida Gators (2-3, 1-1)
Florida moves up four spots this week after its impressive win over Texas. The way the Gators played against the Longhorns on Saturday, it's hard to believe this is the same team that lost at home to South Florida early in the season.
The Gators have struggled on the road this season, and that's where they will be this weekend, heading to College Station, Texas, to face undefeated Texas A&M, 31-9 winners at home on Saturday over Mississippi State. Florida will need quarterback DJ Lagway to have another stellar game if the Gators are going to get one on the road against Texas A&M.
Previous ranking: 14
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-2, 0-2)
Mississippi State began the season with four straight wins, including an upset over then-No. 12 Arizona State, but the Bulldogs have come up short in their first two conference games, falling to Tennessee and Texas A&M. Despite the loss to Texas A&M over the weekend, they remain at No. 11 this week.
This is a much more competitive team than last season, but the league is also stronger top to bottom than its was a year ago. Mississippi State goes to Florida a week from Saturday before hosting Texas. The Bulldogs did not win a conference game a year ago. That should not be the case in 2025, but they are still looking for that first win in league play with games remaining at Florida, Texas, at Arkansas, Georgia, at Missouri and Ole Miss.
Previous ranking: 11
12. Texas Longhorns (3-2, 0-1)
Prior to the start of the season, no one would have imagined that Texas would be sitting at two losses almost midway through the 2025 season. The Longhorns are in a free fall, dropping seven spots in the power rankings heading into one of their biggest, if not the biggest, games of their season against fifth-ranked and unbeaten Oklahoma.
The 121st renewal of the Red River Rivalry is this weekend in Dallas, and Texas comes into the game on the grounds of the State Fair of Texas with a high sense of urgency. This could be an intriguing game with plenty at stake for both teams, as is typically the case
Previous ranking: 5
13. Auburn Tigers (3-2, 0-2)
Auburn is coming off a bye week and with a schedule that doesn't get any easier after suffering back-to-back road losses at Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The good news is that the Tigers are at home the next two weeks. The bad news is that the opponents are Georgia and Missouri.
The Tigers don't want to go into the second half of the SEC schedule still looking for their first conference win. If that were to happen, head coach Hugh Freeze could be looking for a new job.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2)
It's fair to say South Carolina is not having the year it envisioned before the season started. And things aren't about to get easier any time soon. The Gamecocks' next four games include at LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Ole Miss. Oklahoma and Alabama are at South Carolina, but that is a treacherous stretch by any measure.
Previous ranking: 13
15. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-3, 0-1)
Arkansas and Kentucky switch places this week, only because Kentucky suffered a third consecutive loss in conference play (35-14 at Georgia) and Arkansas avoided a fourth overall loss by not playing. The Razorbacks were shellacked 56-13 by Notre Dame in their last outing. Coming off the bye week, they will play at Tennessee this weekend. Then its three straight weekends at home against Texas A&M, Auburn and Mississippi State.
Arkansas has the fourth-best offense in the SEC, totaling over 500 yards per game, but defensively, the Razorbacks rank 16th, giving up 425 yards per game.
Previous ranking: 16
16. Kentucky Wildcats (2-3, 0-3)
There's a good reason Kentucky finds itself at the bottom of the league. The Wildcats aren't as good as everybody else in the SEC.
Despite having a defensive-minded head coach in Mark Stoops, Kentucky is one of the worst defensive units in the conference, allowing over 400 yards per game. This isn't going to win many games in this or any league. The Wildcats battled to the very end in losing by seven at home to Ole Miss, but lost by 20-plus points on the road to both South Carolina and Georgia. Kentucky has a bye week this week, but finishes off October with consecutive home games against Texas and Tennessee.
Previous rank: 15