The outcome of the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry game on Saturday naturally had the biggest impact on this week's SEC Power Rankings, also creating other movement up and down the rankings. Despite the other chaos, four teams held steady.
Heading into Week 8 and halfway through the 2025 college football season, three SEC teams remain undefeated in conference play while four teams are still seeking their first league win.
It's head-to-head weekend in the SEC on Saturday, with every conference team in action against another SEC opponent. One matchup stands out above all the rest with undefeated Ole Miss (6-0) at one-loss Alabama (5-1) on Saturday.
Ole Miss and Texas A&M are the only two conference teams with an unblemished overall record at 6-0. The Rebels and Aggies have three conference wins as part of that, while Alabama has three wins without a loss in conference play. Seven SEC teams, including the Sooners, stand at 5-1 entering Week 8.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0)
The Crimson Tide had a scare at Missouri, but held on at the end for a 27-24 win, handing Mizzou its first loss of the season. Alabama continues to demonstrate that it is not the same team that fell in the season opener to Florida State. The Tide returns home for a clash this weekend against Tennessee, a team that has been a bit schizophrenic this season.
Previous rank: 1
2. Texas A&M Aggies (6-0, 3-0)
Texas A&M remained unbeaten over the weekend, handing a Florida team that upset Texas a week ago its fourth loss of the season in rather handy fashion, doubling the score, 34-17. As a result, A&M jumped over Ole Miss in the power rankings this week. The Aggies, behind quarterback Marcel Reed, who has gotten better every week, are looking real good this season, but they have some serious road tests in the coming weeks at LSU, at Missouri and at rival Texas to finish out the regular season.
Previous rank: 3
3. Ole Miss Rebels (6-0, 3-0)
The Rebels played a surprisingly close game against a heavily underdog Washington State team on Saturday, but woke up in the second half and did what they had to do to pull out a 24-21 win. This weekend may be their toughest test of the season as they go on the road to take on Georgia, fresh off a big road win over Auburn this past weekend. The Ole Miss offense is the second-best in the SEC, averaging 515 yards of total offense per game.
Previous rank: 2
4. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1)
Georgia, which dropped out of the top spot in the SEC Power Rankings after losing to Alabama at home on Sept. 27, is slowly working its way back up the ladder, settling in at No. 4 this week. Georgia held off a desperate and determined Auburn team this past weekend, winning 20-10. This week will be a stern challenge, hosting undefeated Ole Miss and seeking a third consecutive conference win.
Previous rank: 5
5. LSU Tigers (5-1, 2-1)
The LSU offense, 12th in the SEC, is still trying to find itself, but the defense is carrying enough of the load to keep the Tigers on the winning trail. They defeated South Carolina at home 20-10 over the weekend and this coming weekend are at Vanderbilt.
Previous rank: 6
6. Missouri Tigers (5-1, 1-1)
Missouri came real close to knocking off Alabama over the weekend, but couldn't quite get over the hump. The Tigers are an outstanding offensive team, with one of the best running backs in the country in Muhammad Hardy and may have surprised quite a few people with how good the defense is this season as second-best in the SEC to only Oklahoma.
Because of a quirk in the schedule, however, Missouri has played all six of its games so far at home. Four of the Tigers' final six games are away from Columbia, including a game at Oklahoma on Nov. 22. Mizzou actually moved up one spot this week despite the loss to Alabama.
Previous rank: 7
7. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1, 1-1)
After the loss to Texas on Saturday, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said he told the team: "We had a bad game, but we're still a really good football team." Right on both counts. Perhaps the biggest game of the Sooners' season is this coming weekend. OU plays at South Carolina, which has had some struggles of its own. How the Sooners respond after the Red River Rivalry loss will go a long way toward determining what we might expect from Oklahoma the rest of the way. If OU plays at South Carolina like it did this past weekend, the Sooners' season could turn south very quickly.
Previous rank: 4
8. Texas Longhorns (4-2, 1-1)
Some fans will argue that Texas should be higher because the Longhorns beat Oklahoma and fairly convincingly. But you also must remember, that as bad as the Sooners played in the second half on Saturday, the score was just 13-7 entering the fourth quarter. Texas definitely had a good game and an excellent game plan against the Sooners, and there will be ample opportunity ahead for the Horns to move up further. Texas did move up four spots this week in the power rankings. For right now, however, Texas needs to show that the rivalry win over OU was not an aberration. The Longhorns are at Kentucky on Saturday in what shapes up as a David (Kentucky) vs. Goliath (Texas) type of battle.
Previous rank: 12
9. Tennessee Volunteers (5-1, 2-1)
Tennessee is part of the 5-1 logjam in the SEC overall standings. The Volunteers lost in overtime to Georgia in Week 3, a game that, honestly, they probably should have won if it weren't for a missed 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation. Tennessee's two wins are over Mississippi State and Arkansas, teams that the Vols should have beaten, but managed to do so by just seven and three points, respectfully. I'm not quite sure what to make of Tennessee at this stage. The Vols are at Alabama this weekend and get Oklahoma in Knoxville a few weeks from now. We should know a lot more about this Vols by then.
Previous rank: 8
10. Vanderbilt Commodores (5-1, 1-1)
Vanderbilt was idle this past week, but gets back to action on Saturday, hosting LSU. The Commodores have appeared to be formidable opponents through six games. Whether rest or rust will prevail coming off the bye week will be revealed on Saturday. Vanderbilt's only loss was to Alabama, 31-14, but other than Bama, Vandy hasn't really played anybody of consequence. That's about to change dramatically with LSU, Missouri and Texas on the schedule following Alabama.
Previous rank: 9
11. Florida Gators (2-4, 1-2)
Florida faced a tough task, having to go play at Texas A&M this past weekend following the Gators' big win over Texas. Florida hung tough for a half at A&M, but couldn't really get the ground game going and suffered its second conference loss, 34-17.
The Gators get Mississippi State at home this weekend, followed by the annual rivalry game with Georgia in Jacksonville. It's probably small consolation, but Florida has one of the most difficult schedules in the country.
Previous rank: 10
12. Auburn Tigers (3-3, 0-3)
At this point in the season, head coach Hugh Freeze must feel like his team is snakebit. The Tigers suffered a controversial loss at Oklahoma, and this passed weekend another controversial call at the goal line went against the Tigers that could have impacted the outcome of the game with Georgia. In between those two conference losses was a 16-10 loss at Texas A&M. Now comes No. 16 Missouri, anxious to right the ship after losing to Alabama last weekend for its first conference loss.
Previous rank: 13
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-2, 0-2)
Mississippi State ran the table in the nonconference portion of the schedule (4-0), but is 0-2 against SEC opponents (Tennessee and Texas A&M). A date at an equally frustrated Florida is on tap for this weekend. Once the Bulldogs get past Florida, home games with Texas and Georgia loom over the next three weeks.
Previous rank: 11
14. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3)
South Carolina began the season as the 13th-ranked team in the country in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. Losses to Vanderbilt (by 24 points), Missouri (by nine points) and to LSU (by 10 points) over the weekend have the Gamecocks treading water near the bottom of the SEC standings. Now an Oklahoma team eager to show how it can bounce back from its opening loss of the season to Texas comes to Columbia. Both teams have plenty on the line in Saturday's contest. The impact on the rest of the season could be huge for Saturday's winner.
Previous rank: 14
Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-2)
Arkansas lost three fumbles and its quarterback, Tyler Green, was sacked five times on Saturday. Despite that, the Razorbacks came roaring back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit, only to fall three points short in a 34-31 loss at Tennessee.
Other than a 56-13 blowout loss to Notre Dame that cost head coach Sam Pittman his job, Arkansas' three other losses have been by one point (Memphis), six points (Ole Miss) and three points (LSU). The Razorbacks are right on the verge of breaking through to the win column in conference play -- something for their remaining opponents to be especially mindful of.
Previous rank: 15
16. Kentucky Wildcats (2-3, 0-3)
Kentucky averaged 36 points a game in its two nonconference wins, but just 16.7 in its three conference losses. The Wildcats host Texas this weekend followed by Tennessee the week after. Good possibility that Kentucky point total goes down further. Head coach Mark Stoops' seat is getting hotter by the week.
Previous rank: 16