Just past the midway point of the season, there are no undefeated SEC teams, and 14 of the 16 teams have two or more losses. That's how much parity exists this season in the conference widely deemed the best in college football.
While there were upsets of the top teams in both the SEC and among the nation's top-10 teams a week ago, this past weekend was mostly devoid of any surprises. The one game in the SEC that could be considered an upset was unranked South Carolina's 27-24 home win over No. 11 Tennessee. Other than that, the five other conference matchups in the SEC went fairly close to form, based on the teams expected to win.
There may not have been any real shock waves from the six scheduled conference games over the weekend, but the results did trigger a significant shakeup in the Week 9 SEC Power Rankings, with 12 teams changing places: six upward and six downward.
Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee were the biggest movers this week, finding themselves four spots different than a week ago.
Nine SEC teams are ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25, headed by No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, and No. 10 Alabama. The others are No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 17 Florida, and No. 23 Missouri.
Here is where things stand entering Week 9. Advancements (+), declines (-), and no change (--) are indicated next to each team's season record.
Week 9 SEC Football Power Rankings
Georgia did not play this weekend and also did not relinquish its hold on the top spot in the conference power rankings. The Bulldogs are back in action this week, hosting Florida. They will have games remaining at Ole Miss, vs. Missouri, and at South Carolina before closing out the regular season with their annual rivalry game vs. Georgia Tech.
Alabama avoided a third-straight loss with a 31-20 home win on Saturday over struggling Texas A&M. That win, coupled with losses by Ole Miss and Tennessee, Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in last week's SEC Power Rankings, enabled the Crimson Tide to jump up two spots to No. 2 this week. Alabama has a bye this week before returning to action Nov. 7 in a game at LSU. A game at Vanderbilt on Nov. 14 and the Iron Bowl at home on Nov. 28 vs. Auburn conclude Alabama's conference schedule.
Kentucky has steadily been climbing the ladder as the SEC's most surprising team this season, and this week, the Wildcats are all the way up to No. 3 in the conference power rankings after defeating last-place Vanderbilt 34-17 at home over the weekend. Kentucky is already three league wins better than last season and is assured of a winning overall record in 2026. The Cats, in their first season under head coach Will Stein, have earned a well-deserved week off before finishing out the regular season at Tennessee (Nov. 7), vs. Florida, at Missouri, and the rivalry with Louisville at home.
LSU avoided a potential trap game, going on the road over the weekend to face an Auburn team that was coming off an upset of No. 1 Georgia in Athens the week before. LSU stomped on Auburn early and often and escaped with a convincing 38-17 win in a battle of two Tigers. The victory allowed LSU to move up two spots to No. 4 in this week's power rankings. They will have the week off before beginning a brutal three-game November stretch that includes hosting Texas and Alabama on back-to-back weekends, followed by a road game at Tennessee.
Texas began the month of October as the No. 1 team in the nation. A loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry was followed by an upset home loss to Florida. Over the weekend, the Longhorns faced visiting Ole Miss in danger of suffering a third straight loss. Texas averted that possibility, outlasting Ole Miss on Saturday night for a 34-27 victory.
The Longhorns remain at home, with Mississippi State coming to Austin on Saturday. The Horns will finish out the regular season with three November road games (at Missouri, at LSU, and at Texas A&M) flanking a final season home game on Nov. 21 against Arkansas.
Down 24-3 at halftime, Ole Miss mounted a valiant second-half comeback vs. Texas on Saturday, drawing even at 24 early in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling 31-24. The loss cost the Rebels four spots in the conference power rankings this week. The good news going forward is that four of their final four regular-season games (Auburn this weekend, Missouri, Wofford, and the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State) are at home. The lone road game on the closing schedule is at Oklahoma on Nov. 14.
Previously 11th-ranked Tennessee is one of the two biggest descenders this week, joining Ole Miss with a four-place decline after falling to unranked South Carolina, 27-24, over the weekend. The Volunteers will have an extra week to think about what went wrong at South Carolina before returning to action back home against Kentucky. Tennessee's final three regular-season games are at Texas A&M, vs. LSU, and at Vanderbilt during rivalry week on Nov. 28.
Missouri dropped one spot this week without even playing over the weekend. The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, paying a Halloween visit to Hog Country at Arkansas. Missouri's closing schedule in November features home games against Texas (Nov. 7), Kentucky (Nov. 21), and Oklahoma (Nov. 28), and a tough road challenge at Georgia on Nov. 14.
Florida is one of eight SEC teams already strapped with two conference losses. The Gators had the week off after a 27-24 upset of then-No. 7 Texas. They will have an equally tough road test this week going against nationally top-ranked Georgia. That is followed by a home date against Oklahoma. Florida finishes out the regular season at Kentucky, back home to face Vanderbilt, then to Tallahassee for the annual rivalry game with Florida State.
Oklahoma's College Football Playoff hopes are probably done for this season, but the Sooners are still in a position to extend their streak of 27 consecutive postseason bowl appearances, needing a couple more wins after their 23-15 road victory this past weekend over Mississippi State. OU is back home this weekend to host South Carolina, itself a big upset winner over Tennessee in Week 8.
The Sooners finish out the regular season with a November slate that includes a road test at Florida followed by home games vs. Ole Miss and Texas A&M, and a road game at Missouri to close out the regular season.
South Carolina is riding a two-game win streak with consecutive victories over Florida and Tennessee in the past two weeks, and a date at Oklahoma scheduled this weekend. The November slate for the Gamecocks includes home games against Texas A&M (Nov. 7) and Georgia (Nov. 21), and road contests at Arkansas (Nov. 14) and Clemson to close out the regular season.
Mississippi State is in the throes of a three-game losing streak after starting the conference season with a couple of wins. The Bulldogs, who have been without their starting quarterback for the last two games, lost at home to Oklahoma over the weekend. MSU will try to right the ship this weekend, but the challenge will again be daunting, having to go to Texas to take on the rejuvenated Longhorns. Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Ole Miss await in November. Only the regular-season finale at Ole Miss is on the road.
Auburn had momentum on its side following a gutty three-point win over top-ranked Georgia the week before. But LSU rolled into Jordan-Hare Stadium -- the Haunted House to some -- on Saturday and stomped on Auburn from the start, handing the home team a 38-17 beatdown. Now, the Tigers of Auburn must regroup and get ready to go up against Ole Miss at the latter's place, after the Rebels suffered a tough loss over the weekend to Texas. Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Alabama remain on the schedule in November for Auburn, with MSU and Bama away from home.
Texas A&M was projected to finish fourth in the SEC standings this season, but instead, the Aggies have lost to four of five SEC opponents and currently sit in next-to-last place. Alabama was the latest victor over A&M with a 31-20 win in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The Aggies won't have to worry about losing this week because they are idle until Oct. 31, when they will play at South Carolina. Tennessee, at Oklahoma, and the annual rivalry game vs. Texas remain after that to close out the regular season.
Arkansas was idle this past week after picking up its first SEC win of the season the weekend before, a 31-21 road win over Vanderbilt. The Razorbacks resume play this weekend, hosting the Battle Line Rivalry against Missouri, which also had the week off. The Hogs close out the regular season with road games at Auburn and Texas and a pair of home games vs. South Carolina and the Battle for the Boot with LSU on closing weekend on Nov. 28.
Vanderbilt is 0-5 in the SEC after opening the season 3-0 with a sweep of its non-conference opponents. The Commodores finished out their October schedule with a 34-17 loss at Kentucky over the weekend. Their remaining schedule features a road test at Mississippi State on Nov. 7, followed by a frightful post-Halloween closing stretch against Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee.
Add us as a preferred source on Google