Welcome to the SEC, where the coaching carousel spins almost as wildly as the on-field results. Billy Napier is out at Florida. Brian Kelly is out at LSU despite a winning record. Hugh Freeze and Mark Stoops are clinging to their jobs. Brent Venables feels pressure at Oklahoma. Lane Kiffin might be dodging calls from multiple schools. It's pure chaos off the field.
And the action on the field this past Saturday wasn't much calmer. Statement wins, shocking near-misses, and dominant performances reshuffled the deck yet again. Kentucky remains anchored at the bottom after another embarrassing home loss.
Here are the SEC Power Rankings heading down the stretch
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1)
(Prev: 1) ➖
Alabama survived a surprisingly tough road test at South Carolina, winning 29-22. It wasn't dominant, but finding ways to win challenging SEC road games keeps them firmly atop the conference. Still the standard.
2. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1)
(Prev: 2) ➖
Georgia enjoyed a bye week after their huge win over Ole Miss. They remain squarely in the CFP hunt and look like the clear No. 2 in the league right now.
3. Texas A&M Aggies (8-0)
(Prev: 3) ➖
The Aggies flexed their muscles, going into Baton Rouge and dismantling LSU 49-25. Marcel Reed was dynamic (2 passing TDs, 2 rushing TDs, 108 rush yds). They are undefeated and look like a legitimate national title threat.
4. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1)
(Prev: 4) ➖
Ole Miss bounced back impressively from their loss to Georgia, going on the road and handling Oklahoma 34-26. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 315 yards, and the defense held strong late. A crucial road win keeps their playoff hopes alive.
5. Vanderbilt Commodores (7-1)
(Prev: 5) ➖
Vandy followed up their stunning upset of LSU by grinding out a tough 17-10 win over Missouri. It wasn't flashy, but the Commodores keep proving they can win in different ways. Clark Lea's team is for real.
6. Texas Longhorns (6-2)
(Prev: 7) 🔼
Texas survived a wild shootout in Starkville, needing overtime to beat Mississippi State 45-38. Arch Manning aired it out (346 yards, 3 TDs), finding Ryan Wingo repeatedly (5 catches, 184 yards). Winning ugly on the road moves them up slightly.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (6-2)
(Prev: 10) 🔼
The Vols absolutely obliterated Kentucky 56-34 in Lexington. Joey Aguilar had a monster game (396 yards, 3 TDs). They bounced back emphatically from the Alabama loss and climb back into the top half.
8. Missouri Tigers (6-2)
(Prev: 6) 🔽
Missouri's offense stalled in Nashville as they fell 17-10 to Vanderbilt. A tough loss after their near-upset of Alabama, dropping them a couple of spots in a crowded middle tier.
9. Oklahoma Sooners (6-2)
(Prev: 8) 🔽
The Sooners couldn't keep pace with Ole Miss at home, losing 34-26. John Mateer threw for a TD but the offense wasn't explosive enough. The loss drops them back into the middle of the pack.
10. Auburn Tigers (4-4)
(Prev: 14) 🔼
Finally, a conference win for Hugh Freeze, and a desperately needed one. Auburn went on the road and beat Arkansas 33-24, likely saving Freeze's job for another week. Jeremiah Cobb ran wild (153 yards).
11. LSU Tigers (5-3)
(Prev: 9) 🔽
Just days before Brian Kelly was fired, LSU got blown out at home 49-25 by Texas A&M. The program seems to be spiraling after their loss to Vandy the week prior. A total reset is coming to Baton Rouge.
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-4)
(Prev: 13) 🔼
What a fight. The Bulldogs pushed Texas to overtime before falling 45-38. Blake Shapen was incredible (381 yards, 4 TDs), and Davon Booth ran hard (99 yards). It's still a loss, but that kind of performance against a ranked team earns respect.
13. Florida Gators (2-6)
(Prev: 11) 🔽
Florida had a bye week after firing Billy Napier. The program is in complete disarray as they begin their coaching search.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-5)
(Prev: 15) 🔼
The Gamecocks battled hard but ultimately fell short against No. 4 Alabama, 29-22. LaNorris Sellers showed flashes (222 pass yds, 1 TD; 67 rush yds, 1 TD). It's a loss, but playing the Tide that close shows fight.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-6)
(Prev: 12) 🔽
After showing life against A&M, the Razorbacks took a step back, losing 33-24 at home to Auburn. Taylen Green threw three costly interceptions. Interim coach Bobby Petrino couldn't deliver a win.
Unranked Kentucky Wildcats (2-5)
(Prev: 16) ➖
Another week, another humiliating home loss. Kentucky was non-competitive defensively, getting shredded 56-34 by Tennessee for their 10th straight SEC home defeat. Cutter Boley threw 5 TDs, but it didn't matter. They remain cemented in the SEC cellar as Mark Stoops' seat gets scorching hot.
The Cats don't even deserve to be number 16, it was that bad. What makes it worse is team after team decide to make changes, while Mitch Barnhart clings to hope that Stoops won't lose an 11th striaght home game in year 13; so he can run around and say he was right. The wheels have already fallen off, it's not just a matter of how long the car can run on the ground.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion