Happy College Football Playoff Rankings to all who celebrate! Week 9 in the SEC didn't give us a ton of surprises, to say the least. Florida disappointingly failed to look competitive against a Georgia defense that looks as dominant as ever.
Ole Miss dominated Auburn 45-15, and Texas took care of an injury-riddled Mississippi State 31-3. Missouri took down Arkansas with ease 34-10, and South Carolina got its third-straight win with a dominant 45-25 win over Oklahoma. LSU, Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee were all on a bye.
After Week 9, there are a whopping six two-loss SEC teams that could make a case for a CFP bid. So it'll be interesting to see just where the committee ranks all those teams.
Before the CFP debates begin and after Week 9, a look at the latest SEC Power Rankings:
Cream of the crop
1. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1): Although Florida's defense held up well early, Georgia's defense forced four Florida turnovers that put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs' defense gets one of toughest tests this week, facing Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss on the road. But after that, it's hard to see the Dawgs losing the rest of the regular season with remaining games against Missouri, at South Carolina and a 2-6 Georgia Tech team.
2. Kentucky Wildcats (7-1, 5-1): It's a little disappointing to see little old Kentucky, led by first-year head coach Will Stein, do so well in contrast to Florida's up-and-down season under Jon Sumrall. But the month of November is when we will find out if this Wildcat team is for real.
Kentucky has games against three straight ranked opponents, including at Tennessee this week, against the Gators at home and vs. Missouri in Columbia. The Wildcats close out the regular season against rival Louisville. A Kentucky team making an SEC title game could go from dream to reality depending on how these next few games shake out.
3. LSU Tigers (6-2, 3-2): LSU has two losses, but they might be some of the strongest in the country. A one-score loss on the road to Ole Miss and a one-point overtime loss to Kentucky won't hurt the Tigers too much in terms of CFP hopes.
But this week's game at home against Alabama feels fittingly massive, and the Tigers are 5.5-point early favorites. If Kiffin's team also gets past Texas at home and Tennessee on the road, his first season in Baton Rouge gets right back on track.
Where will the CFP rank the two-loss SEC teams?
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-2): A three-point loss to Georgia at home won't hurt Kalen DeBoer's team too much. But the 26-10 loss on the road to Tennessee does a bit more.
The Tide can get right back in business by going on the road to upset Kiffin's LSU squad. From there, Alabama can hit cruise control the rest of the season, finishing with Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and getting a 4-4 Auburn team at home in the Iron Bowl.
5. Texas Longhorns (6-2, 3-2): Texas perhaps has the most confusing resume in the entire SEC. The Longhorns have the win over then-No. 1 Ohio State earlier in the year, but losses to struggling Oklahoma and Florida teams don't match up.
Texas also took down then-No. 7 Ole Miss and Tennessee on the road earlier this year. It's hard to predict where exactly the committee will put the Longhorns. But a CFP bid is inevitable if Texas finishes strong in three road games against Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M.
6. Ole Miss Rebels (6-2, 4-2): Ole Miss' two road losses came to ranked opponents in Florida and Texas, and the Week 3 win over LSU holds weight. Ole Miss has beaten all three of its SEC opponents by multiple scores, too.
The Rebels might have one of the easiest remaining roads. While Ole Miss' game this week against Georgia is massive, the Rebels get the Dawgs at home. Ole Miss then closes out the season with a road trip to Oklahoma before Wofford and Mississippi State at home in the Egg Bowl.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (6-2, 3-2): Tennessee has a three-point loss to Texas at home, and the 27-24 loss to South Carolina doesn't look as damaging given how well the Gamecocks have been playing.
The Vols have one of their biggest games of the season coming up, taking on a red-hot Kentucky team at home this week. Tennessee also will play LSU at home on Nov. 21, as well as road games vs. Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. How the Kentucky and LSU games go for Tennessee should give us a better idea how for real the Vols are.
8. Missouri Tigers (6-2, 3-2): Missouri is still in the hunt, with two losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss so far. But the Tigers' losses could pile up in a hurry, as Missouri has to play three teams ranked inside the Top-10 starting this weekend in Texas, on the road vs. Georgia and against Kentucky, also at home.
Three-loss teams that can finish out the season strong
9. South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3): South Carolina team started the season 2-3. After three straight losses to Mississippi State, Alabama and Kentucky, there was talk of a coaching change coming in Columbia.
But Shane Beamer's team has looked much better as of late, rattling off three straight wins over Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma. The Gamecocks could have a strong finish to the season against struggling teams Texas A&M and Arkansas before getting Georgia on the road. South Carolina will look to finish the season out on a high note against Clemson during rivalry week. Kudos to the Gamecocks on rebounding after a tough start to the season.
10. Florida Gators (5-3, 3-3): It's been a weird, inconsistent first season for Jon Sumrall in Gainesville. The Gators started out the year hot at 4-0 including an upset over Ole Miss, but dropped back-to-back losses to Missouri and South Carolina.
The 27-24 road win over Texas before the bye was a pleasant surprise, but the uninspiring 27-8 loss to rival Georgia nullifies that a bit. This is an important stretch for the Gators in the coming weeks. Florida gets Oklahoma at home before traveling to play Kentucky, where the Gators haven't won since 2019. The Gators close out the year with Vanderbilt and a road game against interim FSU coach Rick Stockstill. How Florida does the next two weeks could dictate how Sumrall's first season in Gainesville ends up. a
Teams fighting for a mediocre bowl bid
11. Oklahoma Sooners (4-4, 2-3): Aside from the upset win over Texas, Oklahoma hasn't looked too great all season. The Sooners have lost two out of their last three games to Kentucky and South Carolina.
Head coach Brent Venables also just fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle as the unit is tied for 108th in the country in scoring offense. The Sooners will have to work to earn a bowl bid, with remaining games against Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri. Florida's defense will be looking to play like it did early against Georgia against a struggling Oklahoma offense this week.
12. Auburn Tigers (2-4, 4-4): Auburn's shocking upset over Georgia earlier in the year might be the lone highlight of head coach Alex Golesh's first season. Auburn's last three SEC losses have come by at least two scores.
Golesh will be looking to at least lead Auburn to a bowl game. To do so, the Tigers have to win two more games out of a slate that includes Arkansas, Mississippi State, Samford and Alabama. The Tigers will also want to throw a wrench in Alabama's CFP plans in the Iron Bowl, too.
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-4, 2-4): It's been incredibly disappointing to watch Kamario Taylor shine early only to have his season cut short due to injuries. Depending on how Mississippi State does in remaining games against Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Ole Miss, Jeff Lebby could be right back on the hot seat.
Bottom of the barrel
14. Texas A&M Aggies (4-4, 1-4): Mike Elko's team has just one win in SEC play so far, next on the list Arkansas. It's hard to believe the Aggies were a CFP team just a year ago. It could get ugly in College Station, with remaining contests looming against South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks (3-5, 1-4): Ryan Silverfield is having a tough first season in Fayetteville. But Arkansas does have the 11th toughest schedule in the country, per ESPN's FPI.
It's hard to find another win on Arkansas' schedule with games remaining vs. Auburn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU.
16. Vanderbilt Commodores (0-5, 3-5): Vandy has made it to November having gone winless in the SEC. The best chance to get one might be this week on the road against Mississippi State. Vandy closes out with three straight ranked opponents in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.
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