Week 9 in the SEC didn’t bring chaos. It brought control.
Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas all took care of business Saturday, Oct. 31, and the latest rankings reflected it. No.
3 Georgia rolled past No. 20 Florida 27-8 in the rivalry game formerly known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” No.
12 Ole Miss turned a tight halftime game into a runaway against Auburn, and No. 11 Texas stacked back-to-back wins for the first time since the opening month.
Georgia’s win in Atlanta came with a familiar formula: defense, balance and enough offense to stay comfortably ahead. Gunner Stockton threw for just over 100 yards, while the Bulldogs piled up 217 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Ole Miss had to work a little longer to separate from Auburn. Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels led by only five at halftime, then slammed the door with four second-half touchdowns on the way to a 45-15 finish. Chambliss accounted for three total touchdowns in the win.
Texas looked sharp in its matchup with a Mississippi State team playing its first game without Kamario Taylor. Arch Manning completed 16 of 20 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns as the Longhorns kept their momentum going.
South Carolina also made noise on the road, using a dominant second quarter to beat Oklahoma. That result sparked chants of “Fire Arbuckle” in the stands and raised more questions about the man leading the program.
A handful of SEC teams were idle in Week 9 - Kentucky, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee all had byes, along with Vanderbilt - but the league still made a strong showing in both major polls.
In the US LBM Coaches Poll, Miami stayed No. 1, followed by Georgia at No. 2.
Indiana, Utah, UCLA and Notre Dame rounded out the top six. Kentucky checked in at No. 7, with BYU at No. 8 and Alabama at No.
- Texas landed at No.
11, Ole Miss at No. 12, LSU at No. 15 and Tennessee at No.
- Missouri was No. 19, while Florida was unranked in this poll.
The AP Top 25 told a similar story at the top, with Miami first and Georgia second. Utah moved to No.
3, Notre Dame was No. 4, and UCLA and Indiana followed. Kentucky came in at No.
8, Alabama at No. 9, Texas at No. 10 and Ohio State at No.
- Ole Miss sat at No.
12, LSU at No. 15, Tennessee at No. 16 and Missouri at No.
- South Carolina entered at No. 23, while Florida appeared at No.
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Since arriving in Atlanta in 2023, Bates has piled up the kind of takeaway production that coaches covet, and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been quick to praise how precisely he executes the technique. It showed up again in a recent game, when Bates helped the Falcons tilt the field with a strip and an interception, reinforcing why he has become such a valuable edge for a defense that needs every extra possession it can get. [Read more 🡒]