Auburn finally put a conference win on the board in Week 4, but that 21-15 result over Vanderbilt still leaves the Tigers buried in the lower half of the SEC hierarchy. Around them, the league’s pecking order got a lot clearer by the end of September, with Georgia, Florida and Alabama separating themselves from the pack.
At the top sits Georgia, and the Bulldogs earned that spot the hard way with a 41-13 demolition of Oklahoma Between the Hedges. That kind of performance looked a lot like the Kirby Smart era at its most dominant, the kind that made UGA the SEC’s standard before the CFP expanded to 12 teams. Maybe that version is back in Athens.
Florida checked in at No. 2 after making Ole Miss look helpless in the Swamp. That win may have done more than pad the Gators’ résumé; it suggested their home-field edge is real again after losing to Golesh’s USF program in 2025. The offense looked even sharper against the Rebels than it did in the Week 3 win over Auburn, and Pete Golding’s defense finally ran into a team that had answers in Gainesville.
Alabama’s case is just as loud. The Crimson Tide keep piling up points, and the 49-18 win over South Carolina pushed them to 192 through the first month of the season.
That total includes Florida State and two SEC opponents, which tells you plenty about how dangerous this offense has become. Georgia and Alabama will settle plenty when they meet on October 10 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Texas landed at No. 4 after surviving on Rocky Top, but the warning signs are still there. Arch Manning was sacked six times, the run game never really got going, and the Longhorns again looked vulnerable after nearly getting blown out by Ohio State two weeks earlier. The schedule offers some breathing room with a bye and then the Red River Rivalry, but this top dog has some bite marks.
Mississippi State moved up to No. 5 after back-to-back conference wins over South Carolina and Missouri. The Bulldogs also added a Week 2 blowout of Minnesota, which makes the 2-0 SEC start feel a little less like a fluke. That said, Alabama is next, so Starkville may get a hard reality check soon enough.
Ole Miss drops behind Mississippi State after getting hammered by Florida, even if the loss came on the heels of defending Vaught-Hemingway Stadium against LSU. Trinidad Chambliss and the rest of that group still deserve some credit, but the defense has looked shaky over the last six quarters, and that’s hard to ignore after what happened in Gainesville.
LSU sits at No. 7 after taking care of Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium. Lane Kiffin’s team posted 506 yards of offense and handled third down cleanly, holding the Aggies to four conversions on 15 tries. McNeese State is next, and the schedule eases up from there.
Tennessee was the best-looking loser of the week, pushing Texas all the way to the final play. True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon kept his poise against a fierce pass rush on a day that also featured a historic performance from Texas defensive end Colin Simmons. Auburn heads to Knoxville in Week 5 for a major test.
Missouri sits at No. 9 after losing to Mississippi State, though the Tigers still have reasons to feel decent about Austin Simmons. The Ole Miss transfer quarterback nearly helped Missouri steal the game at the end. Florida comes to CoMo next, and that could send the Tigers sliding again.
Auburn rounds out the top 10, and there’s still room to climb. A win at Tennessee would change the conversation fast.
The offensive line remains a concern if it can’t keep Byrum Brown protected, and the run game needs a real jump. Even so, the Tigers may be due for some road upset magic; Auburn hasn’t won an SEC game as a road underdog since 2023.
Kentucky is No. 11 after shaking off a shaky first half against South Alabama and finishing with a 21-0 second-half burst. Will Stein’s team looks like it’s moving the right way after the Week 3 upset of Texas A&M, and South Carolina is up next.
Arkansas checks in at No. 12 after blowing out Tulsa. The Razorbacks still carry the memory of the Utah loss, but beating Texas A&M at Kyle Field would go a long way toward proving this isn’t a bottom-tier SEC team. Ryan Silverfield is trying to steady a fanbase that hasn’t exactly been calm.
Vanderbilt lands at No. 13, and the Commodores are probably better than the old punchline version of this program. They were close to being 2-2, thanks in part to NC State’s bizarre end-zone fumble in Nashville, and they kept Auburn within reach until the closing minutes. Clark Lea has built something respectable, even if it’s not a world-beater.
South Carolina is down at No. 14 after a rough showing against Alabama. The loss brought some ugly moments, and the bigger concern is the sense that some players are checking out on Shane Beamer and his staff. Kentucky next could make things worse.
Oklahoma is No. 15 after a flat, uncompetitive performance against Georgia. With losses to UGA and Michigan, Brent Venables’ team is already in a tough spot. The Sooners get a bye before the Red River Rivalry in Dallas, though things may get worse before they get better.
Texas A&M brings up the rear at No. 16, and the concern in College Station is getting louder by the week. The defense has been run through over the last two games, and the issues showed up earlier against Arizona State in Week 2 as well.
A home loss to Arkansas would put Mike Elko in a very uncomfortable place. So far, no team in college football has been more disappointing than TAMU.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Have Reached A Boiling Point Over This Latest Misstep
Auburns fan base is already carrying plenty of frustration into this season, and the latest gripe has nothing to do with the play on the field. The athletic departments commemorative ticket for the Vanderbilt game quickly drew backlash from supporters who saw it as another money grab, especially at a time when many families are watching every dollar they spend.
John Cohen has become a central figure in that criticism, with fans increasingly chafing at pricing strategies and what they view as a growing disconnect from the traditional base that has long filled Auburns stands. The reaction adds another layer to the broader unease around the program, where dissatisfaction is building both from the results on the field and the decisions being made away from it. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Colemans First Texas Reality Check Just Raised Bigger Questions
Cam Colemans first run through a tougher test at Texas came with a little less shine than Auburn fans had grown used to seeing. In the 20-17 win over Tennessee, he finished with one catch for 30 yards and briefly left the field with a limp, a reminder that the week-to-week jump in competition can change the look of a players stat line in a hurry.
Coleman has still found the end zone four times in four games, but all of those touchdowns have come against Group of Six opponents, and the bigger question now is how he translates that production when the defenses tighten up. Auburns receivers have been productive since his departure, and Texas is still in position to give him chances to make a bigger imprint, provided the health issue does not linger. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Got The SEC Win But Golesh Sent A Clear Warning
Auburns first SEC win under Alex Golesh brought the kind of relief any early conference stretch needs, a 21-15 victory over Vanderbilt that moved the Tigers to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in league play. It was the sort of result that can steady a team in September, especially with a new head coach still trying to establish a baseline and a roster still figuring out what winning in his system is supposed to look like.
Golesh did not let the final margin obscure the bigger picture after the game, using his postgame session to point out that there is still plenty to clean up on both sides of the ball. He praised Vanderbilts coach and singled out the punt block touchdown as a momentum play, but he also made clear that Auburns ability to survive close games will matter only if the Tigers keep tightening the details that decided this one. [Read more 🡒]