ESPN’s latest FPI update after Week 6 has the SEC shuffled in a way that should keep the debate going all week long. Alabama-Georgia delivered the headline result, but the ripple effects ran through the rest of the league too, from Kentucky’s overtime stunner to Oklahoma’s Red River breakthrough.
At the bottom, Vanderbilt sits last in the SEC FPI rankings after getting handled 52-17 by Ole Miss at home. The Commodores are 3-3 now, and Jared Curtis finished 19-of-32 for 222 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Vanderbilt turned it over four times, and the defense gave up 409 yards.
Arkansas is just ahead of Vanderbilt after a narrow 24-17 loss to Tennessee. The Razorbacks had that game in reach before the Vols took over the fourth quarter. KJ Jackson went 15-of-27 for 155 yards and a touchdown, but Arkansas will be left thinking about that 14-10 lead heading into the final period.
Auburn sits 14th after a bye week, still near the back end of the conference rankings with Georgia coming up next. Kentucky, meanwhile, is only 13th in the SEC FPI despite moving into the Top 15 of the AP Poll. The Wildcats beat LSU 35-34 in overtime in Lexington, and CJ Baxter was the centerpiece with 19 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
South Carolina checks in at 12th after a loud 38-19 win over Florida. The Gamecocks were up 31-13 going into the fourth quarter and are now 3-3. LaNorris Sellers posted 279 passing yards and four touchdowns, then added another score on the ground.
Mississippi State is 11th after an off week, but the Bulldogs are staring at a major test at LSU in Baton Rouge this weekend. A win there would go a long way toward pushing them higher and knocking LSU’s goals down a notch.
Florida lands at No. 10, and the slide is getting hard to ignore. The Gators were 4-0 not long ago, but back-to-back blowout losses have dropped them in the FPI.
Against South Carolina, Jadan Baugh was held to 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. Texas A&M follows at ninth after a 27-6 loss to Missouri.
Marcel Reed completed 19 of 39 passes for 187 yards and two interceptions, and KJ Edwards led the ground game with just six carries for 20 yards.
Missouri moves up to No. 8 after taking down the Aggies. The Tigers are projected to go 3-3 the rest of the way after starting 5-1, and Jamal Roberts was the difference-maker with 34 carries for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma comes in at seventh after knocking off then-No. 1 Texas in the Red River matchup.
The Sooners are still in the middle of the SEC pack by the metrics, but the win gave the fan base plenty to celebrate. Oklahoma scored on special teams and defense in the victory.
Ole Miss is sixth after its 52-17 win at Vanderbilt, a strong response after that loss to Florida. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and he also ran for a score.
Tennessee sits fifth after escaping Arkansas 24-17 on the road to move to 5-1. George MacIntyre threw two interceptions, but DeSean Bishop picked up the slack with 19 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. Alabama comes next on the schedule in Knoxville.
LSU is fourth despite a brutal finish against Kentucky. The Tigers lost on a two-point conversion and saw their CFP hopes take another hit halfway through the season. Sam Leavitt accounted for three total touchdowns, though he also threw another interception, and the run game never got going in the shootout.
Texas drops to third after falling 27-24 to Oklahoma. Arch Manning finished 19-of-31 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He helped force the game into a tie with 6:32 left, but the Longhorns still had to watch the defense give up the winning field goal as time expired after a 17-7 halftime lead disappeared.
Alabama is second in the SEC FPI this week after its 20-17 loss to Georgia. Kalen DeBoer was seen yelling at Dijon Lee for the personal foul that ended up giving Georgia an automatic first down, and that moment became part of the conversation after the game.
Keelon Russell completed passes for 185 yards and a touchdown and added 41 rushing yards. Alabama could still finish 11-1 or better in the regular season.
Georgia tops the SEC FPI rankings after beating Alabama. Gunner Stockton went 18-of-22 for 249 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and he also ran for a score. After that result, Georgia has also strengthened its case as the best team in the country in most conversations.
In Other News...
Kentucky Had LSU Pointing Fingers Instead Of Taking Care Of Business
LSU walked away from its overtime loss to Kentucky with plenty to review, but Lane Kiffin spent much of his postgame focus on the officiating. He disputed the fourth-and-goal call and pointed to other decisions that, in his view, shaped the game, even as his team had chances to take care of business on its own terms.
Kiffin also walked through the late fourth-and-1 decision, explaining why he chose to punt instead of leaving the offense on the field. It was another familiar turn in a season where he has been willing to cite outside factors after losses, including crowd noise in an earlier defeat, but Kentucky will be far more interested in the result than the complaints surrounding it. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Will Love The LSU Complaint After That TD
Kentuckys 35-34 overtime win over LSU was already the kind of finish fans would replay for a long time, but the conversation around Kenny Mincheys controversial touchdown late in the second quarter has kept the game buzzing well after the final whistle. The score came in a moment that felt pivotal even before the extra period, and for Kentucky, it has become part of the story of a victory that felt earned in every tense, noisy way.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin was frustrated afterward, saying officials told him they did not blow the play dead because of the stakes and the potential backlash from the home crowd. He also pointed to missed calls and said he could not communicate with officials during the game, complaints that only add to the intrigue around a result Kentucky fans are happy to claim and LSU is still clearly bitter about. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Transfer Surge Is Suddenly Fueling A Real SEC Threat
Kenny Minchey keeps turning Kentuckys transfer story into something more than offseason buzz. Through the early part of the 2026 season, the Wildcats have leaned on portal additions to reshape the roster, and Week 6 only reinforced how quickly that overhaul can matter in the SEC. Mincheys recent play landed him among the top transfer portal performers in college football for the week, a sign that Kentucky is getting real production from a quarterback who has helped steady the offense when it needed it.
What makes this stretch so intriguing for Kentucky is that it is no longer just about depth or development. Alongside transfer standouts elsewhere around the country, Mincheys performance stood out because it showed up in games with actual consequences, the kind that can swing a Saturday and alter how a team is viewed moving forward. For a program trying to climb back into the league conversation, the portal is starting to look less like a backup plan and more like the reason the Wildcats have become a genuine threat. [Read more 🡒]