The SEC race has already started to split in two, and after Week 4, Texas is still the team sitting on top.
That doesn’t mean the Longhorns looked untouchable. Far from it.
Tennessee’s defense kept Steve Sarkisian’s offense in check for long stretches, and the play-calling still needs some work. But Texas walked out of Knoxville with a road win in the SEC, and that counts for plenty.
Now comes a chance to breathe before the Red River Rivalry against an Oklahoma team that’s searching for answers.
Georgia holds the No. 2 spot after another routine showing. Kirby Smart’s team keeps flattening whoever lines up across from it, and the real test may not arrive until next weekend in Tuscaloosa. For now, the Bulldogs are doing what elite teams do: taking care of business and making it look easy.
LSU comes in at No. 3, though the Tigers are carrying some baggage. Yes, they handled Texas A&M on Saturday night, but the injury situation is starting to pile up.
QB Sam Leavitt was hobbling around, TE Trey’Dez Green was out, and star LB Whit Weeks left on crutches. The good news is that McNeese is on deck at the right time, with a brutal November stretch looming after that.
Florida has climbed to No. 4, and the Gators are one of the most interesting teams in the league right now. They’re 4-0, Jadan Baugh is striking the Heisman pose, and first-year coach Jon Sumrall has this thing rolling.
The next hurdle is a trip to Missouri, which has the feel of a potential trap game. Win that one, and this season starts to look a lot more serious.
Alabama checks in at No. 5 after what felt like its cleanest performance so far. After sluggish openings against Kentucky and Florida State, the Crimson Tide came out fast against South Carolina, built a 35-10 halftime lead, and never let the game get close. A trip to Mississippi State now looks a lot more demanding than it did before the season.
Ole Miss is next at No. 6, and the defense is the concern. The Rebels were pushed around badly by Florida in the Swamp, and Pete Golding has work to do during the off week. Jadan Baugh was a problem, but the bigger issue is that cracks are showing in a defense that needs to be sturdier if Ole Miss wants another Playoff run.
Mississippi State is one of the biggest movers in the league at No. 7.
Kamario Taylor has turned into the kind of player who can carry a team, and he did it again Saturday night in Starkville. He’s now second in the SEC in pass yards with 1,192 and first in touchdown passes with 14.
Jeff Lebby has a star.
Tennessee lands at No. 8 after a loss that doesn’t feel catastrophic, even if the frustration is real on Rocky Top. The Volunteers dropped a 3-point home game to the No. 1 team in the country, and Faizon Brandon looked every bit like a true freshman.
That happens. He’ll learn from it, and Tennessee isn’t out of the picture.
Kentucky stays at No. 9 after a 45-21 win over South Alabama. The defense still has some issues, but Will Stein and Kenny Minchey have already done impressive work on offense.
Now the Wildcats head to South Carolina with a chance to move to 4-1, which is not where many expected them to be this fast. “I didn’t think we’d be here this quickly.
Awesome job by Stein.”
Missouri sits at No. 10, and the complaints are familiar. Eli Drinkwitz’s clock management continues to be a problem, and the Tigers keep getting burned by coaching issues that should not be the story. Austin Simmons needs the green light this weekend in a big home game against Florida.
Texas A&M is No. 11, and the quarterback situation is getting uncomfortable. Marcel Reed has to play a lot better, or Mike Elko may have to make a decision. The Aggies are still being separated from the bottom tier, but not by much.
Auburn is No. 12, even after a bump up in the rankings. There’s still skepticism around Alex Golesh’s team because the Tigers should have handled Baylor more convincingly in Week 1 and should have taken better control of Vanderbilt at home.
Oklahoma is No. 13, and the issue is clear: John Mateer. The defense didn’t actually play terribly at Georgia, but Mateer’s fumble returned for a touchdown and the steady stream of bad situations he put his defense in made the night much harder. Brent Venables has an off week to decide whether something has to change.
South Carolina is No. 14 after a rough showing at Alabama, and the picture is getting ugly. Dylan Stewart is now suspended indefinitely after crashing out against the Crimson Tide, and the Gamecocks don’t look like a team that’s heading in the right direction as Kentucky comes to town.
Vanderbilt is No. 15.
The Commodores fought on the road but didn’t do enough to finish the job, and freshman QB Jared Curtis is still working through the early stages of being the starter. There’s a feeling here that if he had started the first two games, things might look different.
Arkansas rounds out the list at No. 16.
Beating Tulsa by four touchdowns was a positive step for Ryan Silverfield and the Razorbacks, but the bigger test comes now with a trip to a struggling Texas A&M team. If Arkansas is going to find an upset in SEC play this year, this may be the best shot.
In Other News...
Kamario Taylor Just Gave Mississippi State Fans Another Reason To Believe
Nick Sabans on-air suggestion that Kamario Taylor should enter the transfer portal turned into one more flashpoint in Mississippi States surprisingly lively start. Instead of feeding the noise, Taylor doubled down on his commitment to the Bulldogs, and the team has backed him up with a 4-0 run that has pushed Mississippi State into the AP Top 25 at No. 16 after a win over Missouri.
Now the conversation shifts from outside skepticism to what Mississippi State can do next, with Alabama on deck in a matchup that will draw plenty of attention. Taylor has already answered one high-profile challenge with a public show of loyalty, and the Bulldogs get a chance to keep proving their early surge is real when the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoers Unusual Road Routine Just Put Alabama Fans On Alert
Kalen DeBoer is taking an unusual approach for Alabamas trip to Starkville, with the Crimson Tide planning to travel on the morning of the game instead of making the usual day-before move. The short distance between the two campuses makes that possible, and it lets Alabamas players stay home and sleep in their own beds before heading east for one of the SECs more intriguing early kickoffs.
It is a small scheduling wrinkle, but it adds another layer to a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. The game is set for 11 a.m. and pits two undefeated SEC teams against each other, so every detail around preparation is getting extra attention. For Mississippi State, the setup means the Bulldogs will be waiting on a visiting team that is choosing a road routine not often seen at this level. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Has Earned A Ranking Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Mississippi States 4-0 start has put the Bulldogs squarely into the national conversation, and the latest AP Poll slot at No. 16 only sharpened the discussion. A 2-0 mark in SEC play, highlighted by a win over No. 25 Missouri, has given this team a rsum that looks sturdier than the typical early-season surprise, especially with sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor driving the offense.
Taylor has already thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns, tying for the most passing scores in the country, and that kind of production is hard to ignore when the rankings debate turns to the Power Four picture. The bigger question now is how long Mississippi State can keep climbing, with Alabama and LSU looming as the kind of games that can either validate the Bulldogs place in the poll or force another round of second-guessing. [Read more 🡒]