The SEC’s weekend chaos showed up loud and clear in USA TODAY Sports’ latest 1-138 rankings.
Georgia, Alabama and Texas all took hits after unexpected losses, while Ole Miss and Kentucky kept climbing with wins that fit the moment in conference play. Ole Miss delivered the kind of performance preseason expectations had been waiting for, rolling past Missouri. Kentucky kept its momentum going with a road win over Oklahoma in Norman.
At the halfway point of the season, the league’s real contenders are starting to sort themselves out. Here’s where the SEC sits in Paul Myerberg’s updated rankings.
Georgia remains No. 1 in the conference despite the 27-24 loss to Auburn, though the Bulldogs dropped three spots.
Ole Miss follows at No. 2 after moving up to No. 7 overall, with Tennessee right behind at No. 3 after a jump of eight spots.
Kentucky checks in at No. 4 and No. 13 overall after beating Oklahoma 21-13, a result that pushed the Wildcats up seven places.
Alabama sits at No. 5 in the SEC and No. 16 overall after falling 10 spots. Texas is right behind at No. 6, also down 10 after its 27-24 loss to Florida.
LSU lands at No. 7, holding steady at No. 21 overall after blanking Mississippi State 31-0.
Missouri is No. 8 and No. 22 overall after dropping 11 spots. Florida moves in at No. 9 at No. 25 overall after its win over Texas, climbing eight places.
Auburn’s upset of Georgia sent the Tigers to No. 10 in the SEC and No. 38 overall, a 12-spot rise.
Mississippi State is No. 11 at No. 27 overall after the loss to LSU.
Oklahoma is listed at No. 12 after falling to Kentucky 21-13, down nine spots.
Texas A&M comes in at No. 13 and No. 49 overall after beating The Citadel 41-0.
South Carolina and Vanderbilt are tied at No. 14 in the conference rankings. South Carolina is No. 54 overall and was on a bye week, while Vanderbilt sits at No. 73 overall after a 31-21 loss to Arkansas.
Arkansas rounds out the SEC list at No. 16 after its 31-21 win over Vanderbilt, moving up nine spots.
In Other News...
Jeff Lebby Heads To Oklahoma With One Huge Mississippi State Problem
Mississippi States offense left a lot to fix after its recent loss to LSU, where the Bulldogs came away empty on all five fourth-down tries and still could not put points on the board despite running for 170 yards. The performance only sharpened the focus on the coaching staffs next steps, with Oklahoma now waiting on the schedule and a need for cleaner play-calling and more timely defensive stops.
Jeff Lebby is trying to piece together a workable plan with the players he has available, and that task looks even trickier with quarterback Kamario Taylor unavailable for the immediate future. The Bulldogs will spend the next stretch leaning on whatever adjustments can help them steady the offense while they wait for more clarity on Taylors health, a situation that could shape how they approach Oklahoma and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Texas Breakthrough Suddenly Looks A Lot More Fragile
The Sooners came out of their Texas win looking like a team that might have finally turned a corner, but the follow-up against Kentucky made that feel a lot less certain. Oklahoma moved the ball well enough to finish with more yards and first downs, yet the day still slipped away in a 21-13 home loss that exposed how thin the margin can be when mistakes pile up.
Kentucky did what gritty road winners often do: it stayed alive, kept pressure on, and made Oklahoma pay for turnovers at every turn. The Wildcats did not need to dominate the stat sheet to leave Norman with the result they wanted, and for the Sooners the frustrating part is how much the game felt there for the taking before the giveaways took over. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Fans Are Waiting On One Crucial Kendal Daniels Update
Oklahoma fans had reason to keep one eye on the NFL Sunday slate after rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels exited the Atlanta Falcons game against the Chicago Bears with a neck injury. Daniels was carted off the field after the scary sequence, and the Falcons sent him to the hospital for further evaluation, turning what had been a routine follow for Sooners alums into a situation that quickly became the days biggest concern.
The encouraging part is that the initial reporting around Daniels pointed in a positive direction, with the Falcons indicating he was alert and moving all of his extremities. Kevin Stefanski later added that the team had received all positive news, but for Oklahoma backers the final update on Daniels is still the one worth waiting on as the rest of the Sooners in the league continued their games elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]