SEC Power Rankings after Week 5

The SEC revealed its first favorite for the game of the year on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Alabama held off a furious comeback attempt from Georgia and remained undefeated on the season.

But was it enough to catapult the Tide to No. 1 in our weekly power rankings?

Many other teams also showed strong performances over the weekend.

Without further ado, let's dive into this week's SEC power rankings as we prepare for Week 6:

16. Mississippi State (1-4 overall, 0-2 in the SEC)

Previous ranking: 16
This week: 35-13L to No. 1 Texas
Next week: OUT OF

All in all, the 35-13 loss to the No. 1 team in the country isn't all that bad for the Bulldogs. They've done some good things, but ultimately this team just doesn't have enough talent to compete in the SEC this year. We'll see if Jeff Lebby can build some positive momentum with the Bulldogs in 2025.

15. Auburn (2-3, 0-2)

Previous ranking: 15
This week: 27-21 L to No. 21 Oklahoma
Next week: in Georgia

The Tigers just can't stay out of each other's way. Payton Thorne took the lead late and threw a really bad pick-6 to Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis. If this team can start paying more attention to the ball, there will be wins. But until then… things could remain ugly for a team still looking for answers at QB.

14. Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1)

Previous ranking: 14
This week: OUT OF
Next week: against Alabama

The Commodores had this week off, but I don't expect that to help too much as they prepare to welcome Alabama to town in Week 6. The stadium will be full of Crimson Tide fans and Jalen Milroe is playing like the Heisman favorite. This should be a blast in Nashville.

13. Florida (2-2, 1-1)

Previous ranking: 13
This week: OUT OF
Next week: vs. UCF

The Gators had a week off to enjoy the SEC win over Mississippi State. Now they will play another Sunshine State rivalry game when the UCF Knights come to Gainesville in Week 6. Could we see the Gators build some more momentum ahead of their trip to Tennessee in Week 7?

12. Arkansas (3-2, 1-1)

Previous ranking: 8
This week: 21-17 L to No. 24 Texas A&M
Next week: against Tennessee

It's hard not to feel like the Hogs missed a great opportunity. They were in Arlington with the Aggies all afternoon, but just couldn't get past the crunch when it mattered most. With Tennessee traveling to town next weekend looking like a real playoff contender, things could get ugly in Fayetteville.

11. South Carolina (3-1, 1-1)

Previous ranking: 11
This week: OUT OF
Next week: against Ole Miss

The Gamecocks had a week off after a win over Akron. This weekend they will welcome an angry Ole Miss squad to Williams-Brice Stadium. I expect South Carolina to be prepared for this contest. The Gamecocks have shown this year that they can compete with strong teams (see: LSU and Kentucky). Expect it to be a close game.

10. Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1)

Previous ranking: 10
This week: 27-21 W over Auburn
Next week: OUT OF

The Sooners' defense saved the offense again. Kip Lewis' pick-6 saved the win after the loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium. I won't move Oklahoma up in my rankings after this win, but this defense is truly an elite unit. Texas needs to be careful in Week 7.

9. Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0)

Previous ranking: 9
This week: 21-17 W over Arkansas
Next week: against Mizzou

The Aggies currently have the best record in the SEC, but those two wins came against Arkansas and Florida. However, the top-10 Missouri Tigers come to College Station for the former Big 12 showdown on Saturday afternoon, so A&M will have a chance to prove itself. We'll see if the Aggies can pull off a decisive win.

8. Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1)

Previous ranking: 2
This week: 20-17L to Kentucky
Next week: in South Carolina

The Ole Miss playoff train hit a rough patch Saturday with a loss to Kentucky. This offense has been flirting with disaster a lot lately – gaining lots of yards but not scoring as many points as it could have due to penalties and poor execution. That finally caught up with the Rebels against the Wildcats. All of Ole Miss' goals are still attainable, however, so we'll see if the Rebels come out angry in South Carolina this weekend.

7. Kentucky (3-2, 1-2)

Previous ranking: 12
This week: 20-17 W over No. 6 Ole Miss
Next week: OUT OF

This was the biggest win of the Mark Stoops era. I was ready to write off the Wildcats after the loss to South Carolina. Kudos to Stoops and his staff for keeping the team focused and getting the players back on track. The defense is great. If the offense can continue to improve, the Wildcats could have more big wins in the future.

6. LSU (4-1, 1-0)

Previous ranking: 6
This week: 42-10 W over southern Alabama
Next week: OUT OF

This was a strong performance for the LSU defense. Without Harold Perkins, the Tigers had their best defensive performance yet. Now they have a chance to regroup a bit, which will be important before SEC play resumes. The Tigers host Ole Miss on October 12th, so the defense will have to be at its best.

5. Mizzou (4-0, 1-0)

Previous ranking: 7
This week: OUT OF
Next week: at Texas A&M

Jump two spots on a week off? Not bad! However, the Tigers will need to be at their best offensively next Saturday afternoon when they travel to College Station for a ranked game against Texas A&M. Brady Cook hasn't given it his all this season. If the Tigers want to win, he has to be great.

4. Georgia (3-1, 1-1)

Previous ranking: 1
This week: 41-34 L to No. 4 Alabama
Next week: against Auburn

The Bulldogs lost to Alabama, yes, but this team deserves a ton of credit for fighting back and taking the lead in a game that had nothing to do with it. But at the end of the day it wasn't enough. This is still a really good team, but QB Carson Beck and the offense need to find some answers before the Texas game on October 19th.

3. Tennessee (4-0, 1-0)

Previous ranking: 4
This week: OUT OF
Next week: in Arkansas

The Vols are on everyone's lips lately. This squad looks very much like a playoff contender. A trip to Arkansas won't necessarily be easy, but it should be manageable for Nico Iamaleava and Co. The Vols need to get a convincing road win – one that has been difficult for teams around the SEC to achieve this season.

2. Texas (5-0, 1-0)

Previous ranking: 3
This week: 35-13 W over the state of Mississippi
Next week: OUT OF

An SEC game, no problems for the Longhorns. Sure, it was against a miserable Mississippi State team, but a win is a win. Quinn Ewers' status is worth keeping an eye on, but having Arch Manning as the backup QB is a good situation. The Longhorns will now rest before the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma in a few weeks.

1. Alabama (4-0, 1-0)

Previous ranking: 5
This week: 41-34 W over No. 2 Georgia
Next week: at Vanderbilt

Wow. Jalen Milroe appears to be the Heisman front-runner. Ryan Williams appears to be a contender for the Biletnikoff Award. The Crimson Tide made some of the best plays you will ever see against a Georgia defense. Yes, they almost gave up a big halftime lead, but all that matters is that the Tide protected their home game and won the W. This week they travel to Vanderbilt in what will certainly feel like another home game.