The SEC is a tough conference to figure out these days. Georgia remains the top Dawgs of the conference, but the Bulldogs did not have it easy against South Carolina last week. The Bulldogs prevailed after a spirited second half performance.
Week 3 featured some surprising results across the SEC. Missouri upset Kansas State at home thanks to a last second field goal. Florida knocked off Tennessee behind a big day on the ground.
Buy Bulldogs TicketsAlabama’s offense looked bad on the road against USF. The Crimson Tide have quarterback issues ahead of their Week 4 game against Ole Miss.
Here’s our SEC power rankings after Week 3:
14
Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 2-2
Week 3: UNLV 40, Vanderbilt 37
Vanderbilt’s offense played well at UNLV, but the Commodores’ defense was not up to the challenge in their road defeat. Vanderbilt hosts Kentucky in Week 4.
13
Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 2-1
Week 3: BYU 38, Arkansas 31
It is really hard to determine the second-worst team in the SEC. We considered Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and even Kentucky. However, we are going with the Razorbacks, who have not looked particularly impressive any week during the 2023 season. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson could help elevate the Razorbacks to a higher power ranking.
12
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 2-1
Week 3: LSU 41, Mississippi State 14
Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers only had 103 passing yards in Week 3. The Bulldogs’ offense is not the same in the post-Mike Leach era.
11
South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 1-2
Week 3: Georgia 24, South Carolina 14
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks got off to a 14-3 start on the road against Georgia. It was all Bulldogs in the second half though.
South Carolina had 12 fewer first downs, went minus-2 in the turnover battle, and had more penalties against Georgia. The Gamecocks played better than the Bulldogs in the red zone to keep this one interesting.
10
Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 3-0
Week 2: Kentucky 35, Akron 3
The Wildcats finally face a Power Five opponent as they play at Vanderbilt in Week 4. Kentucky is one of the most unproven teams in the SEC right now, but looked better in Week 3 against Akron.
9
Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 2-1
Week 3: Texas A&M 47, UL Monroe 3
The Aggie offense has looked much sharper in 2023. However, Texas A&M could not stop Miami in Week 2. Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman looks like one of the SEC’s better signal callers.
8
Auburn Tigers
Record: 3-0
Week 3: Auburn 45, Samford 13
Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne had 405 total yards in the Tigers’ win over Samford.
There’s not a lot of separation between middle of the pack SEC teams. We could easily see Auburn falling in these power rankings as the season wears on. The Tigers have a Power Five win over California. Auburn will need to play well if they want to win at Texas A&M in Week 4.
7
Florida Gators
Record: 2-1
Week 3: Florida 29, Tennessee 16
The Gators continue to dominate Tennessee in Gainesville, Florida. Florida running back Trevor Etienne powered the Gator offense with 172 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Florida remains an alarming 8-17 in its last 25 games against Power Five opponents.
6
Missouri Tigers
Record: 3-0
Week 3: Missouri 30, Kansas State 27
Missouri defeated the defending Big 12 champions, Kansas State, at home thanks to a 61-yard field goal. The Tigers had a huge performance from quarterback Brady Cook, who passed for 356 yards and threw two touchdowns.
5
Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 2-1
Week 3: Alabama 17, USF 3
Alabama benched starting quarterback Jalen Milroe in Week 3 against USF. The Crimson Tide showed why the other quarterbacks competing with Milroe, Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson, could not win the starting job. Neither Buchner nor Simpson threw for over 100 yards in the Crimson Tide’s ugly win over USF. Alabama did not score its second touchdown until the final minute of the fourth quarter.
4
Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 3-0
Week 3: Florida 29, Tennessee 16
Tennessee’s road woes against Florida continue. In Week 2, The Volunteers did not play particularly well against Austin Peay, so this ranking seems a little high, but someone has to be No. 4, right?
3
Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 3-0
Week 3: Ole Miss 48, Georgia Tech 23
Ole Miss’ offense played well against Georgia Tech. The Rebels have some defensive issues as they allowed the Yellow Jackets to pass for over 300 yards. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was outstanding for the Rebels as he compiled 387 total yards. The Rebels play at Alabama in Week 4.
2
LSU Tigers
Record: 2-1
Week 3: LSU 41, Mississippi State 14
LSU’s passing attack looked sharp in a road win at Mississippi State. LSU receiver Malik Nabers is the SEC’s best wide receiver. The Tigers still have a low margin of error if it wants to make the College Football Playoff. The Tigers play Arkansas in Week 4.
1
Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 3-0
Week 3: Georgia 24, South Carolina 14
Georgia trailed 14-3 at the half before rattling off 21 straight points. The Bulldogs have to be better in the red zone. Additionally, Georgia has some special teams concerns at kicker. Overall, Georgia looked strong against South Carolina, but not dominant. The Dawgs have another easy home game against UAB in Week 4.
