Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
James Morgan

SEC power rankings after Week 4: Alabama rises, Ole Miss drops

The Southeastern Conference is starting to develop a pecking order.

Georgia, who is the back-to-back defending national champions, remains the top Dawgs of the SEC. Georgia has an easy schedule to start the season, but will be tested more as the year goes on.

An offer for UGA fans

For the best local Athens news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to the Athens Banner-Herald.
Buy Bulldogs Tickets

Week 4 featured Alabama earning a home win against coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. LSU escaped at home against Arkansas. Auburn looked weak on offense in a 27-10 road defeat to Texas A&M. Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida all got wins over non-Power Five opponents.

Let’s take a look at our SEC power rankings after Week 4:

14
Vanderbilt Commodores

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-3

Week 4: Kentucky 45, Vanderbilt 28

Vanderbilt is the worst team in the SEC and that should come as no surprise. The Commodores put up a fight against Kentucky, but aren’t going to be favored in any remaining SEC games.

13
Mississippi State Bulldogs

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-2

Week 4: South Carolina 37, Mississippi State 30

Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers finally looked more like himself for the first time in the post-Mike Leach era. Rogers threw for 487 passing yards against South Carolina, but it wasn’t enough.

12
Auburn Tigers

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-1

Week 4: Texas A&M 27, Auburn 10

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne failed to pass for 50 yards in the Tigers’ road loss at Texas A&M. Auburn’s defense is solid, but opposing SEC teams don’t have to respect the Tigers’ passing offense very much.

Auburn Wire

11
Kentucky Wildcats

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 4-0

Week 4: Kentucky 45, Vanderbilt 28

The Wildcats finally beat a Power Five opponent in their Week 4 road win at Vanderbilt. Kentucky remains one of the most unproven teams in the SEC. We will learn a lot more about the Wildcats in Week 5 when Kentucky hosts Florida.

10
South Carolina Gamecocks

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-2

Week 4: South Carolina 37, Mississippi State 30

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler may be the best quarterback in the SEC. The Gamecocks also have a star in wide receiver Xavier Legette, who scored a pair of long touchdowns in South Carolina’s home win over Mississippi State.

9
Arkansas Razorbacks

The Daily Advertiser

Record: 2-2

Week 4: LSU 34, Arkansas 31

We had a hard time deciding which team is better: Arkansas or South Carolina? Both teams have two losses, but have looked good against strong competition. Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson helped the Razorbacks give LSU a run for their money in Week 4.

Razorbacks Wire

8
Tennessee Volunteers

The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Record: 3-1

Week 4: Tennessee 45, UTSA 14

Tennessee recovered from a Week 3 loss to Florida and beat a decent UTSA team in Week 4. The Volunteers aren’t as lethal offensively as they were in 2022.

Vols Wire

7
Florida Gators

[Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Record: 3-1

Week 4: Florida 22, Charlotte 7

The Gators had a disappointing performance against Charlotte after defeating  Tennessee last week. Florida is not a team worthy of our trust yet. The Gators have an improved defense, but they remain an alarming 8-17 in their last 25 games against Power Five opponents.

Gators Wire

6
Ole Miss Rebels

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-1

Week 4: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 10

Ole Miss missed a golden opportunity to defeat an Alabama team with uncertainty on offense. Ole Miss ran for just 56 total yards at Alabama in Week 4. The Rebels missed a field goal and several other opportunities against the Crimson Tide.

5
Texas A&M Aggies

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-1

Week 4: Texas A&M 27, Auburn 10

The Aggies got an SEC win over Auburn, but concerns remain for Texas A&M. Star quarterback Conner Weigman exited in the first half against the hapless Tigers. Auburn’s offense really struggled against Texas A&M, so give the Aggie defense some credit. The Aggies found a way to put up some points with quarterback Max Johnson in the second half.

Aggies Wire

4
Missouri Tigers

Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 4-0

Week 4: Missouri 34, Memphis 27

Missouri quarterback Brady Cook, who passed for 341 yards and threw two touchdowns against Memphis, is looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC. The Tigers have impressive wins over Kansas State and Memphis to start the season.

3
Alabama Crimson Tide

Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-1

Week 4: Alabama 24, Ole Miss 10

Alabama may have the best defense in the SEC. The Crimson Tide played better complimentary football in Week 4 with starting quarterback Jalen Milroe. The Crimson Tide employed a more run-heavy approach (45 rushes, 21 passes) in their home win over Mississippi.

Roll Tide Wire

 

2
LSU Tigers

The Daily Advertiser

Record: 3-1

Week 4: LSU 34, Arkansas 31

LSU’s passing attack is why we rank LSU over Alabama after the Tigers’ narrow home win over Arkansas in Week 4. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels remains one of the top players in the SEC.

LSU Wire

1
Georgia Bulldogs

Online Athens

Record: 4-0

Week 4: Georgia 49, UAB 21

Georgia is still looking to put together a complete performance. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck scored four total touchdowns in Georgia’s home win over UAB. The Bulldogs finally hit the road in Week 4 to play Auburn.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.