SEC Football Power Rankings Week 5

We are officially a third of the way through the college football season, and it was another crazy weekend across the country. Six games featured top-25 matchups, and each one lived up to the hype.

As for the SEC, Texas and Tennessee delivered in a highly anticipated matchup. The Volunteers had a chance to pull off the upset at home, but their Hail Mary attempt fell short as Texas held on for the victory.

Florida steamrolled Ole Miss at home, while Georgia defeated Oklahoma with ease as the Sooners continue to struggle offensively. Mississippi State remained undefeated after a close game against Missouri, as the Tigers also had a Hail Mary attempt to tie the game but came up short.

Alabama took care of business against a struggling South Carolina team, while Auburn looked like the better team throughout against Vanderbilt, although both teams struggled offensively.

Kentucky took care of business against South Alabama after struggling in the first half. The Wildcats did take a 24-21 lead into halftime, however, and never looked back in the second half, eventually winning 45-21 and earning a spot in the AP Top 25.

LSU manhandled Texas A&M, showing that the Aggies are not the team many expected them to be after they were ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll.

Arkansas also took care of Tulsa in a game that was never really close.

With all of that in mind, let’s get into the rankings.

SEC Football Power Rankings Week 5

No. 1 Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)

Texas played its first SEC opponent of the season on Saturday against Tennessee, and the game lived up to the hype. The Longhorns looked like the better team throughout, but it is always difficult to win on the road, especially inside Neyland Stadium.

Texas took care of business and remains No. 1, especially because of its earlier win over Ohio State.

No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0)

Georgia continues to dominate after defeating Oklahoma, 41-13. The Bulldogs also defeated Arkansas, 45-17, the week before, proving they are one of the best teams in the SEC.

If Georgia continues to play at this level, the Bulldogs could easily move into the No. 1 spot, especially if Texas eventually slips up.

No. 3 Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0)

Jon Sumrall and Florida continue to look like the real deal after defeating Ole Miss with ease at home, 52-28.

Granted, Ole Miss could have been dealing with a hangover after defeating LSU in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, which may have resulted in a letdown performance. Even if that was the case, Florida still took care of business.

The Gators have done that all season and continue to prove they are one of the better teams in the country and one of the best teams in the SEC.

No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (4-0, 2-0)

While Alabama has started slowly in several games this season, the Crimson Tide took care of business against South Carolina at home, winning 49-18.

As long as Alabama continues to play at the level it showed against the Gamecocks, the Crimson Tide could easily move into the top three. However, they will have to continue proving it against SEC competition.

No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0)

Each week, Mississippi State continues to get better. The Bulldogs defeated Missouri in a very close game, 31-24, with the Tigers having one final opportunity to tie the game on a Hail Mary.

Mississippi State’s defense stood strong and made the stops it needed, while the offense scored four touchdowns, including three passing touchdowns from Kamario Taylor and one rushing touchdown from Fluff Bothwell.

As long as Taylor and head coach Jeff Lebby continue to play and coach at this level, Mississippi State should have a successful season. The big question is whether the Bulldogs can avoid another falloff like they experienced last year.

For now, at 4-0, Mississippi State deserves the No. 5 spot.

No. 6 LSU Tigers (3-1, 1-1)

Last week, LSU nearly came back to defeat Ole Miss in a heated game during Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, but the Tigers ultimately came up short.

This week, LSU handled business against Texas A&M, blowing out the Aggies 35-6 in a much-needed victory after last week’s heartbreak.

As long as LSU continues to play at this level, the Tigers will remain dangerous under Kiffin in his first season as head coach in Baton Rouge.

No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers (3-1, 0-1)

Before Tennessee took on Texas, the Volunteers took care of business in their non-conference games, winning those matchups comfortably.

Saturday was their first real test of the season, and Tennessee proved it can compete with one of the best teams in the country. The Volunteers had a chance to pull off the upset but ultimately came up short on a Hail Mary attempt.

If Tennessee continues to play at the level it showed against Texas and can turn those performances into SEC victories, the Volunteers could easily move higher in these rankings.

No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels (3-1, 1-1)

While Ole Miss was blown out on the road against Florida, 52-28, you cannot forget what the Rebels accomplished the week before by defeating LSU at home.

Ole Miss also picked up a big win over Louisville to begin the season.

The loss to Florida was certainly disappointing, but the Rebels still deserve to be in the top half of the SEC with plenty of time to improve. There is also a possibility that the game was a letdown after defeating Kiffin’s former team the previous week.

No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats (3-1, 1-1)

While it would be nice to rank Kentucky in the top half of the SEC, the Wildcats’ win over South Alabama was not particularly impressive. However, it was good enough to help Kentucky move to No. 24 in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

Kentucky trailed for much of the first half, but after a big touchdown run, an interception and a field goal, the Wildcats took a 24-21 lead into halftime.

Kentucky then took control in the second half, winning 45-21 while not allowing a single point after halftime.

The Wildcats still need to prove they can play a complete game from start to finish before moving into the top half of the SEC, but their second-half performances against Texas A&M and South Alabama have been impressive enough to keep them at No. 9.

No. 10 Missouri Tigers (3-1, 0-1)

Missouri nearly pulled off the win against Mississippi State but came up just short.

The Tigers do have an impressive win over Kansas, defeating the Jayhawks 38-21. As Missouri continues to play better SEC opponents, we will have a better idea of where the Tigers belong in the conference.

No. 11 Auburn Tigers (3-1, 1-1)

Auburn looked impressive against Florida despite losing 44-39 on the road, but the Tigers did not look nearly as good against a struggling Vanderbilt team.

Auburn won 21-15 at home in a game where starting quarterback Byrum Brown threw for just 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

If Auburn wants to become a dominant team in the future, its offense will have to improve significantly to continue winning SEC games.

No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies (2-2, 0-2)

Texas A&M has struggled in SEC play and remains winless in conference competition after two games, but the Aggies still have the talent to be a good team.

They were able to defeat Arizona State and former Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley with ease, winning 48-20 at home.

The Aggies have the talent to turn their season around, and they have an opportunity to get back on track against a struggling Arkansas team at home.

No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (2-2, 0-1)

After Oklahoma blew out UTEP, 51-0, the Sooners’ offense has disappeared and the team has struggled ever since.

Oklahoma has scored just 37 points over its last three games, which is not good enough for a team with its expectations.

The Sooners have to find their offense again. Last season, John Mateer was lethal when healthy, but he has not looked like the same player this season, which is a major reason Oklahoma sits this low in the rankings.

The schedule will not get any easier with Texas coming up following this week’s bye. Might be a long day against the No. 1 team in the country.

No. 14 Vanderbilt Commodores (3-1, 0-1)

Vanderbilt has struggled at times this season, with true freshman five-star quarterback Jared Curtis continuing to show that he is still learning at the college level.

The Commodores nearly lost to NC State at home but pulled off a shocking victory after recovering a fumble in the end zone that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown.

Vanderbilt continues to be competitive in its games, but next week’s matchup against Georgia will be a major test. With the game being played on the road, it could be a difficult day for the Commodores.

No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2, 0-2)

The Shane Beamer era may be coming to an end in Columbia, as South Carolina is currently on a seven-game SEC losing streak.

The Gamecocks’ last SEC victory came against Kentucky on Sept. 27, 2025, when South Carolina won 35-13.

This season, South Carolina looked competitive against Mississippi State but lost 41-34 at home. This past weekend, however, the Gamecocks did not stand a chance against Alabama, losing 49-18 on the road.

Now, Kentucky comes to town, making this a potentially significant game for Beamer and the Gamecocks.

Kentucky is also looking to snap a four-game losing streak against South Carolina, and doing so under first-year head coach Will Stein would be another significant moment for the Wildcats.

No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1)

Arkansas picked up a win against Tulsa, defeating the Golden Hurricane 34-6, but the Razorbacks continue to struggle against SEC opponents.

Arkansas has a new head coach in Ryan Silverfield, and so far, he has struggled to adjust to the SEC.

Hopefully, Silverfield will receive the support he needs from Arkansas’ donors and administration to help build the program into a better team, but right now, the Razorbacks are not looking like one of the stronger teams in the conference.

Arkansas now faces Texas A&M on the road. Although the Aggies have not looked their best in SEC play, they desperately need a win, making this a difficult matchup for the Razorbacks.