SEC Power Rankings: Georgia rises to the top of the rankings

The SEC continues to remind us that no team is safe from the chaos of conference play.

Week 6 delivered another major shakeup, starting at the top with Georgia handing Alabama its first loss of the season in a 20-17 battle between two of the conference's premier programs. The victory pushes the undefeated Bulldogs to the top of the SEC hierarchy, while Alabama remains firmly among the conference's contenders.

Elsewhere, Texas suffered its first setback after a shaky two weeks, losing to Oklahoma in a rivalry game and tumbling after entering the week atop the rankings. Kentucky continued its impressive start, while Missouri and Ole Miss strengthened their cases as legitimate threats near the top of the conference.

Florida's early-season momentum now seems like an afterthought.

Six weeks into the season, the SEC dust is settling, and the picture is becoming clearer in some places and even more complicated in others.

Here's where all 16 teams stand in our latest Gators Wire SEC power rankings.

1. Georgia Bulldogs

• Record: 6-0 (4-0 SEC)
• Result: 20-17 victory over Alabama Crimson Tide
• Up Next: Auburn Tigers

Georgia takes over the top spot in the SEC after earning arguably its biggest victory of the season, knocking off Alabama, 20-17. The Bulldogs are now the conference's lone undefeated team, giving them the strongest resume in the league through six weeks. Georgia keeps finding ways to win regardless of the opponent or game style, and beating the Crimson Tide is enough to push the Bulldogs to No. 1.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

• 2025Record: 5-1 (3-1 SEC)
• Result: 20-17 loss to Georgia Bulldogs
• Up Next: Tennessee Volunteers

Alabama moves up a spot despite its first loss of the season, more because they are an elite team than because of the chaos elsewhere in the conference. A three-point loss to the new No. 1 team hardly changes how the Crimson Tide should be viewed. A defensive mistake and a blown pass-interference call don't take away from their season. Alabama remains one of the SEC's most complete teams, but the loss to Georgia leaves it with little room for error heading into another major matchup against Tennessee.

3. Ole Miss Rebels

• 2025Record: 4-1 (2-1 SEC)
• Result: 52-17 victory over Vanderbilt Commodores
• Up Next: Missouri Tigers

Ole Miss continues to rebound from its loss to Florida, dominating Vanderbilt 52-17 to improve to 4-1. The Rebels have one of the conference's most explosive teams, led by an elite quarterback, and have responded like a contender after suffering its first setback. Another major test awaits against Missouri, but Ole Miss has played its way back into the SEC's top three.

4. Missouri Tigers

• Record: 5-1 (2-1 SEC)
• Result: 27-6 victory over Texas A&M Aggies
• Up Next: Ole Miss Rebels

Missouri has risen to No. 4 over the past two weeks. After handing Florida its first loss, the Tigers followed it up by shutting down Texas A&M in a 27-6 victory. Missouri has quickly established itself as a legitimate factor in the conference race. Mizzou has been in the mix the past few seasons, but Eli Drinkwitz's program finally seems to have put it together. A matchup against Ole Miss should tell us even more about how seriously to take the Tigers.

5. Mississippi State Bulldogs

• Record: 4-1 (2-1 SEC)
• Result: BYE
• Up Next: LSU Tigers

Mississippi State climbs three spots despite being idle in Week 6, benefiting from losses by several teams previously ranked ahead of it. The Bulldogs' resume looks increasingly impressive as the SEC picture develops, with a win over a hot Missouri program. Now comes an opportunity to validate their rise when LSU comes to town.

6. Kentucky Wildcats

• Record: 5-1 (3-1 SEC)
• Result: 35-34 LSU Tigers
• Up Next: Oklahoma Sooners

Kentucky rises to No. 6 in our SEC power rankings. The Wildcats escaped with a 35-34 victory over LSU, improving to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in SEC play. Kentucky has continued to outperform expectations and now has a resume-building win over a team that entered the week ranked ahead of it. The Wildcats have earned their place in the upper half of the conference and have an early candidate for coach of the year.

7. Texas Longhorns

• Record: 4-1 (1-1 SEC)
• Result: 27-24 loss to Oklahoma Sooners
• Up Next: Florida Gators

No team takes a bigger fall this week than Texas. The Longhorns enter Week 7 ranked No. 7. Texas topped our SEC power rankings but fell to rival Oklahoma, 27-24, dropping six spots. Texas remains one of the conference's most talented teams, so there is no reason to completely abandon ship, but the Longhorns have lost the benefit of the doubt that came with their undefeated start, much like their opponent this week.

8. LSU

• Record: 4-2 (1-2 SEC)
• Result: 35-34 loss to Kentucky Wildcats
• Up Next: Mississippi State Bulldogs

LSU falls two spots to No. 8, following a narrow 35-34 loss to Kentucky. At 4-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play, the Tigers are quickly running out of opportunities to establish themselves among the SEC's elite. LSU still has enough talent to turn things around, but a signature win and a string of excellent victories are needed.

9. Florida Gators

• 2025Record: 4-2 (2-2 SEC)
• Result: 48-19 loss to South Carolina Gamecocks
• Up Next: Texas Longhorns

The Gators plummet to No. 9 in our SEC rankings. Florida's 4-0 start suddenly feels like ages ago. The Gators suffered their second straight loss Saturday, falling to South Carolina at home after Missouri blew them out the previous week. The offense has lost much of the explosiveness that defined the first month of the season, while defensive issues have become increasingly difficult to ignore.

Florida's victory over Ole Miss remains impressive, but consecutive losses send the Gators tumbling five spots ahead of a matchup with a vulnerable Texas team.

10. Tennessee Volunteers

• Record: 4-1 (1-1 SEC)
• Result: 24-17 victory over Arkansas Razorbacks
• Up Next: Alabama Crimson Tide

Tennessee stays put at No. 10 after taking care of business against Arkansas, 24-17. The Volunteers improved to 4-1, but they will need a signature victory before making a significant climb in these rankings. They will have an opportunity to hand Alabama a second straight loss in one of the conference's rivalry games.

11. Oklahoma Sooners

• Record: 3-2 (1-1 SEC)
• Result: 27-24 victory over Texas Longhorns
• Up Next: Kentucky Wildcats

Oklahoma climbs to No. 11 after knocking off the Texas Longhorns, 27-24. The Sooners have had an uneven start to the season, but beating one of their biggest rivals gives them their most impressive result of the year and could provide the momentum they need to turn things around. Oklahoma will get another important SEC test against a surging Kentucky team next.

12. Auburn Tigers

• Record: 3-2 (1-2 SEC)
• Result: BYE
• Up Next: Georgia Bulldogs

Auburn falls to No. 12 during its bye week largely because of Oklahoma's victory over Texas. The Tigers remain 3-2 overall and still have plenty of opportunities to climb, but those opportunities do not get much tougher than the No. 1 team in the country.

13. South Carolina Gamecocks

• Record: 3-3 (1-3 SEC)
• Result: 38-19 victory over Florida Gators
• Up Next: BYE

South Carolina leaps one spot in the rankings to No. 13. The Gamecocks picked up the win they needed, going to Gainesville and dominating Florida. South Carolina finally got as complete a game from LaNorris Sellers as possible. As the schedule continues, this win could give them the momentum to climb out of the bottom of the rankings and make a late push as they head into a bye week.

14. Texas A&M Aggies

• 2025Record: 3-3 (1-3 SEC)
• Result: 27-6 loss to Missouri Tigers
• Up Next: Citadel Bulldogs

Texas A&M continues to slide after suffering a 27-6 loss to Missouri. The Aggies are now 3-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, and the Tigers' offense offered little resistance. A quarterback change seems inevitable at this point in the season with the lackluster play from Marcel Reed, though I don't think it will happen this week as they face a 2-4 Citadel program.

15. Vanderbilt Commodores

• Record: 3-2 (0-2 SEC)
• Result: 52-17 loss to Ole Miss Rebels
• Up Next: Arkansas Razorbacks

Vanderbilt remains at No. 15 following a 52-17 loss to Ole Miss. The Commodores have been questionable all season, and their first two SEC games prove it. Everyone expected Clark Lea's program to take a step back this season, and it is finally proving true. Next week's matchup against Arkansas will be a great measure of how far they are from reaching the heights of their 2025 season, or whether they are back to being a punching bag in the SEC.

16. Arkansas Razorbacks

• Record: 2-4 (0-1 SEC)
• Result: 24-17 loss to Tennessee Volunteers
• Up Next: Vanderbilt Commodores

Arkansas remains at the bottom after falling to Tennessee, 24-17, and dropping to 2-4 overall. The Razorbacks were competitive, but competitive losses will not be enough to move them out of the SEC deep end. Their upcoming matchup against Vanderbilt is Arkansas's most winnable conference game.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: SEC Power Rankings: Georgia rises to the top of the rankings