SEC power rankings: South Carolina, Florida move up after big wins while Texas A&M stays at No. 6

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

The Crimson Tide have rolled to five easy wins so far this year and won’t move from this top spot, or likely the top spot in any national polls, until they lose. Considering the fact that they don’t play South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida out of the SEC East during the regular season, it could be a while before Alabama suffers its first defeat of the year — if it’s defeated at all.

2. South Carolina (6-0, 4-0)

The Gamecocks made a big statement this past weekend, holding a Georgia team that scored 51 points the previous week in a win over Tennessee to just seven points — all of which came on a touchdown scored in the final two minutes of the game. Three of the last six teams South Carolina plays this season are ranked, including LSU and Florida teams it faces over the next two weeks — both on the road — but it’s in a good spot right now.

3. Florida (5-0, 4-0)

The Gators have won their first five games of the year, four of them in conference play, the most impressive of them coming in a 14-6 victory over LSU last Saturday. Florida should have no problem improving to 6-0 with Vanderbilt on the schedule for this weekend but it welcomes South Carolina to the Swamp in two weekends.

4. Georgia (5-1, 3-1)

The Bulldogs took a step backwards in a 28-point loss to South Carolina this past weekend but should be favored in at least five of their final six regular season games. Their toughest remaining test comes in three weeks when they host Florida in an intriguing SEC East showdown.

5. LSU (5-1, 1-1)

There were troubling signs in wins over Auburn and Towson but the Tigers’ weaknesses finally turned into a loss when they fell to Florida on Saturday, 14-6. It doesn’t get any easier for LSU as they face four ranked opponents in a row, starting with South Carolina. If the Tigers don’t turn things around in a hurry, they could end the season unranked.

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

The Aggies have come a long way since a season-opening loss to Florida, winning four in a row since then, the latest victory a 30-27 triumph over Ole Miss in Oxford. A Louisiana Tech team that Texas A&M was supposed to face in its season opener before inclement weather forced the game to get moved to this Saturday is now ranked and unbeaten. The Bulldogs are scoring 53.2 points per game, the third-most in the country.

7. Mississippi State (5-0, 2-0)

The Bulldogs haven’t been tested as much as most other teams in the SEC but they’ve taken care of business, winning all five of their games this season, including a 27-14 victory over Kentucky this weekend. Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State are next up on the Mississippi State slate.

8. Tennessee (3-2, 0-2)

The Volunteers have had two weeks to prepare for a big opportunity to pick up a big win when they go on the road to face an undefeated Mississippi State squad. Tennessee has lost twice already and has games against top-ranked Alabama and South Carolina looming following this weekend.

9. Ole Miss (3-3, 0-2)

After putting up a good fight in a 19-point loss to Alabama, the Rebels were narrowly defeated by Texas A&M last Saturday, their second home loss of the year. The other was much more lopsided, a 66-31 loss to Texas last month. Ole Miss hosts Auburn before visiting Vanderbilt, though, giving it a good chance to get to 5-3.

10. Missouri (3-3, 0-3)

Playing at home against a Vanderbilt team it was favored to beat, Missouri fell to the Commodores, 19-14, this past weekend. It’ll be tough to bounce back this Saturday when the Tigers hosts an Alabama team that is allowing seven points a game, the fewest in the country.

11. Arkansas (2-4, 1-2)

The Razorbacks picked up their first victory over a FBS team this past weekend when they took down Auburn, 24-7. They had lost four straight after topping Jacksonville State. Arkansas has good opportunities for wins in their next three contests against Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tulsa.

12. Auburn (1-4, 0-3)

Two years after winning a national title, Auburn is entering the second week of October with just one win. They’ll go to Oxford in hopes of picking up its second victory of the year but, after nearly beating LSU three weeks ago, the Tigers’ 17-point loss to a struggling Arkansas team was a discouraging one.

13. Vanderbilt (2-3, 1-2)

Before last weekend, the Commodores had been outscored by nearly 20 points per game in its three contests against FBS foes but they found a way to keep Missouri from winning its first ever game in SEC conference play. A first-quarter safety and a pair of Zac Stacy touchdown runs proved to be enough to take down the Tigers.

14. Kentucky (1-5, 0-3)

To the Wildcats’ credit, they have had a tough slate of games to begin their regular season, facing a Louisville team that may be the best in the Big East before going up against three ranked SEC opponents in three weeks. That stretch ended with a 13-point loss to Mississippi State this past Saturday.

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