Power ranking all 14 SEC teams after Week 2 of the college football season
The second week of the season is in the books, and it wasn’t exactly a banner day for the league once again.
In the biggest game of Saturday’s slate, Alabama was stunned by Texas in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide suffered the biggest home loss of the Nick Saban era and its first non-conference home loss since Saban’s first season in 2007.
Several teams struggled with games against Group of Five and FCS opponents, as well, though LSU was not among them after dispatching Grambling with ease in a blowout 72-10 win.
With two weeks of the year under our belt, here’s how the SEC teams stack up this week, in our eyes.
Vanderbilt Commodores (2-1)
The Commodores had a chance to make a statement on the road against a Wake team that lost Sam Hartman this past offseason, but they weren’t particularly competitive in the game, which was delayed due to weather.
This wasn’t a disastrous loss, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for Vanderbilt’s bowl hopes as the team prepares for an SEC slate in which it will likely be an underdog in nearly every game.
Missouri Tigers (2-0)
Missouri won on Saturday, but it did so in perhaps the least inspiring fashion possible against a Group of Five opponent in Middle Tennessee State. The Tigers were sluggish in this one but still held a 13-point fourth-quarter lead that was mostly squandered.
It took a stop in Mizzou’s own territory to get the Blue Raiders off the field at the end and clinch a nerve-wracking 23-19 victory.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-0)
It’s clear at this point that the Bulldogs have undergone a full-on metamorphosis in Year 1 under Zack Arnett. Mississippi State’s passing attempts have dropped drastically and they now have one of the SEC’s best rushing attacks led by Jo’Quavious Marks.
The Bulldogs held a 21-7 second-half lead on Saturday but allowed Arizona to fight back and force overtime. MSU survived and will look to pull off a tenure-defining win when it hosts a ranked LSU team for a morning kick in Saturday’s SEC opener.
Florida Gators (1-1)
Florida had very few issues with an FCS team in McNeese as it won 49-7 on Saturday night. Some of the issues that plagued the team against Utah improved, the run game in particular, but it’s hard to tell how much of that had to do with the quality of the opponent.
This weekend’s SEC opener at home against Tennessee will be a key test for new defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and a unit that has been promising through two weeks. A potential high-scoring game will test the Gators’ young secondary and a passing attack under Graham Mertz that hasn’t looked particularly lethal.
Auburn Tigers (2-0)
Auburn’s first real test of the season came in a strange road contest against Cal in a game that kicked off at 9:30 p.m. CT. The Tigers were far from great in this game as Payton Thorne had under 100 yards passing with an interception.
A go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdown drive sealed a bizarre, low-scoring win for the Tigers in which they had four turnovers and achieved just 12 first downs. Over the past five seasons, teams were just 1-65 when turning it over four times and failing to earn 15 first downs.
Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
Kentucky gave Missouri a run for its money in terms of turning in the least inspiring home win against a lesser opponent this weekend. The Wildcats were tied at seven with FCS Eastern Kentucky at halftime and never really pulled away, needing a fourth-quarter score to put the final line at a two-score margin.
It’s a small sample size, but Kentucky may have some problems. However, considering the fact that the next two games come against Akron and Vanderbilt, it will likely be 4-0 when it hosts Florida on Sept. 30.
Texas A&M Aggies (1-1)
Texas A&M entered the 2023 season looking to improve from last year’s 5-7 finish, but many of the same issues persisted in the Aggies’ 48-33 road loss against Miami on Saturday.
The team moved the ball decently well and receiver Evan Stewart had a big day, but the defense delivered a letdown performance, and quarterback Connor Weigman threw two picks as he’s still being asked to do a lot for this team.
A&M remains one of the league’s more talented teams, but it’s hard to put it near the top of the conference when it consistently performs like this on the field.
South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1)
South Carolina bounced back from a disappointing season-opening loss in a nice way this weekend, dominating Furman in a 47-21 win. It was a hyper-efficient game from Spencer Rattler, who completed a stunning 25 of 27 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns.
I’m still curious what this team can do in the SEC, but it runs into its biggest test of the entire season when it opens league play on the road against Georgia.
Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)
Arkansas was one of several teams that played with its food on Saturday despite facing one of the FBS’ worst teams in Kent State. The Razorbacks led just 7-6 late in the second quarter before eventually pulling away to a 28-6 win.
This is a veteran team with a lot of weapons, and the LSU matchup in two weeks will be one to watch, but we’ll learn more in the meantime when Arkansas plays host to a Big 12 foe in BYU this weekend.
Alabama Crimson Tide (1-1)
Is this too low to put an Alabama team that lost to what could be one of the best squads in the entire country? Perhaps. But the Crimson Tide have some real issues.
This team lacks discipline and the bodies up front in both trenches. There’s a shortage of playmakers, and quarterback Jalen Milroe makes incredible things happen but is also erratic and plays with a level of unreliability.
I don’t think Saturday’s game against the Longhorns will be the only loss Alabama takes this fall.
LSU Tigers (1-1)
There was quite a bit of alarm-sounding after the loss to Florida State, but once again, that seems premature after looking around at the rest of the league and the struggles it has had. This LSU team still has a lot of weapons on offense, and now the running back room is back to full strength.
There are still questions, specifically with the secondary and lack of production from Harold Perkins on defense, but the tone could be very different if LSU wins its next two games against Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)
Ole Miss’ road win against a ranked Tulane team on Saturday would have admittedly been significantly more impressive had quarterback Michael Pratt suited up, but with that being said, the dropoff without him didn’t seem significant.
The Rebels were punched in the mouth to start this game but they battled back out of an early hole to pull away to a comfortable win. Quarterback Jaxson Dart looks like a better player than he was a year ago, and this defense has seemingly taken strides, as well.
Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
Tennessee hasn’t had a real scare through two weeks against a soft schedule, but there are some causes for concern. The passing game hasn’t been quite as prolific with quarterback Joe Milton, who has a monster arm but some accuracy issues, as well.
The Volunteers were tied at six with Austin Peay before taking the lead with a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and though they ultimately pulled away to a 30-13 win, the performance left quite a bit to be desired.
We’ll know a lot more about Tennessee after this weekend when it faces a seemingly improved Florida defense in Gainesville, where the Vols are searching for their first win since 2003.
Georgia Bulldogs (2-0)
Georgia looked a bit less sluggish in Saturday’s 45-3 win over Ball State, but through two weeks, it looks like the two-time defending national champions have potentially taken a step back.
Of course, this team has still won 19 games in a row, and looking at the schedule, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where a loss would come. Perhaps we’ll get a better idea of where this team stands compared to past iterations when it faces a potentially explosive South Carolina team on Saturday.
