Power ranking the SEC teams after Week 7
Well, what a weekend that was.
Week 7 featured what will almost certainly be the game of the year in college football as the Tennessee Volunteers shocked Alabama in Knoxville for their first win in the series since 2006. Elsewhere in the league, LSU scored a crucial road win against Florida, while Kentucky bounced back frm a bad loss at home.
We’re entering Week 8 and, believe it or not, the home stretch of the 2022 season. We have a pretty full picture of these teams’ strengths and weaknesses now, and it grows even clearer every week.
Here’s where each league team stands in our power rankings following a wild Week 7.
Vanderbilt Commodores (3-4, 0-3 SEC)
Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images
Previous Ranking: 14
Week 7 Result: L 55-0 at No. 1 Georgia
The Skinny: The Commodores performed about how you would expect them to facing the top team in the country. It’s not all negative in Nashville, though. They’re through the worst of the schedule and have some winnable games coming up, starting with a road trip to Missouri. Freshman quarterback AJ Swann is intriguing, and Vandy could be figuring some things out, even though that wasn’t apparent this week.
Auburn Tigers (3-4, 1-3 SEC)
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 13
Week 7 Result: L 48-34 at No. 9 Ole Miss
The Skinny: Auburn actually put up more of a fight than many expected against a top-10 team in the Rebels, and it was a fantastic game for running back Tank Bigsby. Unfortunately, the passing game with Robby Ashford is currently untenable. However, it’s starting to look more and more like the Tigers intend to ride out the remainder of the season with coach Bryan Harsin, despite the struggles.
Missouri Tigers (2-4, 0-3 SEC)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Previous Ranking: 12
Week 7 Result: Bye
The Skinny: Missouri had the week to stew on another missed opportunity on the road against Florida, and they return to action next week for a home game against Vanderbilt that coach Eli Drinkwitz really cannot afford to lose in Year 3.
South Carolina Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 11
Week 7 Result: Bye
The Skinny: The Gamecocks got a week off after earning a crucial road upset against Kentucky in Week 6. Things haven’t been pretty in Columbia, but it’s hard to scoff at the record. They have another opportunity for a big conference win this weekend when it hosts Texas A&M at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Florida Gators (4-3, 1-3 SEC)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Previous Ranking: 10
Week 7 Result: L 45-35 vs. LSU
The Skinny: On the bright side, the Gators’ offense and Anthony Richardson seemed to take another step forward on Saturday and played well enough to win. Unfortunately, the defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain and was decimated by Jayden Daniels and the Tigers’ offense. This team is likely heading for .500 with Georgia up next after a bye, and it’s a road trip to Texas A&M after that. Things are probably going to get worse before they get better.
Arkansas Razorbacks (4-3, 1-3 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 9
Week 7 Result: W 52-35 at BYU
The Skinny: Things haven’t really gone to plan in Fayetteville this season, and with a 1-3 record in conference play, it’s been a disappointing year. Saturday was a nice win, though, as the Razorbacks won on the road against a good BYU team with an explosive offensive performance, avoiding a four-game losing streak in the process.
Texas A&M Aggies (3-3, 1-2 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 7
Week 7 Result: Bye
The Skinny: Texas A&M didn’t just have to reflect on what could have been against Alabama while it was off this week, as it had to watch the Volunteers do what it could not and take down the Tide. Given the upcoming schedule, this season could break either way for the Aggies. It will be interesting to see how they look when they return to the field on the road against South Carolina.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 4
Week 7 Result: L 27-17 at No. 22 Kentucky
The Skinny: Mississippi State’s hot streak came to an end on Saturday in a frustrating road loss against the Wildcats. The offense had one of its weakest outputs of the season, and the Bulldogs’ defense allowed nearly 200 yards on the ground to Chris Rodriguez alone. This is a good team, but not quite as good as we thought during its three-game winning streak.
LSU Tigers (5-2, 3-1 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 8
Week 7 Result: W 45-35 at Florida
The Skinny: LSU got back on the horse after a frustrating loss to Tennessee, winning a shootout on the road against the Gators. This was the offense’s best game of the season as Daniels looks to have taken a leap forward, though Florida’s rushing production gives some cause for concern. The Tigers get another chance at a top-10 team at home this weekend in Ole Miss.
Ole Miss Rebels (7-0, 3-0 SEC)
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 5
Week 7 Result: W 48-34 vs. Auburn
The Skinny: Ole Miss is undefeated, and there’s something to be said for that. But this team has looked shaky at times. It struggled more than it should have at home against Auburn, and its signature win came in relatively flukey fashion in a home win against Kentucky. Beating LSU on the road in Death Valley this week won’t be easy, but I’ll feel a lot more confident in the Rebels moving forward if they do.
Kentucky Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 SEC)
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 6
Week 7 Result: W 27-17 vs. No. 16 Mississippi State
The Skinny: What a difference Will Levis makes. It wasn’t the quarterback’s best game, but his return to the field plus a huge game from Rodriguez led the Wildcats to a big bounce-back win against a red-hot Bulldogs team. Kentucky is flawed and seems to be a tier behind the top-two teams in the division, but this team is a tough out at full strength.
Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1, 3-1 SEC)
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Previous Ranking: 2
Week 7 Result: L 52-49 vs. No. 6 Tennessee
The Skinny: For the first time this season, Alabama doesn’t sit in either of the top-two spots in these power rankings. The Crimson Tide are still great and could easily make the College Football Playoff, but they are much more human than usual. This defense has struggled a lot, and between turnovers and penalties, this team plays very sloppily — especially on the road, where it also almost lost to Texas.
Tennessee Volunteers (6-0, 3-0 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 3
Week 7 Result: W 52-49 vs. No. 3 Alabama
The Skinny: This is what college football’s all about. The Volunteers finally got over the hump and earned their first win over Nick Saban since he took the Alabama job. Tennessee’s offense legitimately may be unstoppable, and Hendon Hooker could be in the middle of cementing a strong Heisman claim. I really, really wanted to put the Vols in the top spot. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m close.
Georgia Bulldogs (7-0, 4-0 SEC)
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Previous Ranking: 1
Week 7 Result: W 55-0 vs. Vanderbilt
The Skinny: I haven’t been particularly impressed by the Bulldogs in recent weeks, but the fact that I can say that after an eight-touchdown shutout win in a conference game is a testament to where this program is at. The offense has work to do, especially if the Nov. 5 matchup against Tennessee — which will likely be for the division — turns into a shootout, which it has the potential to.
