SEC football Power Rankings heading into Week 5 of 2023 season

The SEC has been the strongest conference in college football for the past decade. Programs like LSU, Georgia, and Alabama have each won national titles in recent years. Meanwhile, other schools like Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Ole Miss continue to push for an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Through the first four weeks of the season, there are three teams that remain undefeated — Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri. The race to see which teams will meet in Atlanta for the SEC Championship has just begun. Things will continue to get more difficult as the season progresses as the SEC is not built for everyone. The top two teams in the conference will prevail and potentially have the opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff.

However, there are still plenty of games left before that can be answered. Roll Tide Wire provides its SEC football power rankings heading into Week 5 of the 2023 season.

Vanderbilt Commodores (2-3)

Vanderbilt won its first two games of the 2023 season but has since lost in the last three games. The Commodores are seemingly struggling at the most inopportune part of the season. On Saturday, Vanderbilt lost 45-28 to Kentucky. Clark Lea’s squad has looked subpar on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. The Commodores will look to get back on track in Week 5 against No. 23 Missouri.

Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-2)

After starting the season off with two wins, Mississippi State has lost its last two games. The Bulldogs were in a tight game with South Carolina but fell short in the waning minutes of the game. Zach Arnett’s squad will face an even taller task in Week 5 as they play host to No. 11-ranked Alabama. This game means a lot for an ailing, Mississippi State squad.

Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2)

Arkansas has dropped its last two games by a combined 10 points. The Razorbacks have been competitive but have seemingly failed to close out games. In Week 4, Arkansas came up short against LSU losing by a final score of 34-31. The offense has performed relatively without starting running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. However, the defense has struggled to get stops and keep opponents from scoring points. In Week 5, the Razorbacks will travel to Dallas for a neutral site game against Texas A&M.

Auburn Tigers (3-1)

Auburn won its first three games under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. However, the Tigers were unable to knock off Texas A&M in Week 4. Auburn struggled offensively to generate any kind of momentum and seized from keeping the Aggies offense in check in the second half. As a result, the Tigers lost 27-10 to the Aggies. Now, Freeze’s squad will be tasked with playing host to No. 1 Georgia in Week 5. It will be interesting to see how Auburn responds to a loss considering the fact that they will be a double-digit underdog against the Bulldogs.

South Carolina Gamecocks (2-2)

South Carolina was desperate for a win in Week 4. The Gamecocks had lost two of three games and were trending in the wrong direction. Shane Beamer’s squad was able to come away with a 7-point victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night. The Gamecocks will travel to Knoxville to take on No. 21 Tennessee in Week 5. This will be a good test to see where South Carolina stands in the SEC.

Kentucky Wildcats (4-0)

Kentucky is off to a hot start to the season. The Wildcats have had virtually four weeks to prepare for their Week 5 matchup against No. 22 Florida. The Wildcats did play their first road game of the season this past weekend against Vanderbilt. However, Kentucky cruised to a 45-28 victory atop the Commodores. This week’s matchup against the Gators will be the first test that Kentucky has seen up to this point in the season.

Tennessee Volunteers (3-1)

After falling to Florida in Week 3, Tennessee was able to bounce back in convincing fashion against UTSA. The Volunteers will have a far more difficult test in Week 5 when they play host to South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how well the Volunteers fair in its first test following the Week 3 loss to the Gators.

Missouri Tigers (4-0)

Missouri is off to its first 4-0 start since 2012. That is quite a strong statement for Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz and the rest of the program. The Tigers have performed well on both sides of the ball so far this season. In Week 4, the Tigers were able to hold off an undefeated Memphis squad. In Week 5, Missouri will travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. Things are beginning to look interesting in Columbia.

Florida Gators (3-1)

Florida has tallied three straight wins since falling in Week 1 to Utah. The Gators look like a completely different team than they did to begin the season. In Week 4, the Gators defeated Charlotte 22-7. Florida will travel to Lexington to take on an undefeated Kentucky squad. The Gators have been battle-tested this season which is something that is foreign to the Wildcats at this point in the season. That is a game that I will have circled for this upcoming weekend.

Ole Miss Rebels (3-1)

Things were on the up-and-up for Ole Miss heading into Week 4. The Rebels were one of the hottest offensive teams in the country and had performed considerably well on defense. However, that all changed in Week 4 against No. 13 Alabama. The Rebels could not create any kind of rhythm on offense and fell apart on defense in the second half resulting in a 24-10 loss. Lane Kiffin’s squad will have an opportunity to bounce back in a strong way, however. The Rebels will play host to No. 13 LSU in Week 5 in a crucial, SEC West battle.

Texas A&M Aggies (3-1)

Texas A&M has looked much improved on offense the past two weeks. The Aggies struggled offensively in the first half against Auburn. However, that quickly changed in the second half as the Aggies cruised their way to a 27-10 win over the Tigers. Week 5 will be another test for Texas A&M as they will travel to Dallas for a neutral site game against Arkansas.

LSU Tigers (3-1)

LSU has now won three straight games and appears to be trending in the right direction. The Tigers have won conference games against Mississippi State and Arkansas. In Week 4, Brian Kelly’s squad fended off the Razorbacks en route to a 34-31 victory. Week 5 will not be any easier for the Tigers, however. LSU will travel to Oxford to take on No. 20 Ole Miss.

Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1)

A lot of people in the college football landscape were skeptical about how Alabama would fair in Week 4 against Ole Miss. While the Crimson Tide did struggle in the first half, they were able to pull away in the second half. The Crimson Tide out-scored the Rebels 18-3 to win by a final score of 24-10. Alabama will travel to Starkville in Week 5 to take on a struggling Mississippi State squad.

Georgia Bulldogs (4-0)

Georgia has not played as tough of a schedule as several other programs in the SEC. However, the Bulldogs remain undefeated and are starting to get healthy again. In Week 4, Georgia defeated UAB 49-21. In Week 5, the Bulldogs will make the trip to the Plains to take on Auburn. It will be interesting to see how Kirby Smart’s squad performs in a hostile environment like Auburn’s.

Story originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire