SEC Power Rankings: A refreshed look at the league after week one

With one week of action under our belts, we’ve now seen every SEC team play their first game of the season. The conference went an impressive 14-2 on the weekend, with teams like LSU and Auburn securing big Power 4 wins against notable opponents.

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Alabama didn’t quite fare the same.

Six teams played FCS opponents, so it’s hard not to carry over some preseason bias in these rankings, though that won’t be the case later in the season.

Some teams exited this weekend with more confidence than ever, while others want their coach gone before we even hit September.

Evan Vieth’s SEC Power Rankings
No. 10: Alabama

This team is unrecognizable from even the last two years of the Nick Saban era. Ty Simpson looked mediocre, but the offensive line did him no favors. FSU’s offense completely out-schemed Alabama’s D (Gus Malzahn is a sick, sick man), and the Crimson Tide looked like a Crimson splash while trying to stop the run.

I still think this team is too talented to leave outside the top 10, but they’ve got a lot of work to do.

Had an Abbott and Costello moment during Kalen DeBoer's Monday presser:

Reporter: "You mentioned the great week of preparation (leading up to FSU game)."

DeBoer: "I said that?"

Reporter: "You said that, yes."

DeBoer's face at the end 😂 pic.twitter.com/itq5P1R0jJ

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 1, 2025

No. 9: Auburn

The irony of Auburn ranking ahead of Alabama after Week 1. I can’t consciously rank them any higher than this, even with a strong performance against Baylor, but they did look good. How much of that is Dave Aranda being bad at his job versus Auburn being a good team? That still remains to be seen.

Jackson Arnold looked great, especially on the ground, and their team is pretty obviously talented. They can be a good squad this season.

No. 8: Tennessee

I’m not going to let Tennessee’s beatdown of Syracuse cloud my feelings about them from the preseason. My two biggest concerns were Joey Aguilar’s ability to integrate into the offense and the run game. Both looked phenomenal, but Syracuse is not an SEC-level team. I need to see more.

No. 7: South Carolina

I really like LaNorris Sellers; he has the makings of being a Heisman winner. The game against VT wasn’t super comfortable, but they did stroll out of Atlanta with the win and some meat left on the bone for their offense. Nyck Harbor finally looks like a wide receiver instead of a miscast EDGE or track runner.

No. 6: Texas A&M

That UTSA game was not comfortable for the Aggies. They only drop one spot from my preseason ratings, but that defense was not in control of the game. Marcel Reed is electric, though, and they have the skill players to do damage long term.

No. 5: Florida

They beat up on Long Island University—what else is there to say? Vernell Brown made an absurd catch. Should be a tough matchup in October.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME @VB3_9 https://t.co/LNowpD5Xul pic.twitter.com/VLdjOBFnN7

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 31, 2025

No. 4: Ole Miss

I’m drinking the Kool-Aid, sue me. Georgia State is obviously not 2019 LSU, but Ole Miss’ skill players look elite. The defense is crazy athletic, and I buy into Lane Kiffin’s team-building strategy. Austin Simmons has to limit the turnovers, though. I feel like 4–8 on this list can go in any direction, FWIW.

No. 3: Texas

I know y’all won’t like this, but am I supposed to ignore what the offense did on Saturday? Mediocre run game, offensive line had its struggles, and Arch Manning was flat-out bad. The defense sets an insanely high floor, but I can’t ignore what I saw. They need to prove it against Florida, or watch a team above them lose, before I budge.

No. 2: LSU

What a fun game this was. Garrett Nussmeier outdueled Cade Klubnik, Caden Durham has some juice, and the defense is night-and-day from years past. Credit DC Blake Baker. Winning at Clemson is no easy task, and LSU looked like the far superior team in the second half. Brian Kelly is still the head coach, though.

No. 1: Georgia

We’ve got to stop leaving Georgia out of the top spot until they show us they can’t reload year in and year out. Gunner Stockton looked comfortable in that offense, though Marshall can barely field a full roster. Zach Branch may be special, but they’ll need to play some real opponents going forward. Never bet against Kirby Smart.

Joe Cook’s SEC Power Rankings
No. 10: Auburn

I was tempted to keep Oklahoma here but a win over Illinois State isn’t doing it for me, especially when there were 32 Sooner rushes for 103 yards. But maybe that’s the Ben Arbuckle system and we’re seeing a crimson return to real deal Air Raid principles. Anyway, Auburn realized the objective is to win the game and Hugh Freeze put Jackson Arnold in position to do that on a regular basis.

No. 9: Tennessee

Good win over Syracuse, and Joey Aguilar did exactly what he needed to do. Still a considerable amount of questions but a Power 4 win to start the year is always a good thing. No change here either.

No. 8: Ole Miss

Congratulations, you beat Georgia State! Austin Simmons did post a crazy 11.0 yards per attempt, but his three touchdowns came at the cost of two interceptions. The Rebels put up 695 yards of total offense. Lane Kiffin likes to have a little fun. No change from the preseason.

No. 7: Texas A&M

I dropped the Aggies one spot because I would have liked to have seen more from their defense against UTSA. The Roadrunners may have one of the more potent Group of 5 offenses this year and they managed 24 points. Credit to the Aggies for making passing via Owen McCown a no go, but 203 yards on the ground allowed? Including a 75-yarder? Maybe just week one jitters. Marcel Reed did what he needed to do and then some.

No. 6: Alabama

I did NOT react the same way as Evan did, but I did drop the Crimson Tide four spots to No. 6. The loss to Florida State did seem to reveal some changes (for the worse) in Tuscaloosa under Kalen DeBoer, but I still think he’s too good at his job and the team is way too talented to crater. They have a get-right opportunity against ULM, and there are 2007 jokes to be made, but that whole conversation about $60 million+ buyouts takes a different turn if Bama loses to the Warhawks.

No. 5: South Carolina

The Gamecocks jumped two spots for me thanks to a good win against a Virginia Tech team that will fare better this season. Good stuff from LaNorris Sellers and Nyck Harbor, as mentioned.

No. 4: Florida

Up one spot, mostly because DJ Lagway looked like he should with an 83.3% completion percentage.

No. 3: Texas

The Longhorns fell out of the top spot but didn’t tumble too far. Ohio State functioned as a measuring stick, sure, but that performance didn’t make me walk away thinking the Longhorns’ hopes for the SEC title were lost. Texas now has a month before it gets a real test in the form of Florida.

No. 2: Georgia

Up one spot. Took care of Marshall. Still really good. Ho hum.

No. 1: LSU

Aside from Ohio State, Brian Kelly‘s team had the most impressive win of the weekend. A controversial call may have made the final total closer than it actually should have been. Keeping Clemson under 300 total yards and limiting Cade Klubnik and company to 50% completion and 6.1 ypa is a big win. Garrett Nussmeier looked the part, as did Caden Durham.