SEC Power Rankings: Georgia is the top dog in mid-September

More data makes these rankings a lot easier, and we now have three games worth of data for teams in the Southeastern Conference. A few of these data points include conference games!

[Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!]

With one quarter of the regular season down, here’s a look at the league with conference play getting closer and closer for a handful of schools.

1. Georgia

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Georgia went to Rocky Top and emerged with a thrilling overtime win over the Volunteers in a packed Neyland Stadium. The Bulldogs may be beautifully boring this year in that they can just do what needs to be done in order to win games. 502 total yards against any defense in the SEC, even with an overtime period, is nothing to scoff at.

2. LSU

Brian Kelly’s offense had five extra opportunities thanks to DJ Lagway and still only amassed 10 first downs and 316 yards of total offense. The Tigers recorded five three-and-outs and had only one sustained drive, but that one sustained drive was the touchdown LSU needed to outpace the Gators. Those offensive issues dropped LSU one spot, but the defense did its job pretty darn well.

3. Oklahoma

The Sooners are rolling into conference play thanks to a strong 3-0 start. Nothing about a 42-3 win at Temple is all that special, but it’s taking care of business in a way some other teams haven’t. The only concern may be the lack of a standout at running back. Through three games, John Mateer has been the primary “guy” on a play 138 times. That’s a significant workload and a lot of pressure. Those hits are about to mean a little bit more starting in conference play.

4. Texas A&M

The Aggies went up to South Bend and outlasted Notre Dame in a thriller, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 13 seconds left. Marcel Reed’s passing numbers were strange, but he did what he needed to do in finding Mario Craver and KC Concepcion for big plays throughout.

5. Alabama

Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams had themselves big days and maybe, just maybe, Ty Simpson is a dude the Crimson Tide can win with. A lot can change in a few weeks. Simpson’s season average yards per attempt right now? 11.71. Astronomical.

6. Texas

The defense continues to be elite, but there appear to be some foundational issues with the Longhorn offense. Arch Manning and the O-line are not operating like an offense on a top team should. There are still a few weeks for Texas to get things right before league plays starts because the Florida defense is going to be a challenge.

7. Ole Miss

Winning a conference game with the backup quarterback doing most of the work is a laudable feat. Trinidad Chambliss should take a bow. Arkansas can put up some points, by the way. 47.7 per game, to be exact.

8. Tennessee

The Vols may find themselves closer to the top of this list in short order as they put up some gaudy offensive numbers of their own against a Kirby Smart defense. Joey Aguilar is the real deal but he did put the ball in jeopardy a few times. Chris Brazzell II remains a threat. Tennessee will be okay, but they’re behind a few teams at the current juncture.

9. Vanderbilt

South Carolina’s offense is broken, and Vanderbilt enjoyed breaking it over and over on Saturday. Vandy forced four turnovers and then played Diego Pavia ball, squeezing the life out of the Gamecocks. Vanderbilt has a unique system that helps make up for some talent disparity, and Clark Lea’s program has that system running on all cylinders.

10. Auburn

Jackson Arnold is a great quarterback masquerading as a running back so far and the Tigers have played quality football during their first three games. The true test comes this week when Auburn heads to Oklahoma.