SEC Power Rankings: Alabama survives, Tennessee cruises to set up key clash

Another week, another top SEC contender surviving a closer-than-expected game. This time it was Alabama that survived on the final play against Texas A&M to maintain its spot atop the SEC Power Rankings following Week 6.

Elsewhere, Tennessee cruised to hand LSU its second loss, while South Carolina upended Kentucky to do the same to the Wildcats.

Let’s take a closer look at the weekend’s action.

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Today we update the SEC Power Rankings following Week 6 games.

2022 SEC Power Rankings – Week 6

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide get a small pass for playing Saturday without Bryce Young, and the win is what matters. Next week will sort out whether Georgia can make a leap back above Alabama going forward, with the Crimson Tide set to travel to Knoxville with ESPN’s College GameDay in town for a massive top-10 showdown with No. 6 Tennessee.

2. Georgia

The Bulldogs took a half to get going offensively but finally got it rolling after quarterback Stetson Bennett IV busted a 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Georgia still has time to get things firing on all cylinders again after a 42-10 win over Auburn, with Vanderbilt up next prior to the team’s bye week.

3. Tennessee

The Volunteers left no doubt, smashing the Tigers 40-13 in Baton Rouge, La., right from the opening kickoff. LSU certainly compounded things with mistakes and its decision-making on fourth down, but Tennessee continues to do everything asked of it as a top contender. Now the real test: No. 3 Alabama is coming to Knoxville.

4. Ole Miss

Vanderbilt led Ole Miss 20-17 at halftime before the Rebels buckled down defensively and outscored the Commodores 35-8 after the break in a 52-28 win. The Rebels remain a bit inconsistent but are 6-0 following a 448-yard day for quarterback Jaxson Dart, which was aided by the best performance of any receiver in the country this year. That distinction belonged to Jonathan Mingo, who turned in a national best 247 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Next up for Ole Miss is a home game against Auburn.

5. Mississippi State (+2)

Mississippi State’s loss at LSU in Week 3 continues to look a bit perplexing given all the other context for the Bulldogs. The last two weeks Mississippi State has steamrolled Texas A&M and Arkansas (with a 40-17 win Saturday). The next two weeks determine whether the Bulldogs emerge as a legitimate contender in the SEC West: at No. 22 Kentucky and at No. 3 Alabama.

6. Kentucky (-1)

The Wildcats were without starting quarterback Will Levis due to a foot injury and never got on track against the Gamecocks. South Carolina never trailed in the game and made life difficult for backup quarterback Kaiya Sheron, who finished 15-of-27 passing for 178 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Coming off back-to-back losses now, Kentucky will host No. 16 Mississippi State next week.

7. LSU (-1)

Brian Kelly didn’t fumble the opening kickoff, but he sure takes the blame for some aggressive play-calling before the game was out of hand, opting to go for it on fourth down three times in the first half. The last of those was a brutal decision and resulted in a gifted three points for Tennessee right before halftime. Kelly and his squad will face a real crossroads game next week, traveling to Florida for a game that will likely make one fanbase pretty disappointed with its head coach’s results in Year 1.

8. Florida (+1)

The Gators are playing a lot of close games under first-year coach Billy Napier, and Saturday’s resulted in a 24-17 win over Missouri. Florida is now 2-2 in one-score games under Napier, and the team continues to be wildly inconsistent across the board. Saturday’s home date with LSU before a bye week determines whether the first half of the season is viewed as right on track or disappointing.

9. Texas A&M (+1)

Credit the Aggies for putting together an impressive upset bid of the Crimson Tide on the road, but it came up short on the final play of the game in a 24-20 loss. The problem for Texas A&M is that it seems to play up and down to its competition. The offense is still just so-so, though Jimbo Fisher will get a bye week now to tinker and try to find some solutions.

10. South Carolina (+1)

Shane Beamer was fired up about this one after some comments Mark Stoops made seemingly referencing him at SEC Media Days, and South Carolina showed up backing its coach fully. The Gamecocks didn’t trail in the game against the Wildcats, getting after backup quarterback Kaiya Sheron enough to render him ineffective. Marshawn Lloyd rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown as South Carolina won 24-14. South Carolina gets a bye week before hosting Texas A&M with a chance to move further up the SEC Power Rankings.

11. Arkansas (-3)

The Razorbacks were without quarterback KJ Jefferson, who was still recovering from a hit to the head a week prior. The Bulldogs took full advantage in a 40-17 Mississippi State win. Razorbacks backup Malik Hornsby threw for 234 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 114 yards, but he also threw two interceptions. Arkansas doesn’t really get a chance to regroup, either. A trip to BYU is up this weekend.

12. Vanderbilt

The Commodores continue to prove they’re no longer a doormat you can ignore without the risk of stumbling over it, taking a 20-17 halftime lead on the Rebels before falling 52-28. Ole Miss finally got things going offensively in the second half, but credit Vanderbilt for being a much improved team under second-year coach Clark Lea. Still, the SEC schedule is killer and a road trip to Athens, Ga., to take on No. 1 Georgia is next.

13. Missouri

The Tigers battled against the Gators and quarterback Brady Cook made some key plays, but he also made some mistakes that proved costly, including throwing a pick-six in the first half. He had two interceptions in the game. Florida leaned on its ground game on an afternoon where starting quarterback Anthony Richardson only threw for 66 yards, using a 231-yard rushing performance to chalk up a 24-17 win.

14. Auburn

The Tigers fought hard against the nation’s top-ranked team for three quarters before the floodgates opened for the Bulldogs in the fourth in a 42-10 Georgia win. Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford couldn’t get much going, finishing 13-of-38 passing for 165 yards with one touchdown. He added 52 yards on the ground. Outside of a 62-yard Jarquez Hunter touchdown reception there weren’t a whole lot of positives for the Tigers, who have now lost three of their last four.

Want to see how this week’s power rankings compare to our previous edition? Check out the 2022 Week 5 SEC Power Rankings here!