SEC Power Rankings updated after Week 6 of college football

The latest SEC Power Rankings from On3, utilizing the On3 Massey Ratings, are in after Week 6 of the college football regular season.

The On3 Massey Ratings – which were officially used during the BCS era and have generated high school sports team rankings since 1995 – rank sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory.

There was a good deal of movement, including at the very top of the SEC Power Rankings. So without further ado, let’s examine this week’s edition.

1. Texas Longhorns (+1)

Texas was off this weekend after beating Mississippi State, giving the Longhorns a chance to get more healthy. Should quarterback Quinn Ewers prove able to return it should give the team at least a little boost, though Arch Manning has played well.

Now the lone unbeaten in the conference, Texas is about to start a very tough two-game stretch. First up is No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, then comes No. 5 Georgia. Get through those unscathed and Texas can all but cement its status as a playoff team.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide (-1)

Alabama fell to a scrappy Vanderbilt team on the road, but the Crimson Tide don’t get dinged too hard in the SEC Power Rankings. Part of that is that Alabama has one of the best wins in the conference after taking down Georgia.

Still, the Crimson Tide appear a little more vulnerable than they did a week ago, when they prevented that tremendous comeback bid by the Bulldogs. Next up is a home date with South Carolina.

3. Georgia Bulldogs

It was at least mildly interesting to see how Georgia would respond after losing a heart-breaker to Alabama. The Bulldogs did not disappoint in their bounce-back bid, either.

It wasn’t necessarily an overly pretty game against Auburn, and there are still things Georgia needs to clean up. But it was another conference win, which is important. Next up is a struggling Mississippi State squad.

4. Tennessee Volunteers

The On3 Massey Ratings still like Tennessee quite a bit, even after the loss to Arkansas on Saturday night. That one was on the road, which takes some of the sting out of it.

Still, the Volunteers will be looking to bounce back in a hurry to prove they’re still among the league’s elite. Up next is a Florida squad that regained a little bit of momentum over the weekend. Tennessee will have the luxury of playing that one at home.

5. Ole Miss Rebels (+2)

As quickly as Ole Miss dipped in the rankings following a loss to Kentucky, a road win over South Carolina bounced it right back up. The win was never in question, as the Rebels controlled the contest from start to finish.

Now comes the trickiest part of the schedule: at No. 13 LSU, vs. No. 18 Oklahoma, at Arkansas, then vs. No. 5 Georgia. That’s the stretch that will determine whether Ole Miss is a College Football Playoff team.

6. Oklahoma Sooners (-1)

Oklahoma was off this week as it prepared for the Red River Rivalry with Texas. The bye week was an opportunity to tweak some things and continue to get healthy ahead of a massive game.

At 4-1 on the season with the lone loss to No. 6 Tennessee, the Sooners are still very much a potential playoff contender. But they’re going to have to win some tough games against a brutal second half of the schedule. That starts this week with No. 1 Texas.

7. Texas A&M Aggies (+1)

Texas A&M has slowly clawed its way up the SEC Power Rankings each week, steadily showing progress after a season-opening loss to Notre Dame. It’s now five straight wins for the Aggies, including this week’s romp over No. 9 Missouri.

The Aggies are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. They’ve got a deep stable of backs, quality receivers and good quarterback play on offense. Defensively the front is finally starting to roar to life, making the Aggies doubly dangerous.

8. LSU Tigers (-2)

LSU had a bye week after ripping off its fourth straight win against South Alabama last week. Now comes a big test for LSU, and there are a handful on the back half of the schedule.

It’s a rivalry game with Ole Miss on tap at Death Valley this week. Then back-to-back road trips to Arkansas and Texas A&M loom, as well as a home date with Alabama. We’ll see just how far the Tigers defense has come in those contests.

9. Missouri Tigers

Missouri didn’t move in the SEC Power Rankings this week despite a lopsided loss at Texas A&M. And the Tigers might be a bit lucky to have escaped the Vanderbilt game with an overtime win, seeing what the Commodores did to the Crimson Tide.

In any case, Missouri might have to be near-perfect going forward given how soft the schedule is. The Tigers probably can’t withstand a second loss and make the playoff field.

10. Kentucky Wildcats

Another of the teams on a bye this week, Kentucky will get a chance to regroup after securing a huge road win at Ole Miss. The Wildcats already have two losses but can still put together a quality season under Mark Stoops.

First they’ll have to figure out a Vanderbilt team that is much more potent than normal. After that come some very winnable games against the likes of Florida and Auburn. That should set the tone going into the back half of the season.

SEC Power Rankings: 11-16

11. South Carolina Gamecocks
12. Florida Gators (+1)
13. Arkansas Razorbacks (-1)
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (+1)
15. Auburn Tigers (-1)
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs

There’s not a ton of movement past the top 10 in this week’s SEC Power Rankings, but Florida does jump Arkansas despite the Hogs pulling out the more impressive win of the two. Vanderbilt also moves up just one spot after its monumental win over Alabama, while Auburn drops a spot after losing its fourth game of the season. That’s all for this week’s SEC Power Rankings, but with a big week of games on tap there’s sure to be more movement next week, so tune in.