SEC Power Rankings updated after Week 7 of college football

The latest SEC Power Rankings from On3, utilizing the On3 Massey Ratings, are in after Week 7 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 after some thrilling close games in the SEC. So without further ado, let’s examine this week’s edition.

1. Texas Longhorns

It’s pretty clear at this point that Texas is the best team in the SEC, and the rankings reflect that once again this week. Texas has yet to have a close game this year, despite facing at least two high-quality opponents.

Blowout wins over Michigan and Oklahoma have set the tone. Now the Longhorns will get a chance to illustrate just how good they really are, with No. 5 Georgia on tap this weekend.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (+1)

Georgia hasn’t quite been able to regain the dominant form it showed in the season opener against Clemson, failing to really blow teams out since. But while it hasn’t looked effortless, it has been effective.

The Bulldogs dispatched a pesky Mississippi State squad over the weekend, setting up a showdown between the current top two teams in the league. Georgia vs. Texas should establish one as a clear favorite to reach the SEC Championship Game.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (-1)

Alabama managed to knock off South Carolina in a tight, down-to-the-wire affair that was not all that convincing. Once again, the Crimson Tide looked like they had some serious vulnerabilities that better teams might take advantage of.

Still, Alabama has started the season 5-1 and has a marquee win over Georgia. The lone blemish to this point is a loss on the road to a pretty good Vanderbilt squad. A road trip to Tennessee this week should tell us a lot more.

4. Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee was outplayed for much of the night by Florida, which really put the clamps down on Nico Iamaleava and the once-potent Volunteers offense. So far, Tennessee has looked like a very different team offensively against conference foes than non-conference ones.

At the end of the day, though, the Volunteers are 5-1 with a nice road win at Oklahoma. The chances to further prove themselves are coming, starting with this week’s game against the Crimson Tide.

5. LSU Tigers (+3)

LSU matches the biggest leap in this week’s SEC Power Rankings with a three-place bump after a thrilling overtime win over Ole Miss. There were points where it looked like the Tigers might fold, but they never did.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has played his best football with games on the line. And if not for a season-opening loss to USC at the last minute, we’d be talking about LSU very, very differently right now. As it is, the Tigers are clearly a College Football Playoff contender.

6. Texas A&M Aggies (+1)

Texas A&M remains in the lead in the SEC standings with a 3-0 record, with only LSU and Texas also sporting unblemished records. The Aggies were off this week after a big win over a top-10 Missouri team.

Next week against Mississippi State should be a relative breeze, although in the SEC you can never fully bank on any win on the road. Then it’s a pivotal game against LSU that will put one of the two teams in prime position when it comes to the playoff race.

7. Ole Miss Rebels (-2)

After dropping its second game in two weeks, Ole Miss slips two spots in this week’s SEC Power Rankings. The Rebels have had their chances in the losses to Kentucky and LSU and simply haven’t been able to execute down the stretch.

Talent wise Ole Miss is a definite competitor. But until the Rebels learn how to close games out against top-notch competition under Lane Kiffin, the program might remain just on the outer cusp of a playoff bid.

8. Oklahoma Sooners (-2)

In its second matchup against a top-10 opponent this season, Oklahoma once again looked overmatched from an offensive standpoint. Quarterback Michael Hawkins had a really hard time generating consistent offense against Texas and Oklahoma never got into a rhythm.

Both of Oklahoma’s losses are respectable enough. But the Sooners don’t really have any quality wins, either. That makes them a tough team to peg in the SEC Power Rankings, where they slip two spots this week.

9. Missouri Tigers

Missouri wasn’t off this week but might as well have been, even going on the road. UMass simply never had a chance against the Tigers in a 45-3 game.

The schedule remains relatively light for the Tigers, who will face Auburn next on the opposite side of this week’s bye. Then it’s a showdown with No. 7 Alabama in what will be a must-win game if Missouri hopes to entertain playoff hopes.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks (+3)

Arkansas didn’t play but benefited from a handful of things during the bye week, jumping a whopping three spots in the SEC Power Rankings. First and foremost, the team’s recent win over Tennessee held up, as the Volunteers dispatched the Gators to move to 5-1.

Then there were the losses that helped Arkansas move up so much. South Carolina, Kentucky and Florida all fell, allowing Arkansas to move up to No. 10 overall in the SEC.

SEC Power Rankings: 11-16

11. South Carolina Gamecocks
12. Kentucky Wildcats (-2)
13. Florida Gators (-1)
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
15. Auburn Tigers
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Vanderbilt posted a quality win on the road at Kentucky, while Mississippi State had a respectable showing in a game on the road at Georgia. Still, neither result was enough to bump them up a spot in this week’s SEC Power Rankings. The bottom is pretty well defined at this point, though you’d have to figure Vanderbilt moves up soon if it can keep winning.