SEC Power Rankings updated after Week 4 of college football

The latest SEC Power Rankings from On3 are here after Week 4 of the college football season and there was some movement.

The top “dawgs” are still at the top, but some other big named schools are ready to make their move back towards the top of the mountain. There’s plenty of football left to play, but things are starting to heat up.

Below are the latest SEC power rankings courtesy of our panel of On3 experts.

1. Georgia (4-0)

Georgia rolled through UAB 49-21 and we didn’t exactly learn anything new. Another week, another power rankings set with the Bulldogs at the top.

Carson Beck tossed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, looking like a bonafide QB1. Daijun Edwards did work on the ground, carrying the ball 12 times for 66 yards and a touchdown.

2. LSU (3-1)

The Tigers certainly bounced back since the first loss to Florida State to open the season. Now, LSU has two SEC wins through the first four games, not bad.

The Tigers edged Arkansas 34-31 at home Saturday. Jayden Daniels threw for 320 yards, four touchdowns and a pick. The LSU defense forced two KJ Jefferson interceptions throughout the contest.

3. Alabama (3-1) (+1)

Alabama moved up a spot this week after the win over Ole Miss. It was a much-hyped game in Tuscaloosa as many thought the Rebels could finally beat the Crimson Tide with Lane Kiffin.

Alas, that was not the case. Nick Saban and Alabama kept it rolling and earned a much-needed ranked win in the SEC to get to 3-1 and keep the playoff hopes alive.

4. Florida (3-1) (+1)

Florida kept it rolling but didn’t do it in dominant fashion over Charlotte. It was just a 22-7 win but the Gators moved up by virtue of the other team’s performances, plus the win over Tennessee the other weekend.

Graham Mertz and the Gators’ offense will be tested at Kentucky next weekend. The Wildcats want to shake up the SEC East but this would be a huge win for Florida moving forward. It’s just facts, but 4-1 looks a lot better than 3-2.

5. Ole Miss (3-1) (-1)

Well, Ole Miss tried but came up short yet again. Lane Kiffin was teasing the final meeting between him and Saban, in some sort of fashion? Nonetheless, Kiffin didn’t leave the weekend with a win over his former boss.

Where does this leave Ole Miss? Well, it doesn’t kill the playoff hopes. But they’re still a longshot in a division with a loss to Alabama and LSU remaining on the schedule.

6. Tennessee (3-1)

Tennessee didn’t move from its No. 6 spot going into Week 5. In a non-conference tilt, Tennessee won 45-14 over UTSA. 

It was certainly a nice way to bounce back from the loss at Florida. In fact, Tennessee remained ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Can they keep the good vibes going against South Carolina?

7. Texas A&M (3-1)

Hey it’s a conference win for the Aggies. Texas A&M got by Auburn 27-10 for a much needed SEC win going into the final weekend of September.

However, Auburn is still, well we don’t know. So for now, Texas A&M stays in the middle of the pack among the SEC teams. But we’ll truly find out about this team and Jimbo Fisher over the next few weeks.

8. Kentucky (4-0) (+1)

The Wildcats are 4-0, yes these Kentucky Wildcats are undefeated. However, there hasn’t been a big game on the schedule yet.

But, Kentucky hosts Florida and with a win, Mark Stoops and company could certainly move up these SEC rankings as well as, presumably, into the AP top 25 next week. It’s there for the taking for this under the radar team.

9. Missouri (4-0) (+1)

Don’t look now, but Missouri is still undefeated. The Tigers edged out Memphis 34-27 over the weekend and while this team is by no means dominant, yet, they keep winning.

It’s a top 25 team through the first third of the season. Not bad for Eli Drinkwitz and company. They moved up in the SEC power rankings this week but until there’s conference wins, they won’t soar way up.

10. South Carolina (2-2) (+2)

South Carolina returned to the win column over the weekend with a 37-30 shootout victory over Mississippi State. With that win, the Gamecocks vaulted up two spots in On3’s SEC power rankings.

Spencer Rattler played excellent Saturday, going 18-of-20 passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Mario Anderson added 26 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

11. Auburn (3-1) (-3)

Oof, this was a tough one for Auburn. The Tigers got to the middle tier of the conference at 3-0, but a disappointing loss to Texas A&M put them down in the lower tier.

Hugh Freeze’s first loss of his Auburn tenure wasn’t a good one. Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner and Robby Ashford all had snaps under center at quarterback. This is not a good situation at the moment.

12. Arkansas (2-2) (-1)

Being 2-2 is probably not what Sam Pittman envisioned through the first four games of the season. A disappointing loss to BYU and a narrow defeat to LSU is the difference between .500 and undefeated and probably a decent ranking in the polls.

The wins over Kent State and WCU are not good from a ranking perspective. Hence why the Razorbacks dropped another spot this week per our On3 experts.

13. Mississippi State (2-2)

A tough one for Zach Arnett and crew. A loss to South Carolina, a winnable game by the way, dropped the Bulldogs to 2-2 on the season. Where do they go from here?

Well, Alabama is next, followed by Western Michigan, Arkansas and Auburn. Would getting to 4-3 through seven games be positive? Is it possible? We think so, but for now, the Bulldogs are near the bottom of the conference.

14. Vanderbilt (2-3)

It stinks that Vanderbilt is five games in and lost a tough one to Kentucky. The team is molded by Clark Lea, a tough physical football team, but is just overmatched in the end.

The Commodores host Missouri this coming weekend and then have Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss. On the current schedule, that’s four straight-ranked opponents. Woof.

So there you have it, the SEC power rankings through Week 4 after some decent movement. Now that conference play is fully upon us, things could get absolutely wild in the SEC throughout the month of October.