The 2024 college football regular season is winding down. It has been an up and down, unpredictable and wide open season for many teams, Kentucky included at times, but with so much action in the books already we know a lot more than we did earlier in the year.
Here are CI publisher Justin Rowland's SEC Power Rankings after a dozen weeks of SEC football.
1. Texas
Others have been No. 1 here at times, but Texas has clearly been the most consistent team in the SEC throughout the regular season to date. The Longhorns only loss was to Georgia. However, the league's championship race is still open and Texas wasn't overly impressive in a 20-10 road win against Arkansas with Quinn Ewers only mustering 176 passing yards on the day.
2. Georgia
The Bulldogs had their hands full with top-10 foe Tennessee but they pulled away to win by two scores, giving the Volunteers only their second loss of the season. In the big picture there's been a lost of angst about UGA and "what has happened" to the Dawgs with Carson Beck's rocky year. But this team still has a strong resume and national championship aspirations. One can fairly ask why they've dropped so much in the polls. Beck had a good day and didn't throw a pick.
3. Alabama
Sort of like Georgia, with all the concern over Alabama and the direction of the Tide in the post-Nick Saban era, the resume is still one of the strongest in the SEC. We didn't learn much in a blowout win against Mercer. Bama gets Oklahoma and Auburn to finish the year so barring something very strange the Tide should end the season 10-2 (6-2) with only losses in the state of Tennessee.
4. Ole Miss
On a given day Ole Miss can beat any team in the country and the Rebels are moving in the right direction. We still have to count the loss against Kentucky against them. The Rebels should handle in-state rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, but this weekend they're at Florida, where the Gators just beat LSU. That could be a trap game if they don't play well.
5. Tennessee
Tennessee hadn't given up 20 points in a single game all year until the loss to Georgia. Kentucky had scored more points (18) against the Vols than any other team to that point. With UTEP and Vanderbilt still on the schedule the Vols will be expected to finish 10-2, but the game against the Commodores cannot be taken for granted this year. That could be low scoring.
6. Texas A&M
Elko has done a great season in Aggieland this year and if they survive a trip to Auburn they could have a play-in game for the playoff at home against Texas on Nov. 30. The game against New Mexico State was well-timed because it gave them a chance to find their footing and avoid an emotional letdown after that blowout loss to South Carolina.
7. South Carolina
Were it not for Clark Lea, Shane Beamer would probably be the shoe-in for SEC Coach of the Year. The Gamecocks have been playing as well as any team in the SEC over the last month or so of the season. The latest feather in Beamer's camp was a win over Missouri. This team can really get after you and cause problems on defense. We didn't know that would be a season-long mark for the team when we saw it against Kentucky early in the season but they can cause problems for anyone there.
8. LSU
The Tigers have been too up and down and not good enough in Brian Kelly's second year at LSU. It's not a total shock they lost at Florida. The Gators typically play them well there. We have to really penalize LSU now. Name alone isn't enough. The Tigers have lost three games in a row, each by two scores or more. They do have a chance to finish strong.
9. Missouri
Missouri was playing catch-up to the Gamecocks but came up short. That dropped them to 3-3 in the SEC, and while they have seven wins, this team just hasn't materialized the way many expected after last season's 11-2 record.
10. Vanderbilt
The Commodores have been the surprise of the league. They have a tough finish, though. They have to go to LSU for a night game this weekend, but at least they're catching the Tigers at a good time as their slide has continued. Then it's Tennessee to end the year. Even if they drop both games, 6-6 (3-5 SEC) would be a big achievement given some of the successes.
11. Florida
Billy Napier has helped the program show some improvement this year. Considering how he was considered a lame duck at one point this year, and given how we've talked about the schedule since even before the season began, things could be a lot worse. Think about it: This team blew out Kentucky, nearly won at Tennessee, and just beat LSU. Four of their five losses have come to top-20 teams.
12. Arkansas
Arkansas always seems to be up and down under Sam Pittman and that roller coaster takes place during each season. They show flashes, then they fall apart. The Hogs played Texas respectably after being blown out by Ole Miss. If they beat Louisiana Tech and Missouri to end the season it would have to be considered a solid year considering they always play one of the nation's toughest schedules, it seems.
13. Oklahoma
This has been a thoroughly lackluster, forgettable season for Oklahoma. It's the kind of year that would make any fan watching it miserable. The highlight of the year is a 34-19 home win against Tulane. They haven't looked very good against the ranked teams they have faced and they're 14-point home dogs to Alabama this weekend. The Sooners will probably finish 5-7 in their first season in the SEC.
14. Auburn
Hugh Freeze could be barreling toward a 1-7 season in the SEC with Texas A&M and then Alabama to finish the year. They'd go above Oklahoma except they found a way to lose that game to the Sooners at home. Auburn has lost four home games and this weekend would make five. That's unacceptable given how much we hear about how that's a hard place for opposing teams to play.
15. Kentucky
Just more than a month ago this team lost to Georgia by a point and won at Ole Miss. The wheels have certainly come off for the offense. Even against Murray State it was ugly, if a blowout. If the Wildcats lose to Texas this weekend it would be lock up a losing season. Maybe they're better off playing a really good team, given how they've fared against top-10 teams so far this season. But the offense has nothing working for it.
16. Mississippi State
Mississippi State will finish with a season fans will want to forget and they've earned this spot in the basement, but don't sleep on their chances against Missouri. It's in Starkville, the Tigers are only 8-point favorites, and having been eliminated from the playoffs, will they have much to play for?
