We're more than halfway through the 2024 college football regular season and so we're starting to get a much clearer picture in the SEC and beyond.

Here are Cats Illustrated's updated SEC Power Rankings to reflect the latest action.

1. Georgia

The Bulldogs took a dip for a number of reasons but showed what they are still capable of in knocking off Texas 30-15 in Austin. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 23-0 lead on the back of a stellar defensive effort against the nation's No. 1 team on the road. They still have that close loss to Alabama but UGA has a great shot at the playoff now and may be the SEC's leading national title contender.

2. Texas

The Longhorns now have a blemish like every other team in the league. It isn't a shock that Georgia won at Texas, but the way the Longhorns fell behind was certainly surprising. They didn't have any answers for that UGA defense early on.

3. LSU

Garrett Nussmeier is having a tremendous season at quarterback. The Tigers dominated Arkansas on the road. That was the same field the Hogs beat Tennessee on recently. The Tigers remain a playoff and national title contender and appear to be hitting their stride with consecutive wins over Ole Miss and Arkansas.

4. Texas A&M

This wasn't as dominant as A&M fans probably hoped for but remember Mississippi State got its offense clicking some against Georgia recently. This was an ugly game and A&M was actually outgained by the Bulldogs. But they're learning how to win under Elko. The Aggies are atop the SEC standings at 4-0 but we have them No. 4 overall.

5. Ole Miss

The Rebels have league losses to LSU and Kentucky so their playoff margins are razor thin. At this point they almost certainly have to beat Alabama and probably have to win out to get in to the inaugural 12-teamer.

6. Tennessee

Tennessee's offense isn't what we expected but the defense is making up for it. The Volunteers followed their loss to Arkansas with wins against Florida and now Alabama, so they're firmly back in playoff contention. But if the offense doesn't start to improve it won't be a surprise if they stub their toes a time or two again.

7. Missouri

Zoom out a little bit and the Tigers are an interesting team but they don't look like what they were last season when they were really formidable. They survived at home against Auburn, which doesn't look great, but the Tigers have been better than their record if not for turnovers this year. The narrow win against Vanderbilt from earlier this year looks better in hindsight but the lone loss was ugly.

8. Alabama

How did this happen? It's not a pleasant time for Kalen DeBoer. Alabama went winless in two tries in the Volunteer State. Alabama only rushed for 75 yards on the game while the Tide gave up 220 on the ground to Tennessee. It would be quite the surprise to see the Tide miss out on the first expanded playoff but that could be where they are trending.

9. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt got off to a slow start against Ball State but the Commodores got the job done. We shouldn't sleep on the fact that Vanderbilt is 2-0 after beating Alabama. This team has some great leadership from Diego Pavia and they're playing with as much confidence as any team in the SEC.

10. South Carolina

The Gamecocks completely dominated Oklahoma on the road. They've been up and down this year. The Gamecocks only totaled 256 yards, but they're really good at what they do well - causing problems on defense. USC forced four OU turnovers and that was the big reason for the result.

11. Arkansas

We've seen that Arkansas has the ability to play at a high level for an extended time especially at home but they didn't put forth that kind of effort against LSU in a 34-10 loss. LSU built an early lead and the Hogs never established any kind of run game so they were one-dimensional and it didn't work out. They still get a couple more cracks against top teams at home but also have to secure bowl eligibility.

12. Florida

The Gators are trending in the right direction. Who saw that coming with everyone clamoring for Billy Napier's job? Florida dominated Kentucky 48-20 after nearly beating Tennessee in Neyland Stadium. Let's see what DJ Lagway can do the rest of the way because that was the most energy we've seen from the Gators in a long time.

13. Oklahoma

The Sooners have a defense, that much is for sure. South Carolina dominated the game but OU kept the Gamecocks in check when they had the ball for the most part. Offense is just not something Brent Venables team is very good at. You run the risk of losing the fan base in Norman quickly with a home loss like that. Not many middle of the pack Big XII teams won on OU's first like that.

14. Kentucky

The Wildcats are headed the wrong way and fast. The offense has been a problem all season long but the defense had its worst game of the year against Florida. The Wildcats have that road win against Ole Miss but it looks like an outlier as they have lost their other four SEC games. UK has to find some way to win three of its remaining five games to make a bowl and that won't be easy with no offensive identity.

15. Auburn

It seems like the football gods are punishing Hugh Freeze. The Tigers remain winless in the SEC after dropping a close one against Missouri. This season could have played out differently ... but it hasn't. Now we find out if they can learn how to win against Kentucky. It's going to be very ugly for whatever team and fan base is on the losing end of this game.

16. Mississippi State

If you're looking for silver linings the offense has been better over the last couple of weeks so it's not inconceivable that the Bulldogs could pull themselves out of the cellar, but they've built a nice lead in the race for the bottom on the basis of the full season results.