Post-Week 4 SEC Power Rankings

For 75% of the SEC, we are already a third of the way through the season. For the other four who took an early bye week (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas A&M), they're still a quarter of the way there. I know what you're thinking, yes, that's almost incomprehensible. It feels like the seasons get shorter and shorter every year, but that's a discussion for a different time.

Get our free mobile app

Today, we're going to have a different discussion. For all of the student-athletes you see on Saturdays have midterms coming up, like the rest of us college students. So we're going to give them a grade or two of our own. Below is my SEC power ranking through four weeks, along with their "midterm" grade for the quarter.

• 1. University of Georgia (last game: won 44-41 at No. 15 Tennessee in week three)

Grade: B+

The triumph in Neyland two weeks ago was enough for an 'A' grade, but I can't seem to wrap my head around moving past the first two weeks like they never happened. Only defeating an FCS school (Austin-Peay) 28-6 was rightfully cause for concern between the hedges. Now, I think week three's classic has done more than what's necessary to atone for early struggles, but I'm sure the Bulldog faithful can find plenty of things to nitpick. But just like a majority of the conference, the real test begins now, and for Georgia, the Alabama game is one every fan in Athens agrees is an absolute must-win.

• 2. Oklahoma University (last game: won 24-17 vs. Auburn)

Grade: A+

OU has an illustrious recent history when it comes to quarterbacks, and even without the presence of QB whisperer Lincoln Riley, that trend looks like it's set to continue, at least for another year anyway. Sooner faithful have Washington State transfer John Mateer to thank for that. Through their first four games of the season, Mateer is one of two quarterbacks, along with Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, that has Heisman odds shorter than 10/1, per FanDuel sportsbook. Nobody really knew exactly what to expect in a year in which Brett Venables' seat was as hot as anybody's heading into week one. However, everyone in Norman knows what to expect the rest of the way. It's championship or bust for Boomer Sooner.

• 3. Texas A&M University (last game: won 41-40 at No. 8 Notre Dame in week three)

Grade: A-

Every year, it seems like the Aggies fight the same narrative, and that is that the inevitable 8-4 season will eventually arrive. Mike Elko, however, is hell-bent on changing that narrative. Through his first three games of the 2025 campaign, he's done just that. Knocking off Notre Dame at their place is no easy task, and they were able to do it as seven-point underdogs. They won't face a currently-ranked opponent until October 25th, so this next month of games will be pivotal if A&M wants to position itself for its first-ever playoff appearance. Marcel Reed looks as good as any signal caller in the nation right now, with at least 280 total yards and multiple scores through each of his first three games this year. If Reed can maintain his level of play throughout the season, Texas A&M could be headed toward its first double-digit win season since the days of Johnny Manziel.

• 4. Louisiana State University, LSU (last game: won 56-10 vs. SE Louisiana)

Grade: B

Week by week, LSU's week one statement win in the battle of 'Death Valleys' is starting to dwindle in importance. With Clemson now almost fully considered a dud of a team this year, it's hard to find a signature win through the early quarter of the schedule. Now, yes, they did handle Florida and only give up ten points in the process, but when you catch five interceptions and only manage 20 points at home, it leaves room for speculation. Now, if you're an LSU fan, I'm not bashing the team, but what I am saying is that this team will have to wait at least another week before we can get a trustworthy gauge on their ability. Like many, the non-conference slate is over, and LSU fans are tired of seeing 9-3. A big win in this year's rendition of the "Magnolia Bowl" against Ole Miss is needed badly if Brian Kelly and his team want any validity heading into the meat of their schedule.

• 5. Vanderbilt University (last week: won 70-21 vs. Georgia State)

Grade: A

I don't see a path in which Vanderbilt could've possibly started the season off any better. They've already delivered two dominant power-4 road wins, including one against Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks. Pair that with an obliteration of a team that handed them an early loss last year in Georgia State, and you've got a team in Nashville that absolutely nobody wants to play against. And to think that at this exact time a year ago, Vandy was still considered, well, Vandy. Clark Lea, however, set out to change that thought, and all he's done is exactly that. Lea, paired with the eye-grabbing, storyline-generating Diego Pavia, has done more for Commodore football in a calendar year than anyone has done since the days of James Franklin. Nobody knows how much longer we'll get to enjoy this multi-year Cinderella run from Vanderbilt, so if I can offer any piece of advice, let it be to enjoy every minute of it. Unless, of course, they're next on your schedule, then it's time to get nervous.

• 6. University of Missouri (last game: won 29-20 vs. South Carolina)

Grade: B+

Many thought last year would be the best shot to bring home considerable hardware to Columbia, Missouri, for a long time. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz had his quarterback, fan-favorite Brady Cook, and he had Cook's A1 wideout in Luther Burden III. The problem is, they played in one of the deepest conferences in college football history. Now, four games into the 2025 campaign, confidence in the SEC's midwestern establishment is somehow just as high. But it's hard to blame them. Beau Prebula has looked sharp, and that's an understatement. They defeated their most hated rival in their first matchup in over a decade, and they delivered an emphatic early dagger into the playoff hopes of the team in the other Coumbia last week. The only issue? They are once again playing in one of the deepest conferences in college football history. There is a realistic path for Mizzou to finish the season 7-5, given that they still welcome Alabama and Texas A&M, along with going to Auburn, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. We all thought last year would be the big test to see if Missouri could ever win in the SEC, but it may be this year. Time will tell if Drinkwitz is the man for the job.

• 7. University of Mississippi, Ole Miss (last game: won 45-10 vs. Tulane)

Grade: B

Things are going about as well as they could in Oxford post-Jaxson Dart, who was the first Rebels first-round quarterback since Eli Manning over 20 years ago. Lane Kiffin, however, still has a problem. The good thing, however, is that it's one of the best problems a head coach and his team can have: two really good quarterbacks both playing at a high level. The Austin Simmons saga has been an odd one through the first month of action. Through his first two games, he looked like the future of the program with nothing stopping him but the not-so-rare interception. However, a late scratch from the week three starting lineup has now left Trinidad Chambliss as a household name throughout the SEC. I highly doubt there will be much QB controversy once Simmons, the 19-year-old with a bachelor's degree, returns in the near future. But with two guys this talented, it's always worth the discussion.

• 8. Mississippi State University (last game: won 38-10 vs. Northern Illinois)

Grade: A

Things could literally not be going any better than they are in Starkville this year. Not many teams are able to topple their preseason win-total by week four, and to do it with a top-15 opponent on the list of victories is all the more impressive. Nobody expected any major success from Jeff Lebby and his Bulldogs this year, and even though they'll eventually fall back to earth, the vibes down the road on Highway 82 are higher than any of us could have imagined through their first quarter of action. Six of their final eight game are against currently ranked teams, so by the time the halfway mark of the season rolls through, we'll have a much better idea of what's happening in "Starkvegas."

• 9. University of Tennessee (last game: won 56-24 vs. UAB)

Grade: B

Even when I try to be generous with the Vols, they can't seem to help me help them. I wanted to give them the bump up to a 'B+', and maybe even an 'A' had they been undefeated at this point. Regardless, a home loss is a home loss, and the only team in the country it's okay to feel okay about losing to at home is the Georgia Bulldogs. Joey Aguilar and Josh Huepel look like one of the best quarterback/head coach duos in the country so far this year, and have an extremely manageable schedule for the rest of the season, outside of a trip to Tuscaloosa, and the welcoming in of both Oklahoma and Vanderbilt come November.

• 10. University of Alabama (last game: won 38-14 vs. Wisconsin in week three)

Grade: C+

For no reason simply other than being Alabama, a loss through the first four weeks means you absolutely cannot receive a 'B' or higher. Although that single blemish on the record is starting to look more and more like a good win from Florida State, and the kind of loss that won't end Alabama's season before it could start. Both teams have taken the kind of trajectory Alabama needed to keep its playoff hopes anything less than a miracle. However, after both wins, everyone has said that the real test won't come until this Saturday, when the Crimson Tide rolls into Athens, Georgia, for a rematch of last year's classic.

Get our free mobile app

• 11. University of Texas (last game: won 55-0 vs. Sam Houston)

Grade: D

Many will ask how on earth a top ten team in the nation finds itself out of the top ten of its own conference. It's a fair question, but there are thousands of ways to spin a set of power rankings. I simply chose to work my angle based on your win-loss column first, because at the end of the day, you are what your record says you are. And right now, Texas is in the middle of the league with at least one blemish on its record; therefore, they will find themselves on the bottom half of this list. The problem with the Longhorns, however, has nothing to do with an early offseason loss. It has to do with the fact that before last week, Texas's million-dollar offense, driven by one of the best offensive minds in the sport, had looked flat-awful. And Texas fans will probably be the first ones to tell you that. Arch Manning has been grimacing at the sight of every throw he made through his two games following Ohio State, but will be hoping that a Sam Houston stomping, along with a bye week, will help them gear up for conference play that includes a trip to the Cotton Bowl to see Oklahoma on October 11th.

• 12. Auburn University (last game: lost 24-17 at No. 7 Oklahoma)

Grade: B

By no means is it time to hit the panic button on the plains. Auburn lost by seven to a 6.5-point favorite on the road to a top-ten team with a Heisman frontrunner. Nothing about that sentence should make any Auburn readers feel nervous about the rest of the year, though. Instead, enjoy the fact that you held that particular Heisman frontrunner to just 24 points and never trailed by more than the final deficit. However, nobody is looking at the defense. Every single set of eyes watching next week's game in Auburn orange and blue will be dialed in on the offensive line, which gave up an appalling nine sacks against the Sooners' defense. If that issue isn't addressed soon, it can become a major issue. They're at the point in the season where you can't out-talent teams.

• 13. University of Arkansas (last game: lost 32-31 at Memphis)

Grade: C-

Depending on which side of the ball you play/coach on in Fayetteville, you're either building an impressive season to put on the resume or you're in desperate need of a turnaround in your department. To break it down for you, Arkansas's offense is a couple of mental mistakes per week away from being able to compete with anyone in the nation. Their defense, however, wouldn't stop a nosebleed in a tissue factory. Taylen Green has looked like a Heisman contender through four games, with nearly 1,200 yards passing, while continuing to lead his team in rushing as well. He's averaging just under four total touchdowns per game, and their two featured backs both average seven and five yards per carry. That leaves you wondering, how could they possibly be 2-2 with only one Power Four game so far? Well, when you're 14th in the conference in yards allowed per game, it can be hard to win. I said on the Deep South College Football Show last week that Taylen Green could gunsling them to some victories. He's going to need the defense to do more than put their helmet on and stand between the sidelines.

• 14. University of Kentucky (last game: won 48-23 vs. Eastern Michigan in week three)

Grade: C

There hasn't been much bad coming out of Lexington, Kentucky, this year; the only problem is that there hasn't been much good either. Kentucky feels like one of the more stagnant programs in America this season. Nobody can really tell if they're heading in the right direction or the wrong one. Only beating a MAC team by eight in week one is scary enough, but a win is a win. They couldn't get the job done when the Rebels came to town, but they were severely outmatched. But they managed to keep it close, as they normally do when those two meet. A 25-point victory against a second MAC team this past Saturday may instill some confidence for the Wildcats, but they have an extremely unfavorable schedule ahead of them, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see Bob Stoops looking for a new job after a 4-8 type season.

• 15. University of South Carolina (last game: lost 29-20 at No. 20 Missouri)

Grade: D

Much like the team below them, the Gamecocks entered the 2024 campaign with a head coach on an extremely hot seat, with a true freshman who had fanbases foaming at the mouth with excitement. And much like the team below them, their preseason playoff hopes have seemingly hit the transfer portal. After a 2-0 start that left fans slightly nervous, yet brightly optimistic that their goals were within reach. Well, fast-forward to today, and Gamecock fans are wondering what the heck happened. Even with LaNorris Sellers healthy and fresh off a big game, the issues are much bigger. The defense has given up exactly 60 points in its last two games, while the run game is somehow even worse. They managed a slightly subpar 86 yards against Vanderbilt, but an astonishing -9 last week in the battle of Columbias, with Missouri claiming the stake for the time being. South Carolina will have Kentucky this week, and then won't see a currently unranked team until Coastal Carolina in late November. It's make-or-break time for Shane Beamer.

• 16. University of Florida (last game: lost 26-7 at No. 2 Miami)

Grade: D-

It just felt too comical to lay an 'F' onto 'UF,' especially when you add the preseason hype discussions. The real reason, however, was that, despite the fact they're the only team in the conference without multiple wins, two of those losses came to now top-4 teams. Last year, Billy Napier was tasked with running the gauntlet and needing at least seven/eight good wins to keep his job. By the grace of God and one of the most athletically gifted true-freshman quarterbacks of all time, he managed an eight-win season and a bowl victory. This year, he was tasked with doing all that and then some, simply because DJ Lagway was a sophomore instead of a freshman. Even though they started slowly last year, Lagway caught the country by surprise. This time around? Defensive coordinators are spending weeks watching his tape.