Race to Atlanta: SEC Power Rankings After Week 6

Halfway through the 2023 football season, the SEC has developed a makeshift pecking order. While there is still a lot of football to be played, the number of contenders in the Race to Atlanta dwindles with each passing week. Playing in the SEC championship game is one of the main overarching goals in any given season.

This week’s SEC Power Rankings show some separation between those who have a shot and those who are out of luck when it comes to dreams of an SEC division title. While some teams are breaking into midseason form (such as Georgia), other squads are struggling to average more than a couple of yards per carry in the running game.

1. Georgia 6-0 (3-0)

vs. Kentucky- W 51-13

Finally, the Dawgs looked like a top team for an entire game. They came out of the gate strong and didn’t let up. Carson Beck had his best game in a Georgia uniform so far.

The defense shut down anything and everything Kentucky wanted to do. They even held star Wildcat running back Ray Davis to 59 yards rushing. Midseason form looks good on this Georgia squad.

2. Alabama 5-1 (3-0)

at Texas A&M- W 26-20

Alabama continues to struggle to run the football effectively, but despite that they were able to sneak out of College Station with a crucial SEC win. With Atlanta in mind, Alabama needed to win this game. Losing it would’ve burst the Western division wide open effective immediately. Well, at least for the top half of the division.

Jalen Milroe looked elite against the pressure of an Aggie front seven that is one of the best in the nation. Jermaine Burton was all over the place, reaching just under 200 receiving yards in the game. The Crimson Tide have figured their identity out for the most part offensively.

3. LSU 4-2 (3-1) 2

at Missouri- W 49-39

In a comeback victory, LSU dismantled the Missouri defense. LSU’s offense had just a little more gasoline, and it won them this football game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen LSU have a defense this bad, on the other hand.

4. Texas A&M 4-2 (2-1)

vs. Alabama- L 26-20

The Aggies played their hearts out in a dogfight with Alabama. You can’t be mad at that if you’re an A&M fan. I will say…it doesn’t seem like there was much drop-off from Conner Weigman to Max Johnson at quarterback. In fact, Johnson may be an even better fit than Weigman in Bobby Petrino’s scheme. This is an exciting team to watch.

5. Ole Miss 5-1 (2-1)2

vs. Arkansas- W 27-20

Sliding down in the SEC Power Rankings after a win is Ole Miss. Quarterback Jaxson Dart was banged up and it almost cost them against our out-of-whack Razorbacks. The Ole Miss defense played well. The running game was effective in spurts. Long runs ended up being one of the bigger differences for the Rebel offense.

6. Missouri 5-1 (1-1)

vs. LSU- L 49-39

Brady Cook and Luther Burden III are an elite duo. Missouri’s offense is fun to watch, but it just wasn’t enough against LSU. I told my brother during this game, when LSU was down 22-7, that I thought Missouri was “about to get humbled”. While they did end up losing, I don’t think they’ve been humbled.

Missouri fans should be as confident as ever in their offense and coach Eli Drinkwitz. That physically caused me pain to type, by the way.

Yes, they did hand this game away by allowing LSU to move the ball the way they did in the 2nd half. But, Missouri has got a really good offense that is going to win them more football games this season.

7. Tennessee 4-1 (1-1) 1

Bye

8. Florida 4-2 (1-1) 1

vs. Vanderbilt- W 38-14

Billy Napier’s seat just cooled down a few degrees after that game. The Gators looked great in every aspect of ball. Granted, it was against Vanderbilt. Some thought the Gators might struggle a lot more in this game, but Florida had no real trouble. Getting to 6 wins isn’t a daunting task when you start 4-2.

9. Kentucky 5-1 (2-1)2

at Georgia- L 51-13

I didn’t want to move Kentucky down in the SEC Power Rankings, but no SEC team besides Mississippi State/Vanderbilt has been blown out like that this season. Kentucky couldn’t get anything going on offense and had no answer whatsoever for the Georgia passing attack. Now, to even sniff a shot at an SEC East crown, the Wildcats have to win out. Georgia also has to lose two conference games. Neither of those are looking very likely after Saturday, but we’ve seen stranger things.

10. Auburn 3-2 (0-2)

Bye

11. South Carolina 2-3 (1-2)

Bye

12. Arkansas 2-4 (0-3)

at Ole Miss- L 27-20

A new nickname: the out-of-whack Razorbacks. It is a shame that this team is 2-4. The talent levels on both sides of the ball make it inexcusable to be 2-4. The defense is one of the best the Hogs have had in years. The offense is playing like one of the worst I’ve ever seen out of Fayetteville.

The Dan Enos experiment seems more and more like a failure each week. KJ Jefferson looks like a completely different quarterback at times. His two interceptions thrown could’ve been the difference in this ballgame. Sam Pittman has work to do. The offensive line has an abundance of issues.

All that being said, this team could somehow very easily be 5-1 if a couple of little things went in favor of the Hogs. As I said, there is no excuse for being 2-4 at this point, and the blame falls on the coaches at the end of the day. Especially when you’re averaging less than 2 yards per carry.

13. Mississippi State 3-3 (0-3)

vs. Western Michigan- W 41-28

I thought about shifting things around in the bottom section of these SEC Power Rankings, but decided it ultimately was already correct. I’ve seen some Arkansas folks want to move Mississippi State ahead of Arkansas, but I think that’s self-deprecation. The Bulldogs struggled to beat an awful Western Michigan at home. They nearly lost this game and were blown out by LSU. They may be the only SEC team the Hogs beat this year, but we’ll see.

14. Vanderbilt 2-5 (0-3)

at Florida- L 38-14

Vanderbilt is the worst team in the SEC, hands down. Without starting quarterback AJ Swann, it gets even harder. This is going to continue to be a long season for them.

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