We are more than halfway through the 2023 football season and things are getting a little more clear every week. The month of October always separates the elite from the good and the good from the bad. A ton of SEC teams had bye weeks last weekend, but some pivotal games were played
The Third Saturday in October did not disappoint as No. 11 Alabama fought back to defeat No. 17 Tennessee. Alabama is still in the driver’s seat in the SEC West and the Vols fall to 2-2 in SEC play.
Arkansas and South Carolina continue their losing streaks, while both have tough schedules down the stretch. At this point of the season, neither team looks like they will be playing in a bowl game.
Week 9 has some intriguing games, but the SEC slate is headlined by The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville as Florida looks to upset No. 1 Georgia and give the Bulldogs their first regular season loss since the 2020 meeting between these two teams.
SEC Football Power Rankings After Week 8
14. Vanderbilt 2-6 (0-4)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: Hawaii 35-28
Next Week: @ #12 Ole Miss
Thankfully for Vanderbilt, the Commodores got to enjoy a bye week last week. The losing streak stands at six as the Commodores travel to Oxford to take on No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday. Vanderbilt will eventually break through and end their long losing streak, so could the Commodores pull off an upset on Saturday?
13. Arkansas 2-6 (0-5)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: Kent State 28-6
Next Week: BYE
The Razorbacks continue to disappoint every single week as their losing streak reaches six in a row. Saturday was absolutely unacceptable for everybody who is involved with the Arkansas football program. The players looked like they had given up and nobody on the entire team showed any signs of life. The Arkansas program as a whole is on the ropes and hopefully, this bye week will benefit the Hogs.
12. South Carolina 2-5 (1-4)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: Mississippi State 37-30
Next Week: @ Texas A&M
South Carolina is currently on a five-game losing streak, and the schedule does not get much easier. The Gamecocks have been competitive throughout this losing streak with the exception of last week’s game at Missouri. Shane Beamer may have lost his team based on the effort his team gave on Saturday. Maybe the Gamecocks will finally break through this weekend at Texas A&M, but if not the South Carolina program could be in jeopardy.
11. Auburn 3-4 (0-4)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: @ Cal 14-10
Next Week: Mississippi State
Hugh Freeze has had plenty of ups and downs in his first season at Auburn so far. I know that Auburn fans do not want to hear this, but Hugh Freeze has his team fighting and competing every week. The bad news is that Auburn is on a four-game losing streak, but the good news is that the Tigers have a very winnable game at home this Saturday against Mississippi State.
10. Mississippi State 4-3 (1-3)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: Arizona 31-24 (OT)
Next Week: @ Auburn
Well, Saturday was not pretty, but hey a win is a win. In what might possibly be the worst football game I have ever watched, Mississippi State pulled one out on the road at Arkansas, 7-3. The Bulldogs did not play well and they still have a lot to figure out, but at the same time, they are just two wins away from a bowl game. Even after last week, Mississippi State still has a very winnable game at Auburn on Saturday.
9. Kentucky 5-2 (2-2)
AP Poll: NR
Best Win: #22 Florida 33-14
Next Week: #21 Tennessee
Much like Texas A&M, Kentucky has looked very average this season. The Wildcats have lost their last two games, but they did get to rest up and try to fix some things during their bye week. This team is trending down, but a win on Saturday against No. 21 Tennessee could turn their season around.
8. Texas A&M 4-3 (2-2)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: Auburn 27-20
Next Week: South Carolina
Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies have been very average halfway through the season, but I expect them to turn things around. Texas A&M got to rest up and fix some things during their bye week and I think the Aggies will finish this season strong. The pieces are there, but will Jimbo ever figure things out? Saturday will be very telling about the future of Jimbo and the Texas A&M program as they host a very vulnerable South Carolina team.
7. Tennessee 5-2 (2-2)
AP Ranking: #21
Best Win: Texas A&M 20-13
Next Week: @ Kentucky
The Vols let a golden opportunity slip away on Saturday after blowing a double-digit lead at halftime on the road Saturday against Alabama. Many people did not expect Tennessee to win on Saturday, much less have the lead for most of the game. The Vols have the talent to beat just about anybody, but the little things are what’s holding them back this season. Tennessee has to turn the page quickly as the Vols travel to play at Kentucky on Saturday, which will not be easy.
6. Florida 5-2 (3-1)
AP Ranking: NR
Best Win: #11 Tennessee 29-16
Next Week: vs #1 Georgia (Jacksonville)
I feel like we still do not know much about this Florida team through eight weeks of the season. Florida has been so up and down this season, but they are still sitting there with only two losses and the Gators still control their own destiny in the SEC East race. We will get to know this Florida team a lot better this weekend as the Gators travel to Jacksonville to play bitter rival Georgia.
5. Missouri 7-1 (3-1)
AP Ranking: #16
Best Win: #15 Kansas State 30-27
Next Week: BYE
Missouri might be the most underrated team in the country. The Tigers have continued to take care of business week in and week out with the one loss being a red-hot LSU team in a shootout. Missouri is much better than people think, and the Tigers will get a chance to prove it at Georgia after a week off this weekend.
4. LSU 6-2 (3-1)
AP Ranking: #15
Best Win: @ #21 Missouri 49-39
Next Week: BYE
LSU has the best offense in the country and it is not even a debate anymore. The Tigers took care of business and then some on Saturday and continue to get better every week. LSU looks like a completely different team than they did just four weeks ago, but a road test at Alabama in two weeks will determine the fate of this Tigers team. LSU gets to rest up this weekend as they have plenty of time to prepare for the Tide.
3. Ole Miss 6-1 (3-1)
AP Ranking: #12
Best Win: #13 LSU 55-49
Next Week: Vanderbilt
Ole Miss just keeps chugging along and remains in the thick of things in the SEC West race. The Rebels took care of business on the road in a hostile environment at Auburn on Saturday. Ole Miss has not looked the best at times this season, but the Rebels just keep on winning.
2. Alabama 7-1 (5-0)
AP Ranking: #9
Best Win: #15 Ole Miss 24-10
Next Week: BYE
The Crimson Tide flipped a switch at halftime on Saturday and got their revenge against Tennessee. This Alabama team just continues to find ways to win games. If the Tide play how they played in the second half on Saturday, they can beat any team in the country. Alabama still controls their own destiny in the SEC West race, and the Tide will need to rest up this weekend and get prepared for LSU in a couple of weeks.
1. Georgia 7-0 (4-0)
AP Rankings: #1
Best Win: #20 Kentucky 51-13
Next Week: vs Florida (Jacksonville)
I hope Georgia enjoyed their bye week last week because their toughest test so far this season will be Saturday in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs are playing their first game without Brock Bowers, and I am interested in how that loss will affect the Georgia offense against a stout Florida defense. Georgia is the much better team in this game, however, the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is always a dog fight and Saturday will be much of the same.
Week 9 Schedule:
#1 Georgia vs Florida, 3:30 CBS
#21 Tennessee @ Kentucky, 7:00 ESPN
South Carolina @ Texas A&M, 12:00 ESPN
Mississippi State @ Auburn, 3:30 SECN
Vanderbilt @ #12 Ole Miss, 7:30 SECN
