Week 9 of the college football season is in the books, and the SEC had three games that featured ranked opponents going head-to-head. While there are not a lot of major moves in this week's Power Rankings, there is becoming a clear delineation between the haves and have-nots of the SEC. It is time to look at the next edition of the 2025 SEC Football Power Rankings.
1. Texas A&M (+1)
Texas A&M is now just one of six programs in all of college football that are still undefeated, and the only program in the SEC. The Aggies are 8-0 for the first time since 1992, after defeating LSU 49-25. It was a slow start for the team, being down 18-14 at the half. They then scored 35 straight points in the second half. Marcel Reed accounted for four touchdowns while Cashius Howell had two sacks in the game.
Texas A&M will be off in Week 10 before hitting the road to face Missouri in Week 11.
2. Alabama (-1)
The Crimson Tide drops a spot in the SEC Power Rankings this week. Alabama survived a scare in Week 9 against South Carolina. The Tide started strong in the game. After giving up an opening field goal to South Carolina, and then punting the ball, Alabama picked off a LaNorris Sellers pass and returned it for a touchdown. Alabama led 14-6 going into the halftime break. Still, South Carolina was great in the third quarter, taking the lead and holding the Tide to just 20 yards of offense.
South Carolina looked primed to make the upset, leading 22-14, but Bama tied the game. Still, South Carolina had the ball with just over 2 minutes left in the game. Sellers would fumble the ball, and Alabama recovered. Alabama scored and then won the game 29-22.
Alabama is off in Week 10 before hosting LSU in Week 11.
3. Georgia (-)
Georgia did not take the field in Week 9, but may have survived a massive upset. Jared Curtis, a 5-star quarterback recruit out of Nashville, seemingly affirmed his commitment to the Bulldogs after visiting Vanderbilt. Georgia is off to Jacksonville in Week 10 to face Florida at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
4. Ole Miss (-)
Lane Kiffin may be getting connected to other jobs, but right now, he is on a great run with Ole Miss. The Rebels are coming off a game against Oklahoma on the road. Brent Venables claimed he had the better team. The game said otherwise. Ole Miss opened up a 22-10 lead in the first half. Oklahoma made the comeback in the third quarter, leading 26-25 going into the fourth quarter.
Regardless, the Rebels were dominant in the fourth quarter. They scored early in the quarter and then forced a punt. Ole Miss then punted, but Oklahoma fumbled the return and the Rebels kicked a field goal. Oklahoma could not score again as Ole Miss won the game 34-26. They will face South Carolina at home in Week 10.
5. Vanderbilt (-)
Vanderbilt continues to win and is off to their best start in 84 years. The offense had some struggles in the game, managing just three points in the first half. Vanderbilt then opened up the second half, throwing an interception. Later in the third quarter, Missouri missed a field goal, and on the next play, Makhilyn Young took the ball 80 yards to the house to make it 10-3.
Missouri would tie the game on the next drive. Vanderbilt then punted the ball, and Missouri was driving to take the lead. That is when the defense stepped up a forced a fumble. The Dores would turn that into seven points and the 17-10 victory. They will hit the road in Week 10 to face Texas, and look to move to 8-1 on the season.
6. Tennessee (+1)
Tennessee moved to 6-2 on the year after dominating Kentucky. They put up 21 points in the first quarter, with the help of a pick-six. Still, they were struggling on defense. They led 35-21 at the end of the first half and went on to win the game 56-24. The Tennessee offense was great. Joey Aguilar passed for 396 yards and three touchdowns. The offense racked up 504 yards overall as well.
Meanwhile, the defense gave up 476 yards to a Kentucky offense that has struggled this year. Cutter Boley has his best game of the year, passing for 330 yards and five touchdowns in the process. Tennessee now has to figure out the defensive woes quickly, as it hosts Oklahoma in Week 10.
7. Missouri (-1)
Missouri dropped a spot in the power rankings after its 17-10 loss to Vanderbilt. While the loss was bad news and could hurt their chances to make the playoffs, they got worse news after the game. Beau Pribula suffered an injury that will cost him some time. The quarterback will not require surgery and could be back this year, but still, the bulk of the rest of the season will be played without their starter.
Matt Zollers will take over for Pribula. The freshman went 14-23 for 138 yards and a touchdown against Vandy. He also gets an extra week of work with the starters, as Missouri is off this week before facing Texas A&M in Week 11.
8. Oklahoma (-)
Despite the loss to Ole Miss and the tumble in the AP Top 25, Oklahoma stands pat at the eight spot in the power rankings. Oklahoma has now lost two of its three games and has a tough road test in Week 10, facing Tennessee. John Mateer had one of his better games since returning from injury. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. Still, he had a QBR of just 45.1. If Oklahoma is going to avoid a third loss, Mateer needs to play better.
9. Texas (+1)
Texas jumps up a spot, but that is more to do with the teams behind them instead of their play. To begin with, Texas needed overtime to beat Kentucky in Week 8. Then, they faced Mississippi State in Week 9. They struggled early in the game, being tied at seven at the end of the first quarter. The struggle would continue as the Bulldogs led the game 24-14 going into the halftime break.
Texas would make it a seven-point game with 4:14 left in the game. They then forced a three-and-out. On the punt, Ryan Niblett returned the ball 79 yards for a touchdown and a tie game. Texas would need overtime once again, but one the game 45-38. Still, things are not good for the Longhorns. Rumors have Steve Sarkisian interested in the NFL. Meanwhile, Arch Manning is in concussion protocol and could miss the next game. The next game for the Longhorns is in Week 10 as they host Vanderbilt.
10. LSU (-1)
In 2000, LSU hired a coach named Nick Saban. He won the SEC in his second season and the national title in year four. After he left, they poached Les Miles from Oklahoma State. He won it all in his third year. After Miles was let go, Ed Orgeron took over. In his third full season, he won a National Championship. Brian Kelly did not win a Natty, or even the SEC, and was fired. LSU just lost for the third time in four games, this time to Texas A&M 49-25. They are off in Week 10, before having to travel to Alabama.
11. Florida (-)
Florida is coming off an off week and the first week of practice under interim coach Billy Gonzales, after the firing of Billy Napier. The team remains at the 11-spot in the rankings due to their two wins in SEC play. Still, a drop could be coming. The Gators face Georgia in Jacksonville in Week 10, plus have games against Ole Miss and Tennessee ahead of them.
12. Mississippi State (-)
Mississippi State is now 4-4 on the year. They could easily be 7-1 and near the top of the SEC. The first loss of the season was in overtime to Tennessee. They then lost to Texas A&M 31-9. The next game, they were in a position to beat Florida, but an interception handed them a 23-21 loss. Last week, they lost in overtime again, but to Texas. A few different bounces, and the team is one of the feel-good stories of the college football season, but instead, they still do not have an SEC win.
13. Auburn (-)
Auburn has not named a starting quarterback for the Week 10 game with Kentucky, but Hugh Freeze may have stayed his execution by benching Jackson Arnold for Ashton Daniels. After Arnold threw a pick-six that put Auburn down 21-10, Freeze made the move. Daniels was solid. We went six of eight for 77 yards with 35 yards on the ground. It was enough to make the comeback and win the game 33-23 over Arkansas. Auburn faces Kentucky in Week 10.
14. South Carolina (+2)
South Carolina fans were lined up to rush the field after upsetting one of the best teams in the nation. Instead, they experienced heartbreak. South Carolina fell in the waning seconds of the game to Alabama, 29-22. Still, the close contest is more than other bottom feeders in the conference can say, and moves them up in the rankings. Now, they hit the road to face Ole Miss in Week 10.
15. Arkansas (-1)
Arkansas had a lead against Auburn in its quest for its first SEC win. Arkansas had a 24-16 lead going into the fourth quarter. They then turned over the ball on all four fourth-quarter possessions, including three interceptions by Taylen Green, losing 33-24. Arkansas faces Mississippi State in Week 10.
16. Kentucky (-1)
Kentucky has now dropped to 0-5 in conference play after losing 56-34. The team put up the most points in an SEC game all season, but also gave up the most. Cutter Boley has been improving, which should give Wildcat fans some hope. Still, they sit in the basement of the SEC. They get a chance to escape the basement against Auburn in Week 10.
