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James Morgan

SEC power rankings after Week 7: Pecking order in place

SEC Week 7 football action featured Georgia defeating Vanderbilt, 37-20, in a closer than expected game. Additionally, Tennessee defeated Texas A&M at home behind a big rushing game from running back Jaylen Wright.

Alabama held on to defeat Arkansas at home. Missouri recorded a big road win at Kentucky to prove itself as one of the better teams in the SEC East. Florida won on the road at South Carolina.

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The rest of the teams in the SEC had the week off. How do we rank the best teams in the SEC after an intriguing Week 7? The conference’s pecking order is starting to get established after seven weeks.

14
Vanderbilt Commodores

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-6

Week 7: Georgia 37, Vanderbilt 20

Vanderbilt showed fight at home against Georgia in Week 7. The Commodores, who have not made a bowl game since 2018, have lost six straight games after starting 2-0. Vanderbilt is better than it was in 2020 or 2021, but that is a low bar.

13
Mississippi State Bulldogs

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 3-3

Week 7: off week

Mississippi State has a long way to go if it wants to be relevant in the SEC. The Bulldogs play at Arkansas in Week 8.

12
South Carolina Gamecocks

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-4

Week 7: Florida 41, South Carolina 39

South Carolina needs to get a win. The Gamecocks don’t have a good win yet. South Carolina has losses against quality competition: UNC, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. In Week 7, the Gamecocks lost a high-scoring game at home against Florida.

The Gamecocks have a star wide receiver, Xavier Legette, and quarterback, Spencer Rattler, but they just aren’t getting it done.

11
Arkansas Razorbacks

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-5

Week 7: Alabama 24, Arkansas 21

The Razorbacks have four one-score losses in their last five games. Arkansas put together a comeback attempt against Alabama, but couldn’t get the job done. The Razorbacks ran for just 100 yards on over 30 carries against the Crimson Tide.

10
Auburn Tigers

The Daily Advertiser

Record: 3-3

Week 7: LSU 48, Auburn 18

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne and the Tigers aren’t having enough success in the passing game to win in the SEC. Auburn allowed LSU’s offense to pile up yardage and points and could not score against the Tigers’ porous defense.

Auburn Wire

9
Florida Gators

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 5-2

Week 7: Florida 41, South Carolina 39

Florida would be a candidate to rise in the SEC power rankings after earning a road win at South Carolina. However, Kentucky toppled Florida a few weeks ago, so we can’t rank the Gators ahead of the Wildcats. Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is one of the best receivers in the SEC.

8
Kentucky Wildcats

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 5-2

Week 7: Missouri 38, Kentucky 21

Kentucky has suffered back-to-back blowout defeats. The Wildcats and quarterback Devin Leary struggled to pass against decent defenses. Missouri outscored Kentucky, 38-7, after the first quarter.

7
Texas A&M Aggies

Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Record: 4-3

Week 7: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13

The Aggies have had consecutive one-score defeats. Texas A&M was  significantly outrushed on the road against Tennessee. Aggies quarterback Max Johnson threw a pair of interceptions. Not a recipe for success on the road in the SEC.

6
Tennessee Volunteers

Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Record: 5-1

Week 7: Tennessee 20, Texas A&M 13

Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright ran for over 100 yards as the Volunteers knocked off Texas A&M in Week 7.

5
Missouri Tigers

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 6-1

Week 7: Missouri 38, Kentucky 21

Missouri has solid wins over Kentucky, Kansas State and Memphis. Missouri overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Kentucky in an SEC East battle in Week 7. The Tigers look like the second-best team in the SEC East.

4
LSU Tigers

The Daily Advertiser

Record: 5-2

Week 7: LSU 48, Auburn 18

LSU‘s offense continues to roll. The LSU defense shut down Auburn, which is not saying a ton. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 325 passing yards in LSU’s home win over Auburn.

3
Ole Miss Rebels

Justin Ford/Getty Images

Record: 5-1

Week 7: bye week

Ole Miss returns to SEC action in Week 8 as the Rebels play a night game against the Auburn Tigers. Ole Miss’ win over LSU keeps the Rebels above the Tigers, but they do have an SEC loss to Alabama.

2
Alabama Crimson Tide

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 6-1

Week 7: Alabama 24, Arkansas 21

Alabama looked like it would cruise to a win over Arkansas after the first half. The Crimson Tide held a 21-6 halftime lead, but barely won over Arkansas. Alabama looks like it is going to continue playing in close games.

1
Georgia Bulldogs

Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 7-0

Week 7: Georgia 37, Vanderbilt 20

Georgia continues to stack uneven performances, but so does the rest of the SEC. The Bulldogs are the last remaining undefeated team in the SEC and look to heal during their bye week in Week 8.

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