With three weeks of the college football season under wraps, it might be panic time for a lot of teams in this week's SEC power rankings.
Fans were in for a hotly contested matchup Saturday night when Alabama hosted Texas. The Longhorns beat the Crimson Tide, handing Alabama head coach Nick Saban his first double-digit home loss during his time at Alabama. The Crimson Tide obviously fall in the rankings, but how do other Southeastern Conference teams stack up?
1. Georgia Bulldogs (2-0)
The Bulldogs showed why they are the two-time defending national champions. And until they get knocked off or begin to struggle with the inferior competition that makes up their schedule, it will be hard for Georgia to move down in the rankings. The No. 1 team in the country will open SEC play this week at home against South Carolina.
2. Tennessee Volunteers (2-0)
The Volunteers handled their business Saturday, beating Austin Peay 30-13. The offense looked a little sluggish in the first half, but quarterback Joe Milton III ended the day with a respectable 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Tennessee begins SEC play this week, traveling to Gainesville for the annual rivalry with the Florida Gators.
3. Ole Miss Rebels (2-0)
The Rebels outscored Tulane 27-3 in the second half to secure their second win of the season. It was a good rally, given that they struggled in the first half. The Rebels will host Georgia Tech in a warmup game before heading into Tuscaloosa to open SEC play.
4. Auburn Tigers (2-0)
The Tigers earned a tough win over the California Bears, scoring a touchdown late in that game to seal the victory. While it was not an impressive win over one of the worst Power Five schools in the country, the lackluster performance can be attributed to the West Coast travel. Auburn hosts in-state school Samford before beginning SEC play at Texas A&M.
5. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
The Wildcats were led by quarterback Devin Leary's four touchdown passes. Despite the strong performance from their signal-caller, Kentucky struggled to best Eastern Carolina with just a 28-17 win. Kentucky gets another tuneup game at home against Akron before heading to Nashville for an SEC East matchup with Vanderbilt.
6. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-0)
The Bulldogs snapped the Pac-12's win streak by welcoming Arizona to Starkville and sending them home with a 31-24 Mississippi State win. Will Rogers had three touchdowns, as the Bulldogs get ready to host LSU.
7. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-0)
The Razorbacks were without their top tailback, Rocket Sanders, following a knee injury he suffered in Week 1. Sanders is the top rusher from a season ago, and Arkansas has already ruled him out for its Week 3 matchup against BYU. Arkansas followed up a big win in Week 1 with a rather pedestrian performance in Week 2, but it has a chance to make a big statement with a win over BYU this week.
8. Texas A&M Aggies (1-1)
Road games in college football are tough, especially when major travel is involved. The Aggies went down to South Beach, Florida, to take on the Hurricanes, and after taking a 10-point lead in both the first and the second quarter, they got rained on by Miami in a 48-33 loss. The Aggies return home this week to take on undefeated Louisiana Monroe.
9. LSU Tigers (1-1)
The Bayou Bengals got a little embarrassed in Week 1, but they got their get-right game last week, thanks to a home win against Grambling. The Tigers will head to Starkville this week to open SEC play against the Bulldogs.
10. Alabama Crimson Tide (1-1)
Following a high spot last week, Alabama plummets in the power rankings after losing by double digits at home to Texas. Alabama struggled on both sides of the ball, and the perception of the Crimson Tide is low. Alabama has a get-right game this week, traveling to Tampa, Florida, to take on South Florida.
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1)
After a bit of a thumping in Week 1 against North Carolina, the Gamecocks needed to get their first win. Furman was the unlucky team that got in their way, as quarterback Spencer Rattler threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-21 win. South Carolina has the toughest test of them all this week as it heads into Athens, Georgia, for a matchup with the defending national champions.
12. Missouri Tigers (2-0)
Yes, the Tigers are undefeated. However, it's not a pretty 2-0. After Missouri beat Middle Tennessee State 23-19, the Tigers get ready to host 15th-ranked Kansas State at Columbia.
13. Florida Gators (1-1)
The Gators got into the win column for the first time this season with a 49-7 victory over McNeese. Florida had a strong ground game, with running backs accounting for five Gator touchdowns.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-1)
The Commodores' hopes of going undefeated came to a screeching stop this past week, as Wake Forest bested them by 16 to hand Vanderbilt its first loss. Vanderbilt hits the road for the second straight week for a night game at UNLV.
