Week 5 didn’t clear anything up in the SEC, but it did remind us that the league has a talent for making even the simplest lessons look dramatic. Some teams learned patience, some learned humility, and a few learned things they probably wish they hadn’t. Either way, the conference keeps delivering.
Here are my SEC power rankings for this week with the lesson each team learned this week. Click here for last week’s power ranking.
Taylor’s SEC Power Rankings
1. Texas
- Last week: def. No. 14 Tennessee, 20-17
- This week: Off
- Lesson learned: Consulting with the school’s dance team about celebrations isn’t the worst idea ever.
2. Georgia
- Last week: def. Oklahoma, 41-13
- This week: vs. Vanderbilt
- Lesson learned: Sometimes the best offense is waiting for the other team to hand you the football.
3. Alabama
- Last week: def. South Carolina, 49-18
- This week: at No. 16 Mississippi State
- Lesson learned: Watch out for Dylan Stewart’s right hook.
4. Florida
- Last week: def. No. 4 Ole Miss, 52-28
- This week: at No. 25 Missouri
- Lesson learned: Turns out handing the ball to really good running backs is a viable offensive strategy.
5. Ole Miss
- Last week: lost to No. 21 Florida, 52-28
- This week: Off
- Lesson learned: Tackling remains a fairly important part of defense.
6. LSU
- Last week: def. No. 23 Texas A&M, 35-6
- This week: vs. McNeese
- Lesson learned: Nothing fixes a bad Saturday quite like making someone else have a worse one.
7. Mississippi State
- Last week: def. No. 19 Missouri, 31-24
- This week: vs. No. 7 Alabama
- Lesson learned: In Kamario Taylor, We Trust.
8. Kentucky
- Last week: def. South Alabama, 45-21
- This week: at South Carolina
- Lesson learned: Teams in Alabama are just generally good.
9. Tennessee
- Last week: lost to No. 1 Texas, 20-17
- This week: vs. Auburn
- Lesson learned: Always read the fine print before unveiling your revolutionary new onside kick.
10. Missouri
- Last week: lost to No. 24 Mississippi State, 31-24
- This week: vs. No. 8 Florida
- Lesson learned: Being overlooked was more fun before the losing part.
11. Texas A&M
- Last week: lost to No. 10 LSU, 35-6
- This week: vs. Arkansas
- Lesson learned: Scoring six points in Death Valley is technically better than scoring zero.
12. Oklahoma
- Last week: lost to No. 2 Georgia, 41-13
- This week: Off
- Lesson learned: Giving gifts in September doesn’t translate into wins.
13. Auburn
- Last week: def. Vanderbilt, 21-15
- This week: at No. 17 Tennessee
- Lesson learned: Pretty wins and ugly wins are worth the exact same amount.
14. Vanderbilt
- Last week: lost to Auburn, 21-15
- This week: at No. 2 Georgia
- Lesson learned: Field goals don’t win many games when the other team is scoring touchdowns.
15. South Carolina
- Last week: lost to No. 8 Alabama, 49-18
- This week: vs. No. 24 Kentucky
- Lesson learned: You can jointly suspend a future NFL draft pick with the SEC.
16. Arkansas
- Last week: def. Tulsa, 34-6
- This week: at Texas A&M
- Lesson learned: Playing teams outside the SEC is so much easier.
