2024 Week Eight SEC Power Rankings: New look at the top of the conference
The SEC landscape continues to change as we discover who are contenders and pretenders. Tennessee defeated Alabama for the second time in three years as it looks to regain control of the rivalry between the Vols and the Crimson Tide.
A dominant defensive performance in the fourth quarter capped off Tennessee's 24-17 win. Alabama gained three yards in its final four drives. The Vols' run defense shut down everything Alabama threw at them on the ground, and Tennessee's secondary held Heisman contender Jalen Milroe in check for most of the game.
Out West, Georgia traveled to Austin, Texas, and left with a dominant win over the top-ranked Texas Longhorns. Georgia's defense put on a classic performance and shut down Steve Sarkisian's high-powered offense, only allowing two Texas scores all game.
The Bulldogs made a statement, reclaiming the top spot in the SEC and reinserting the College Football Playoff picture after a disappointing loss to Alabama earlier in the season.
With the new SEC format, there are no longer divisions, which means the top two teams in the conference go to Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Here's how that could shake out after eight weeks of the college football season.
Rank | Team | Previous Rank | Week Eight Result |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 2 | W 30-15 vs Texas |
2 | Texas Longhorns | 1 | L 15-30 vs Georgia |
3 | LSU Tigers | 3 | W 34-10 vs Arkansas |
4 | Tennessee Volunteers | 5 | W 24-17 vs Alabama |
5 | Texas A&M Aggies | 6 | W 34-23 vs Mississippi State |
6 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 8 | W 24-14 vs Ball State |
7 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 4 | L 17-24 vs Tennessee |
8 | Ole Miss Rebels | 9 | IDLE |
9 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 7 | L 10-34 vs LSU |
10 | Missouri Tigers | 10 | W21-17 vs Auburn |
11 | Florida Gators | 13 | W 48-20 vs Kentucky |
12 | Oklahoma Sooners | 11 | L 9-35 vs South Carolina |
13 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 12 | W 35-9 vs Oklahoma |
14 | Kentucky Wildcats | 14 | L 20-48 vs Florida |
15 | Auburn Tigers | 15 | L 17-21 vs Missouri |
16 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 16 | L 23-34 vs Texas A&M |
Winners
Georgia returns to the top of the SEC mountain with its dominant win over Texas. On Saturday, the Bulldogs looked like the best team in the SEC, with possibly the best defense in the country handling the Texas offense.
Tennessee's defense also came to play against Alabama, a game the Vols needed to win to stay in the CFP picture. Nico Iamaleava found his stride in the second half, and Tennessee looked like one of the best teams in the country, scoring 24 points in the final 30 minutes of the game.
LSU and Texas A&M are also winners. They will meet this Saturday for a potential spot in the SEC Championship Game. Both teams are undefeated in SEC play and need this win to continue their climb to the mountaintop.
Losers
Alabama suffered its second loss of the season before the end of October, virtually ending their hopes of a College Football Playoff bid. The Crimson Tide still aren't out of it yet, but they will have to be perfect the rest of the season.
Oklahoma's rough SEC debut season continues as they lose another conference game in blowout fashion. On Saturday, South Carolina had OU's number and dominated the game from start to finish.
On the other side of the Red River is Texas, which also suffered a beating on Saturday. Georgia made a statement against Texas, and now the Longhorns have to quickly figure out how to attack elite SEC defenses like Georgia if they want to win the SEC Championship.
Week Nine in the SEC
SEC juggernauts (at least so far this season) LSU and Texas A&M meet in College Station for the top spot in the SEC. Texas travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt, Missouri plays at Alabama, and Ole Miss looks to get back on track against Oklahoma.
Next. Tennessee three spots behind Alabama in updated FPI Rankings. Tennessee three spots behind Alabama in updated FPI Rankings. dark