2024 Week Nine SEC Power Rankings: Texas A&M battling for top spot
The battle for the top spot in the SEC continues as Texas A&M takes down LSU to remain undefeated in conference play. The Aggies are looking to make the SEC Championship Game in year one of the Mike Elko era and are a few SEC games away from booking their trip to Atlanta.
Meanwhile, LSU joins Alabama and Tennessee with no margin for error if it wants to make the 12-team College Football Playoff and possibly a date with the Aggies if it can continue to win against inferior SEC opponents.
With the new 16-team SEC format, there are no longer divisions. That means the top two teams in the conference go to Atlanta to play in the SEC Championship. Here's how that could shake out after week nine.
Rank | Team | Previous Rank | Week Nine Result |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 1 | IDLE |
2 | Texas A&M Aggies | 5 | W 38-23 vs LSU |
3 | Texas Longhorns | 2 | W 27-24 vs Vanderbilt |
4 | Tennessee Volunteers | 4 | IDLE |
5 | LSU Tigers | 3 | L 23-38 vs Texas A&M |
6 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 6 | L 24-27 vs Texas |
7 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 7 | W 34-0 vs Missouri |
8 | Ole Miss Rebels | 8 | W 26-14 vs Oklahoma |
9 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 9 | W 58-25 vs Mississippi State |
10 | Missouri Tigers | 10 | L 0-34 vs Alabama |
11 | Florida Gators | 11 | IDLE |
12 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 13 | IDLE |
13 | Oklahoma Sooners | 12 | L 14-26 vs Ole Miss |
14 | Auburn Tigers | 15 | W 25-10 vs Kentucky |
15 | Kentucky Wildcats | 14 | L 10-25 vs Auburn |
16 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 16 | L 25-58 vs Arkansas |
Winners
Texas A&M is the biggest winner of the weekend. They control their fate as the only team without losing in the conference. Their next two SEC games are on the road, with a matchup with Texas to cap off the 2024 regular season.
Auburn won an SEC football game. Hugh Freeze's Tigers notch their first conference win of the season after going through a tough stretch of ranked SEC opponents. Auburn's win against a struggling Kentucky team could create some momentum for the Tigers.
Ole Miss quietly keeps its season and CFP hopes alive. It's a longshot that the Rebels will make the 12-team College Football Playoff, but it's not impossible. They will face tougher tests in the next few weeks, with Arkansas and Georgia on the schedule.
Losers
Kentucky is the biggest loser of the weekend. It continues to struggle with inferior opponents and notch its fourth SEC loss of the season. It won't get any easier for the Wildcats, who have a trip to Knoxville next on their schedule.
LSU suffered its second and first loss of the season in conference play. The Tigers still have a shot at making postseason noise, but after their loss to Texas A&M, they will need some help across the SEC to make that happen.
Missouri looks like one of the worst offenses in the conference without Brady Cook at quarterback. If he doesn't return, the Tigers' season could quickly go from potential CFP hopeful to 7-5.
Week Ten in the SEC
Florida and Georgia meet in Jacksonville for the SEC's biggest rivalry game for Week Ten. Tennesee hosts Kentucky, Vanderbilt travels to Auburn, and Texas A&M looks to keep things going with a trip to South Carolina.
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