Several graet matchups led to an eventful weekend of football around the SEC. Alabama defeated Georgia on the road, Tennessee won an overtime thriller in Starkville, and Texas A&M moved to 5-0 with a win over Auburn.
The LSU Tigers have some re-grouping to do on this week's by week. LSU was out-matched and out-coached against Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, and have plenty to work on before hosting the South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 11. But how far did LSU fall in this week's SEC power rankings?
16. Arkansas Razorbacks (56-13 loss vs No. 22 Notre Dame)
The Sam Pittman days in Fayetteville have ended. The program decided to show Pittman the door following a 56-13 loss to Notre Dame this weekend. Pittman took over the Arkansas program in 2020, and put together a strong 9-4 campaign in 2021 that resulted in an Outback Bowl win over Penn State. But the Razorbacks stumbled since then, as Pittman held a 32-34 overall record and a 14-29 mark in SEC play over his tenure there. A familiar name in offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is now taking over as the interim head coach, and it will be interesting to see how Arkansas performs the rest of the way.
15. Kentucky Wildcats (35-13 loss at South Carolina)
The Kentucky Wildcats turned the ball over four times on Saturday against the Gamecocks. Kentucky has a pair of non-conference wins against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, but SEC play has been a different story with losses to Ole Miss and South Carolina. Things don't get any easier for Mark Stoop's squad, as their next three games are against No. 12 Georgia, No. 9 Texas, and No. 15 Tennessee.
14. Florida Gators (Bye)
The Florida Gators had a bye week in Week 5, and it came at a good time for them. Florida is going downhill fast yet again with three consecutive losses to USF, LSU, and Miami (FL). Now that the Sam Pittman domino has fallen, college football fans are looking at Billy Napier and wondering if he will be the next to fall. Napier and the Gators have a chance to get back in the right direction with a home game against No. 9 Texas this weekend. Arch Manning and the Longhorns have looked beatable so far this season, so Florida could have a chance to pull off the upset.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks (35-13 win vs Kentucky)
South Carolina got back on track after a big loss to Vanderbilt with a 35-13 win vs Kentucky in Week 5. The South Carolina offense didn't put up crazy numbers, as Kentucky turned the ball over four times and basically gave the Gamecocks several easy scoring drives. But, LaNorris Sellers was accurate, completing 11 of his 14 passes, and the run game was excellent totaling 178 yards. There's still a long way to go for Shane Beamer and company, but this is a game that they absolutely had to have, and they got it.
12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (41-34 OT loss vs No. 15 Tennessee)
After an impressive 4-0 run in non-conference play, college football fans were wondering what to expect from Mississippi State once SEC play began. They got their answer on Saturday, as the Bulldogs took the 15th-ranked Volunteers to overtime, but ultimately fell short. Despite the loss, Jeff Lebby's team showed that they are vastly improved from last season. Don't be surprised if MSU plays spoiler and pulls off some big wins in SEC play the rest of the way.
11. Auburn Tigers (16-10 loss at No. 9 Texas A&M)
Jackson Arnold continues to struggle with his new team. The former Oklahoma Sooner turned Auburn Tiger completed just 18 of his 33 attempts for a measly 125 yards against the Aggies. He posted a less-than-ideal 38.5 QBR, and led the Tigers to just 10 points. The offensive line in front of him had a rough day yet again, and it's hard to see this Auburn offense coming together for many big days the rest of the way.
10. Missouri Tigers (42-6 win vs UMass)
Missouri took care of business against UMass in dominating fashion over the weekend. Eli Drinkwitz has his team off to a 5-0 start heading into a bye week with a massive tilt vs No. 10 Alabama coming up on Oct. 11. Missouri hasn't faced the toughest schedule to this point, but in two weeks the Tigers have a chance to prove just how for real they are. But for now, they find themselves just inside the top-10 of the SEC power rankings.
9. Vanderbilt Commodores (55-35 win vs Utah State)
Clark Lea has his Vanderbilt Commodores absolutely rolling. Diego Pavia and company are scoring at will, and enter Week 6 with a 5-0 record. Sure Vanderbilt' schedule hasn't been very tough so far, but in years past the Commodores aren't entering Week 6 5-0. This is a different Vanderbilt program under Clark Lea, and the Commodores are already just one win away from bowl eligibility. Vanderbilt travels to Tuscaloosa this weekend to take on an Alabama team that is coming off a huge win at Georgia.
8. LSU Tigers (24-19 loss at No. 13 Ole Miss)
The LSU offense continued its early season woes with a disappointing 24-19 loss to Ole Miss in the Magnolia Bowl. The running game was once against almost entirely non-existent, and Garrett Nussmeier missed several throws that should have been made. The injuries piled up as well, with RB1 Caden Durham not playing at all and WR1 Aaron Anderson and starting guard Paul Mubenga both leaving the game with injuries. The defense kept them in it by allowing just seven points in the second half, but the offense simply wasn't good enough. The Tigers have a lot to figure out on their bye week.
7. Texas Longhorns (Bye)
The Texas Longhorns enjoyed a bye week, and are gearing up to head to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators this Saturday. Both teams are coming off byes, and both offenses have underperformed so far this season, so it will be interesting to see which team is more prepared.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (24-21 loss vs No. 17 Georgia)
Kirby Smart's Alabama problem continued again this season, as the Crimson Tide went into Samford Stadium and walked out with a 24-21 win. A Nate Frazier fumble cost the Bulldogs in a major way, and while the defense shut out Alabama in the second half, it was too little too late. If Tennessee didn't miss a last-second field goal against Georgia a few weeks ago, the Bulldogs could be entering Week 6 with two losses already. But instead, they are 3-1 with two winnable games against Kentucky and Auburn up next.
5. Tennessee Volunteers (41-34 OT win at Mississippi State)
The Tennessee Volunteers escaped Starkville with a 41-34 win in overtime. The Bulldogs gave the Vols everything they could handle, but Josh Heupel's squad was able to move to move to 4-1 on the season. Joey Aguilar threw a pair of interceptions but the offense still managed to put up 40+ points for the fifth straight game this season.
4. Oklahoma Sooners (Bye)
Losing John Mateer is a crushing blow for Brent Venables' team. Mateer was the Heisman frontrunner following Week 4's win over Auburn, but is now slated to be out several weeks after getting surgery on his throwing hand. The good news for the Sooners is that they had a bye this week and host Kent State on Saturday. That gives Mateer some time to get healthy, although his status for the Red River Shootout on Oct. 11 still remains in question.
3. Ole Miss Rebels (24-19 win vs No. 4 LSU)
Coming in at No. 4 in the Week 6 AP Top 25 Poll, the Ole Miss Rebels are the highest-ranked SEC team in the country following their 24-19 win over LSU. Trinidad Chambliss continues to amaze, as he racked up nearly 400 yards of total offense against the Tigers. With the way the offense is rolling, this Ole Miss team is capable of continuing to do damage in SEC play. They are on a bye this week before hosting Washington State on Oct. 11.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (24-21 win at No. 5 Georgia)
Alabama has looked like a completely different team since Week 1's loss to Florida State. The Crimson Tide are clicking on all cylinders right now, and Ty Simpson is playing like one of the top QBs in the country. Alabama scored 24 first half points before being held off the scoreboard in the second half against Georgia, but the defense held strong and held on for a massive win. College GameDay will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend as Alabama is set to host Vanderbilt. The Tide are looking for revenge after last year's unimaginable loss in Nashville.
1. Texas A&M Aggies (16-10 win vs Auburn)
The Texas A&M Aggies finally got a lock down defensive performance in Week 5 against Auburn. The Aggie defense had struggled over the first few weeks of the season, but showed up when it needed to in a 16-10 win over Auburn to move to 4-0. It wasn't always pretty, but Texas A&M deserves credit for pulling out the win, especially when other teams in the league stumbled. For now, Mike Elko and Texas A&M claim the top spot in the SEC power rankings.