2022 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 5
There's no two ways about it: despite being down its Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback for the majority of the game, Alabama football was still able to pull off a solid win at Arkansas.
Sure, the Crimson Tide's defense was lacking at times and it took 21 points in the fourth quarter for the program to finally seal the game, but Alabama looked good. Really good. And for that, this writer isn't convinced enough to drop it from its pedestal.
Georgia, on the other hand, is starting to have some cracks in the armor emerge.
After having to pull away late against Kent State last week, the Bulldogs struggled again on Saturday — this time at Missouri. In fact, Georgia was trailing for the entirety of the game until there were four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Sure, the Bulldogs pulled off the win, and that's gotta count for something. But trouble is slowly but surely brewing in Athens should Kirby Smart not get things sorted, and fast.
Georgia stays at two — if only for now — while Missouri actually rises two spots to 12th.
Tennessee is off this week, and is therefore locked at third (per this writer's rules). Ole Miss made a solid statement this week, though, downing Kentucky in close 22-19 fashion. One could certainly argue that the Wildcats beat themselves, but the Rebels looked like they were for real. Ole Miss moves up to fourth this week, while Kentucky falls to sixth.
It's always a wild game when LSU takes on Auburn, and this week was no exception. Brian Kelly has quietly garnered a 2-0 SEC record to start the season, and that's enough to raise the eyebrows of more than a handful of college football fans. While Auburn was able to pull out an overtime win against Missouri last week, the same couldn't be said against the Bayou Bengals.
LSU rises all the way up from eighth to fifth, while Auburn stays at 11th.
After a close win against Arkansas last week, Texas A&M seemed destined for course-correction. However, it wasn't meant to be at Mississippi State on Saturday. Let's be very clear here: the Bulldogs dominated the Aggies in lopsided fashion. Mississippi State forced four turnovers, and a 42-24 final score displayed just that.
And with a road trip to face Alabama next week, things are looking to quickly go from bad to worse for Jimbo Fisher and his Aggies. Mississippi State moves up from ninth to eighth, while Texas A&M plummets from sixth down to 10th.
There was no shortage of drama in Week 5. Here's how this week's Power Rankings played out:
2022 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 5
1) Alabama (5-0 overall, 2-0 SEC)
2) Georgia (5-0, 2-0)
3) Tennessee (4-0, 1-0)*
4) Ole Miss (5-0, 1-0)
5) LSU (4-1, 2-0)
6) Kentucky (4-1, 1-1)
7) Arkansas (3-2, 1-2)
8) Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1)
9) Florida (2-2, 0-2)**
10) Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1)
11) Auburn (3-2, 1-1)
12) Missouri (2-3, 0-2)
13) Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-1)*
14) South Carolina (3-2, 0-2)
*Bye Week
**Plays Sunday night due to rescheduling (Hurricane Ian)
Visit BamaCentral every Sunday throughout the 2022 season for the latest edition of SEC Football Power Rankings.
