2022 SEC Power Rankings: Program Standings Heading into Rivalry Week
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Many SEC teams played much weaker opponents over the weekend in preparation for Rivalry Week, but there were quite a few big games and key upsets thrown in on Saturday night.
South Carolina shocked Tennessee with a dominant 63-38 victory, ending the Volunteers' chances of making it to the College Football Playoff. The Gamecocks' big win came in front of a rowdy home crowd and allowed for much celebration and a field-storming in Columbia.
In Fayetteville, Arkansas got the best of Ole Miss. The final score was 42-27, but that isn't representative of how much control the Razorbacks had during the entire contest -- heading into the fourth quarter, the Hogs led 42-6.
Vanderbilt notched its second SEC victory in a row after previously not recording a conference win since 2019. Fans in Nashville were able to witness the improbable as the Commodores fought hard and ultimately picked up the 31-24 win over the Florida Gators.
Georgia survived a late scare from Kentucky but held on to finish the year undefeated in the SEC. The Wildcats cut the Bulldogs' lead to 16-6 in the middle of the fourth quarter, but Georgia's defense was able to hold on. No more points were scored for either team.
Auburn has not had a great season, with a losing record likely and a coaching search underway, but the Tigers improved to 2-1 under interim head coach Cadillac Williams after a 41-17 rout of Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers entered the game with a 7-4 record, so it certainly wasn't a cupcake game for the Tigers.
Texas A&M picked up its first victory since Sept. 24 by knocking off the one-win UMass Minutemen by a score of 20-3 at Kyle Field. The Aggies headed into the locker room with just a 10-3 lead, causing many fans to leave, but pushed ahead in the second half.
Other SEC teams that picked up dominant wins on the weekend were Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State and Missouri. The Crimson Tide shutout Austin Peay by a score of 34-0, and LSU easily took down UAB with a 41-10 victory. MSU handed East Tennessee State a 56-7 loss, with the Bulldogs' special teams allowing the opponent's only touchdown. Missouri's defense stood tall in its 45-14 win over New Mexico State.
Here is where each program stands in this week's power rankings.
