2023 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 4

The defending champions finally reach No. 1 as the cream rises to the top.

There are three unbeaten teams left in the Southeastern Conference after four weeks of action. One program that everyone expected to be there, considering its pedigree and its schedule, but two others having quietly successful seasons.

It was a fabulous weekend of conference play with both the Saturday evening games coming down to the wire.  

Forget preseason polls. Forget what happened last season. Disregard recruiting rankings and what these teams look like on paper. The only criteria considered in this season's BamaCentral SEC Power Rankings is what happens between the white lines during games.

Winning is rewarded and losing is punished in our 2023 Power Rankings, so lets get right to it as we over react to four weeks of football throughout the conference. 

1. Georgia (↑1) (4-0, 1-0)

• The Bulldogs took down the UAB Blazers 49-21 despite committing three turnovers. Carson Beck's 338 yards and three touchdowns puts the back-to-back champions up to No. 1.

2. LSU (↑4) (3-1, 2-0)

• The Bayou Bengals won  the "Battle For The Boot" on a walk-off chip shot field goal in Death Valley. It wasn't convincing but they're the first program to 2-0 in conference play, winning a third game in a row.

3. Kentucky (↑2) (4-0, 1-0)

• Big Blue nation went to Nashville and dispatched off Vanderbilt 45-28 behind sophomore Maxwell Hairston's two pick-six effort. The Wildcats have hardly been challenged this season but welcome the Florida Gators next week for a significant litmus test.

4. Missouri (-) (4-0)

• The Tigers keep its unbeaten season alive by disposing of the Memphis Tigers in a neutral site game in St. Louis. Missouri's Brady Cook passed for 341 yards and two touchdowns despite not being 100%. 

5. Alabama (↑2) (3-1, 1-0)

• The Crimson Tide put on a vintage second-half performance against the Ole Miss Rebels to climb back into the top five. Alabama's defense allowed just three second half points and limited the Lane Train to just 56 total rushing yards.

6. Texas A&M (↑4) (3-1, 1-0)

• The Aggies were forced into playing backup quarterback Max Johnson due to an in-game injury but still prevailed over Auburn at home 27-10. Jimbo Fisher seems to have Texas A&M on the right track again, despite finding himself on the field in the middle of a play.

7. Ole Miss (↓6) (3-1, 0-1)

• Reality set in for the Rebels on Saturday as Ole Miss came up short in Tuscaloosa 24-10. Lane Kiffin and company can jump back up the poll quickly as they host LSU in Oxford next.

8. Auburn (↓5) (3-1, 0-1)

• The Tigers hit the road and came up short in College Station, passing for just 56 yards between three different quarterbacks. With 10 penalties and just three of 15 third down conversions Auburn has some serious work to do on offense.

9. Florida (↓1) (3-1, 1-0)

• The Gators toyed with the Charlotte 49ers, defeating them 22-7 while turning the ball over twice and converting just one of nine third downs.  

10. Tennessee (↓1) (3-1, 0-1)

• The Volunteers handled its business against UTSA, winning 45-14 in Knoxville. Tennessee's three wins come against opponents with a combined 3-9 record so far this season.

11. South Carolina (↑1) (2-2, 1-1)

• Spencer Rattler outplayed Will Rogers and led the Gamecocks to its first SEC win of the season, 37-30 at home. Neither side looked overly impressive but Shane Beamer's squad gets a little boost by way of the win.

12. Arkansas (↓1) (2-2, 0-1)

• The Hogs went to Baton Rouge and gave LSU all they wanted but were unable to take down Jayden Daniels and the Tigers. It's a second loss in consecutive weeks for Sam Pittman as Arkansas approaches the league's basement.

13. Mississippi State (-) (2-2, 0-2)

• The Bulldogs battled South Carolina on the road but there are no moral victories in the SEC. Zach Arnett's lost two games in a row and get to welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide to try to stop the skid.

14. Vanderbilt (-) (2-3, 0-1)

• Three losses in a row for the Commodores sours the 2-0 start for Clark Lea and his football team. AJ Swann tossed three interceptions, crushing Vanderbilt's hopes of keeping it close with Kentucky.

See Also: 

2023 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 3