Week Six of College Football sent shock waves throughout the nation. No team (or goalpost) was spared in a weekend filled with upsets, blowouts and everything in between. Top-five teams in Alabama and Tennessee fell victim to historic upsets on the road, while Texas A&M dominated Missouri and the trio of Ole Miss, Georgia and Florida delivered quality wins. After the dust of this past weekend has settled, tension within the conference remains high. This week’s edition of SEC Power Rankings will look at an individual — player or coach — in each program whose seat may be getting hotter.
1. Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC)
Hot Seat: N/A
Things couldn’t be cooler in Austin, Texas. Surviving the unrest of the weekend thanks to a bye week, Texas emerged as the sole unbeaten team in the SEC and has been crowned once more as the No. 1 team in the country. The Longhorns, in a comfortable position for the time being, will now dive into the nitty-gritty of their conference schedule with matchups against No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 5 Georgia on the horizon. Currently, there are no question marks in the air in Austin. The only focus is winning the SEC — in its inaugural season as a member, no less — and returning to the College Football Playoff for a second-straight year.
2. Georgia (4-1, 2-1)
Hot seat: OC Mike Bobo
The Bulldogs bounced back from their tough loss to Alabama last week by earning a comfortable 31-13 win against Auburn. Georgia remains one of the top teams in the SEC; however, its next three matchups against No. 1 Texas, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 8 Tennessee will be a gauntlet. The main concern for the Bulldogs is Mike Bobo’s offense which underperformed against Kentucky and in the first half against Alabama. Much of the team’s offensive struggle can be attributed to the loss of tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who were drafted 13th and 34th overall, respectively, in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bulldogs are lacking the critical offensive pieces that led them to a pair of National Championships.
3. Alabama (4-1, 1-1)
Hot Seat: DC Kane Wommack
During the Nick Saban era, a mainstay in the Alabama program was fielding a suffocating defense. Alabama’s defense was dismantled by Vanderbilt in its fifth game under its new coaching regime. As a result, head coach Kalen DeBoer has received his share of criticism from the Alabama faithful, but the defense and its issues fall on defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. The Crimson Tide’s defensive unit lacked composure and discipline, traits that are reflective of coaching. If Wommack can’t get his unit to look sharp this weekend against a South Carolina team that averages 184 rushing yards a game, the murmurs surrounding his job security will continue to develop.
4. Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1)
Hot seat: OC Charlie Weis Jr.
Ole Miss and Jaxson Dart picked up right where they left off prior to their loss to Kentucky in Week Six with a convincing 27-3 victory against South Carolina. Charlie Weis Jr. is the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the SEC. He earned his salary last year when he led the Rebels to an 11-2 record and a bowl game win over Penn State. Many eyes are on Weis Jr. to see if he can replicate the elite offense he crafted last season. The Rebels will be challenged by No. 13 LSU and No. 18 Oklahoma in their next two games; these matchups will either expose their offensive flaws or strengthen their hopes for a playoff berth.
5. Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0)
Hot Seat: QB Marcel Reed & QB Connor Weigman
On Saturday, Connor Weigman returned from a shoulder injury and played a clean game during Texas A&M’s 41-10 rout of Missouri — throwing for 276 yards while boasting an 81.8% completion percentage. His impressive performance partially snuffed out the hype growing around freshman signal caller Marcel Reed, who was 3-0 under center for the Aggies while Weigman was sidelined. The margins for error will be thin for both quarterbacks, especially considering that either is capable of leading Texas A&M to victory. Whether it be Weigman or Reed taking snaps, if the starting quarterback can’t bring his team to greater heights, changes will be made.
6. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1)
Hot Seat: QB Nico Iamaleava
On Saturday, Tennessee fans were laughing at Alabama’s loss to Vanderbilt, oblivious to the fact that they too would become a part of a historic day of upsets. Just hours after Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia took his final knee, the No. 4 Volunteers fell to unranked Arkansas, 14-19. There is no question that Nico Iamaleava is talented, but in three Power Four games, he has left a lot to be desired, throwing for just three combined touchdowns and a subpar 63.3% completion rate. It was clear he wasn’t feeling confident at the wheel of Tennessee’s offense on Saturday, as he failed to throw a single touchdown. Next week, the freshman should have no problem handling a weak Florida team, but Iamaleava will need to get his nerves under control if he wants to lead Tennessee to the College Football Playoff.
7. LSU (4-1, 1-0)
Hot Seat: RB Josh Williams
The Tigers have rebounded well after their opening weekend loss to now-unranked USC. Before its bye week, LSU handled South Alabama 42-10 and will begin conference play in a top-15 matchup against No. 9 Ole Miss. The noticeable struggle has been in the backfield, as the Tigers' rushing attack has been lackluster and inefficient. This lack of production has put the initial starter, Josh Williams, in jeopardy of losing his role to Caden Durham. The freshman burst onto the scene with 217 total yards and 2 touchdowns against South Alabama. Durham has averaged 8.4 yards a carry, and unless Williams provides more offensive production, he may lose the starting job.
8. Missouri (4-1, 1-1)
Hot Seat: QB Brady Cook
Missouri had a rough loss to Texas A&M this week, falling 41-10. Quarterback Brady Cook had a bad week; he was sacked six times and threw for a completion rate of just under 42%. While Missouri’s offensive line hasn’t done Cook any favors this year, he was significantly more efficient under pressure last season. Cook looks uncomfortable in the pocket as of late, consistently rolling off to the sidelines when pressure comes. Missouri has a proven backup QB in Drew Pyne, who started for Notre Dame in 2022 — where he threw over 2,000 yards and 22 TDs. The next two weeks against UMass Amherst and Auburn should help Cook regain confidence before he faces two highly-regarded SEC teams in No. 7 Alabama and No. 18 Oklahoma.
9. Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1)
Hot Seat: The naysayers
Before the beginning of this season, head coach Clark Lea was on the hot seat — to an extent — as many didn’t believe that Vanderbilt was trending in the right direction. With a lack of NIL resources and the era of the transfer portal, many didn’t trust Lea to build a successful program. A historic upset of No. 1 Alabama this past weekend proved the doubters wrong. Lea’s seat may as well be carved out of ice right now, with the heat instead being “turnt” up on Vanderbilt’s skeptics. To continue their upward climb, the Commodores will need to perform well on the road against Kentucky on Saturday. A win will keep the hype train moving, and more importantly, will let the naysayers know that Vanderbilt’s upsets haven’t been flukes.
10. Arkansas (4-2, 2-1)
Hot Seat: HC Sam Pittman
Students rushed the field in Fayetteville, Arkansas this past weekend when unranked Arkansas upset No. 4 Tennessee 19-14. The Razorbacks have a difficult schedule ahead, with four more ranked teams on the horizon, but this defining victory over the Volunteers could help them build some momentum. Entering this season, head coach Sam Pittman was on the hot seat. Pittman has been the head coach since 2019, boasting a .500 record (26-26) during his tenure — a far cry from the expectations fans had when he was hired. With the recent win, his seat might be cooling down, especially if his team can ride the hot hand and beat No. 19 LSU after a bye week.
11. Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1)
Hot Seat: OC Seth Littrell
Oklahoma has stumbled its way to a 4-1 record and somehow remained in the AP Top 25 after a bye week. While their defense has been stellar, the Sooners' offense is littered with problems. Offensive line injuries, an ineffective rushing attack and an active quarterback battle are all contributing to the pressure on offensive coordinator Seth Littrell in his first season. Littrell’s job is likely safe for now, but there needs to be clarity moving forward on the assortment of issues to reinforce his job security. Time is running out though, and a Red River Showdown with No. 1 Texas may expose Littrell’s weaknesses.
12. Kentucky (3-2, 1-2)
Hot Seat: OC Bush Hamden
Kentucky is coming off a bye week after beating No. 6 Ole Miss in Week Four. While that was a spectacular win, the Wildcats also lost 31-6 to a struggling South Carolina squad — hence its low ranking. The Wildcats’ defense ranks No. 15 in the nation in third down stops; their offense is where the problem resides. Kentucky lost to Georgia 14-13 because its offense couldn’t pay its defense’s efforts forward and move the ball downfield. Bush Hamden, the Kentucky offensive coordinator, was at Boise State last year coaching current Heisman Trophy frontrunner Ashton Jeanty. Without Jeanty, Hamden has failed to replicate the same explosive offense he did last year.
13. Florida (3-2, 1-1)
Hot Seat: The defensive line
Florida’s defense mustered a quality showing in its 24-13 win over UCF. The Gators held one of the country’s strongest offenses, led by former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, to 273 total yards while adding in five sacks. Still, Florida ranks 101st in rushing defense, allowing 172.6 yards per game. Similarly, it checks in at 103rd in opponent third down conversion rate, allowing teams to convert 45.45% of the time. The Gators’ defensive line must ramp up the pressure and shut down rushing lanes when they face the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers this weekend.
14. South Carolina (3-2, 1-2)
Hot Seat: QB LaNorris Sellers/OL Coach Lonnie Teasley
South Carolina has struggled to keep its pocket clean under pressure, losing to No. 12 Ole Miss 27-3 on Saturday. LaNorris Sellers has started in four games and has been sacked 16 times thanks to poor protection. This is a cause for concern and explains why Sellers has already thrown three interceptions in just four games. The combination of a fragile offensive line and a quarterback who can’t escape the blitz will always lead to disastrous outcomes, and the Gamecocks are no different. Offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley needs to prepare his group for the next three games against No. 7 Alabama, No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 15 Texas A&M.
15. Auburn (2-4, 0-3)
Hot Seat: QB Payton Thorne
Auburn has now fallen to 0-3 in the conference after a loss to Georgia. At the nucleus of this turbulent year is Payton Thorne, whose inconsistent play has his starting spot scorching hot. There’s a disconnect between coach and quarterback; this was demonstrated when Thorne didn’t run the called play on a crucial fourth down in the second half and was stifled short of the first down. This prompted an earful from Hugh Freeze, which has become a common sight this year for the Tigers. Auburn has a bye week, giving it extra time to figure out what needs to change to turn this season around.
16. Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2)
Hot seat: HC Jeff Lebby
It is no surprise that Mississippi State is at the bottom of this list. It was clear that this team was going to struggle on both offense and defense after an early loss to Toledo, 41-17. The Bulldogs are need a coaching overhaul that starts with new head coach Jeff Lebby. Having an inexperienced head coach is not the only problem, and Lebby shouldn’t take all the blame. Still, this might be the worst Mississippi State team since 2003, and a good chunk of that falls on Lebby. With a difficult schedule looming after this weekend, the Bulldogs will look to grab a much-needed win against Massachusetts in Week Seven.