As college football enters the second half of its season, it’s time for the SEC football teams, like Vanderbilt students, to check their midterm grades. It’s been a wild seven weeks of football and the SEC today is almost unrecognizable from its state two months ago. In the last three weeks alone, Alabama, Tennessee and Ole Miss all suffered shocking losses to unranked teams, while Vanderbilt has already surpassed its preseason projected win total of 2.5 games. To make sense of the madness, The Hustler gives each SEC team a midterm grade report in this week’s power rankings.
1. Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC)
Grade: A
This past week’s dominating win over the Oklahoma Sooners solidified Texas’s place atop the SEC and college football. AP voters kept Texas at No. 1 even after Oregon beat Ohio State, meaning the top spot is the Longhorns’ to lose. Texas has had a perfect start despite losing its starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, for a few games. The only thing keeping the Longhorns from an A+ is that they’ve yet to take their hardest test yet — Georgia. If they can pull off that win this week with ESPN College Gameday in Austin, they’ll have earned their A+.
2. Georgia (5-1, 3-1)
Grade: B+
Georgia has been the standard of excellence in college football for the majority of head coach Kirby Smart’s tenure, so expectations were sky-high entering this year. The Bulldogs have mostly lived up to the hype this season, albeit with some bumps in the road along the way. Their loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa was understandable, but closer-than-expected wins against Kentucky and Mississippi State revealed some potential flaws in the Bulldogs’ armor. This windy road comes to a head this weekend as they visit No. 1 Texas. If the Bulldogs rise to the occasion, Smart’s crew will once again be a national championship favorite. If Texas emerges with the win, the small cracks in Georgia’s impeccable image will become wider.
3. LSU (5-1, 2-0)
Grade: B
LSU could have gone down a dark path after losing to USC to kick off its season. LSU nearly lost to South Carolina in Week Three but scored on its last drive to leave Columbia with a win. Since then, the Tigers have won three straight and are one of only three teams undefeated in SEC play. They haven’t played perfectly since that USC loss, but they haven’t lost, either. This past weekend, the Tigers pulled off an impressive overtime win over Ole Miss and now look to defeat Arkansas this weekend to keep their perfect SEC record alive.
4. Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0)
Grade: B+
Texas A&M entered this season with high hopes, but a 23-13 defeat to then-No. 7 Notre Dame in Week One cast a mountain of doubt on the Aggies. Quarterback Connor Weigman struggled and skeptics quickly closed the door on the Aggies’ playoff hopes. Five weeks later, the outlook is a whole lot sunnier in College Station. Texas A&M’s 41-10 drubbing of then-No. 9 Missouri showcased an SEC-winning formula: a dominant defense — led by midseason All-American Nic Scourton — a tremendous rushing attack and a complementary passing game. The Aggies’ two remaining marquee matchups — LSU and Texas — are both at home. If it wins one of those, Texas A&M will likely find itself in the College Football Playoff.
5. Alabama (5-1, 2-1)
Grade: B-
Alabama has been falling apart ever since it almost blew a 28-0 lead against Georgia in Week Five. Regardless of that game’s ugly ending, the AP voted the Crimson Tide as the No. 1 team in the poll that week. Immediately after being crowned the best team in the country, Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. When the Crimson Tide returned home this past weekend, they barely held on against South Carolina, winning 27-25. Had a couple of late-game mishaps been avoided, South Carolina would have handed Alabama its second loss in two weeks. Consider this Alabama’s midterm deficiency report. The Crimson Tide are messy, and if they don’t clean up fast — ideally before this week's matchup against an equally messy Tennessee team — they might just miss the playoffs.
6. Ole Miss (5-2, 2-2)
Grade: C
This was the most hyped-up Ole Miss team in decades, but things have not gone according to plan in 2024. The Rebels’ offense inexplicably went quiet in a shocking 20-17 home loss to unranked Kentucky, and the Rebels’ defense crumbled down the stretch in last week’s overtime loss to then-No. 13 LSU. Ole Miss’ offense has been incredibly productive, as senior quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris lead the nation in passing yards and receiving yards, respectively, but that is merely a consolation for the Oxford faithful. Ole Miss must win out to have a shot at making the College Football Playoff, which includes a matchup against No. 5 Georgia. If the Rebels lose that game, this season will officially be a disappointment.
7. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1)
Grade: B-
Most of what was said about the Crimson Tide holds true for the Volunteers as well. Tennessee dominated its first four games, going 2-0 against ranked teams. However, in Week Six, the then-No. 4 Volunteers lost to an unranked Arkansas team due to their inability to score in the first half. Last week, the Volunteers — once again — couldn’t score in the first half, so they had to settle for an overtime win in Knoxville against a struggling Florida team. Tennessee’s defense has been productive all year, holding every opponent it's faced to less than 20 points. Its offense, though, has been absent, as Tennessee hasn’t scored over 25 points in SEC play. Its defense gets an A+, but its offense gets an F. That averages to a B-.
8. Missouri (5-1, 1-1)
Grade: C
Missouri returned the bulk of its production from its Cotton Bowl-winning team last season, including preseason All-American wide receiver Luther Burden III and senior quarterback Brady Cook. Paired with a (seemingly) easy SEC schedule, the Tigers were a trendy pick to make the College Football Playoff, but that now seems like a distant reality. The warning signs first appeared in a double-overtime win against Vanderbilt, which was followed by a demoralizing 41-10 loss to then-No. 25 Texas A&M. Burden III has been shockingly quiet with only 398 receiving yards on the year, and the Tigers’ defense has struggled to stop the run. Missouri still has an outside shot to make the College Football Playoff due to its remarkably easy schedule. If they can beat Alabama on Oct. 26, there is a reasonable chance that the Tigers make the SEC Championship game.
9. Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1)
Grade: A
Headed into the 2024-25 season, the college football world expected yet another subpar season from Vanderbilt, projecting it to win just 2.5 games. After a historic upset of then-No.1 Alabama and a road win against a solid Kentucky squad, Vanderbilt has thoroughly altered its standing in the national landscape. Rather than being a punching bag in the SEC, the Commodores have been deemed as “America’s team” by many and sit just outside the AP Poll for the first time in years. Star quarterback Diego Pavia has garnered buzz for the Heisman Trophy, Commodore students were featured on the front cover of Stewart Mandel’s weekly column and there are rumors that College Gameday might be headed to Nashville soon. A bad loss to Georgia State and a nail-biting double-overtime loss to Missouri are the only things that stand between Vanderbilt and the College Football Playoff conversation. The first half of the season has seen quite a breakthrough for the Commodores as head coach Clark Lea has rejuvenated a previously hapless program, earning them an A.
10. Arkansas (4-2, 2-1)
Grade: B
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman entered this season on the hot seat, but despite a middling 4-2 record, he has to be pleased with the results so far. Senior running back Ja’Quinden Jackson has spearheaded the Hogs’ offense with a dominant rushing attack, while a swarming defensive line has mystified opponents on defense. Fumbling issues have cost Arkansas dearly in close losses to Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, but a marquee upset over No. 4 Tennessee has somewhat spared its blushes. The Razorbacks have a loaded schedule coming up, featuring games against LSU, Ole Miss, Texas and Missouri. Pittman could buy himself another season in Fayetteville with a win over any of the above.
11. Kentucky (3-3, 1-3)
Grade: C-
Some coaches preach that “the best offense is a good defense.” Kentucky fans would disagree. This year's Wildcats answer the question “What if the 2023-24 Virginia Cavaliers played football instead of basketball?” Kentucky’s defense has been suffocating, allowing just 14.5 points per game, but its offense has been abysmal, averaging a measly 20.5 points per game. The Wildcats deserve credit where it’s due: they went into Oxford, held then-No. 6 Ole Miss to 17 points, and won. Before that, they even held then-No. 1 Georgia to only 13 points, albeit in a loss. Losing 31-6 at home to the Gamecocks, however, brings their grade down a whole letter. Kentucky’s bowl aspirations aren’t over, but it’s looking like Coach Stoops’ tenure may be, especially with a tough home loss to Vanderbilt — the Wildcats second in a row to Lea and Co. .
12. Oklahoma (4-2, 1-2)
Grade: C-
You have to feel bad for Oklahoma’s head coach, Brent Venables. After entering this season with lofty expectations, he lost his quarterback from last year to the transfer portal and his top five receivers to injuries. Oklahoma’s slow fall from grace culminated in a 34-3 blowout loss to archrival Texas in the Red River showdown last weekend. The Sooners’ talented defense kept them in the game for a while, but by the third quarter, even they were getting dominated. True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has a tantalizing dual-threat skillset but has been unable to produce results on the field. With games remaining against Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and LSU, this could be a long season for the dedicated fans in Norman.
13. Florida (3-3, 1-2)
Grade: C-
Florida came into the season with a projected win total of 4.5, not because it’s some horrible team, but because its schedule was the hardest in all of CFB. Texas A&M, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss are all ranked and on Florida’s schedule. To the Gators’ credit, they nearly beat Tennessee last weekend, and like every other SEC team, they humiliated Mississippi State. The season hasn’t been awful, but the Gators haven’t shocked anyone either. Florida has no good wins and still has to play four ranked teams, one of which it needs to beat (assuming it wins against its two unranked opponents) to become bowl-eligible. On the bright side, the Gators should be able to beat Florida State this year.
14. South Carolina (3-3, 1-3)
Grade: C-
This has been a season of “what-ifs” for head coach Shane Beamer. After obliterating Kentucky in Week Two, the Gamecocks blew a late 33-29 lead over then-No.16 LSU. The Gamecocks also blew another fourth-quarter lead to No. 7 Alabama last week. Had it held on in both of those games, South Carolina would be ranked in the AP Poll and much higher in these rankings. Unfortunately, close losses aren’t given much credit in college football. Instead, the Gamecocks sit at 3-3 with an uphill battle towards bowl eligibility. This weekend’s matchup against the free-falling Oklahoma squad offers a golden opportunity to gain some momentum. With a loss this weekend, “Beamer Ball” will once again be staring down the barrel of a subpar season.
15. Auburn (2-4, 0-3)
Grade: F
Auburn was supposed to be decent this year, at least enough so to make a bowl game; the Tigers had a projected win total of 7.5. They beat Alabama A&M in Week One but quickly collapsed at home against Cal the week after, losing 21-14. The Tigers haven’t won since Week Three against New Mexico. A few minutes into the fourth quarter of their Week Five matchup, however, they led then-No. 21 Oklahoma 21-10. It seemed almost guaranteed that the Tigers might get their first Power Four win of the season — and a ranked one at that. They managed to lose that game 27-21 after quarterback Payton Thorne threw a game-losing pick-six. This team was supposed to be pretty good, but it’s actually quite bad. Auburn earns an F.
16. Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3)
Grade: F
Mississippi State has experienced nothing short of a disastrous season thus far. Many things have gone wrong, but a 41-17 home loss to Toledo really sums it up. With upcoming games against Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri and Ole Miss, wins may be few and far between for the Bulldogs. On the bright side, freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. looked promising last week in a closer-than-expected 41-31 loss to No. 5 Georgia. He will continue to start as head coach Jeff Lebby evaluates where the program goes from its rough start.
