Week 10 of the college football season brought another round of intense SEC showdowns, shaking up The Hustler’s power rankings once again. As the NFL season reaches its midpoint, this week marks the perfect opportunity to draw some intriguing parallels: In this week’s rankings, The Hustler compared each SEC team to its NFL counterpart. 

1. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)

NFL Comparison: Kansas City Chiefs

Georgia picked up right where it left off after a bye week, defeating the Florida Gators 34-20 and further solidifying its status at the top of the SEC. Carson Beck’s three interceptions weren’t enough to slow down the Bulldogs, as he threw for over 300 yards and 3 scores. When Florida’s first-year quarterback DJ Lagway exited the game due to injury, Georgia’s defense stifled the Gators’ passing game, holding backup QB Aidan Warner to a measly 9.5 passer rating. While Beck may not boast the same abilities as Patrick Mahomes, his poised leadership and game management bear resemblance to the Chiefs’ MVP. With a stacked roster, Georgia is well-positioned to keep its SEC dominance intact as it travels to play Ole Miss on Saturday. 

2. Texas (7-1, 3-1)

NFL Comparison: Detroit Lions

Texas moved up a spot in the rankings despite a bye week thanks to Texas A&M’s loss to South Carolina in Week 10. After narrowly defeating Vanderbilt before their bye, the Longhorns are well-positioned to build momentum as they face a Florida Gators team likely without their starting quarterback. While Texas fans have long been calling for Arch Manning to take the reins, Quinn Ewers delivered a solid performance in Nashville and should be primed for a big day against Florida. Texas’s offense — like the Detroit Lions — can explode for 50 points any given week and does a great job controlling the trenches on both sides of the ball. With a strong finish over the last part of the regular season, the Longhorns will put themselves in prime position for a rematch with Georgia at the top of the SEC. 

3. Tennessee (7-1, 4-1)

NFL Comparison: Philadelphia Eagles

It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but Tennessee got the job done in Week 10, rallying from an early deficit to defeat Kentucky 28-18. The Volunteers had difficulty containing the run, allowing 168 yards on the ground, but quarterback Nico Iamaleava was steady under center, throwing for 292 yards without turning the ball over. Running back Dylan Sampson stole the show yet again, rushing for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns as he continued his standout season. Like the Eagles, Tennessee’s most potent offensive asset has been its halfback, and both teams still have their high pre-season aspirations within reach. Tennessee will look to continue rolling against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. 

4. Texas A&M (7-2, 5-1)

NFL Comparison: Minnesota Vikings

Texas A&M suffered its first loss since August last week, falling to South Carolina 44-20. The Aggies struggled to contain both Raheim Sanders and LaNorris Sellers, allowing 286 yards and 3 touchdowns to the Gamecocks' ground attack. Despite this setback, head coach Mike Elko has done a fantastic job of shaping a program that — like Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings — has exceeded preseason expectations. Both teams dealt with quarterback competition leading into the season — although the Vikings’ contest was cut short by JJ McCarthy’s injury. Texas A&M now heads into two favorable matchups against New Mexico State and Auburn, looking to gain some momentum before a high-stakes clash against Texas that could decide the Aggies’ College Football Playoff fate. 

5. Alabama (6-2, 3-2)

NFL Comparison: Houston Texans

After its dominating victory against Missouri two weeks ago, Alabama took advantage of its bye week to gear up for a crucial matchup against LSU on Saturday. While quarterback Jalen Milroe has shown flashes of brilliance alongside inconsistencies, he possesses a similar raw ability that Texans’ quarterback CJ Stroud had entering the league. Much like the Texans, who have seen both an impressive victory over the Bills and a surprising loss to the Jets, Alabama has had a confusing season, beating Georgia but losing to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. A win next week against the Tigers would boost head coach Kalen Deboer’s squad’s chances of sneaking into the playoffs.

6. Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2)

NFL Comparison: Baltimore Ravens

Ole Miss’s offense finally had the outburst fans have been waiting for last Saturday, lighting up Arkansas for 63 points. The Rebels amassed a stunning 694 yards of offense, fueled by Jaxon Dart’s program-record 515 passing yards and Jordan Watkins’ 5 touchdown receptions, tying the all-time SEC mark. Still, head coach Lane Kiffin’s squad will likely need a win against Georgia this week if it wants to re-enter College Football Playoff conversations. Like the Ravens, Ole Miss has an explosive offense with a dynamic playmaker at the helm, but it’ll need to offset previous upsets with a strong finish — and perhaps a few upsets of its own — to make a postseason push. 

7. LSU (6-2, 3-1)

NFL Comparison: Seattle Seahawks

LSU’s Week 10 bye couldn’t have come at a better time, giving the Tigers two full weeks to prepare for what essentially amounts to a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Historically, LSU has struggled against the Crimson Tide, although both teams look very different this go-around. Head coach Brian Kelly will look to take advantage of his first matchup against an Alabama team not coached by Nick Saban and outsmart Deboer on the way to victory. Much like the Seattle Seahawks, LSU’s lack of run game has been a major issue — it currently ranks dead last in the SEC in rushing yards per game. Still, the explosive Garrett Nussmeier-Kyren Lacy tandem has kept the Tigers in games. LSU will need to find some semblance of a rushing attack and control possession if it wants to come out victorious, much like Vanderbilt did in its Week Six win against Alabama.  

8. Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2)

NFL Comparison: Washington Commanders

Vanderbilt, once again an underdog, went on the road this past weekend and defeated Auburn 17-7. Diego Pavia continued his domination of Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, and while the offense mustered just 17 points, a strong defensive and special teams performance helped secure the victory. The Commodores consistently won the field position battle, which allowed them to outscore the Tigers despite surrendering 100 more yards from scrimmage. This Vanderbilt squad draws a lot of parallels to the Washington Commanders, mostly because both teams have completely surpassed expectations and found energy through their dynamic playmaker under center. The Black and Gold will return home this week for a pivotal matchup against the surging South Carolina Gamecocks. 

9. South Carolina (5-3, 3-3)

NFL Comparison: Los Angeles Rams

Don’t be fooled by its 3-3 conference record — South Carolina looks as dangerous as any team in the SEC right now. The Gamecocks dismantled former No. 10 Texas A&M 44-20 last week, dominating both sides of the ball with 530 yards of total offense to go along with 3 sacks and an interception on defense. If not for an improbable collapse against No. 11 Alabama and another last-minute walk-off loss to No. 14 LSU, we’d be talking about a one-loss South Carolina with one of the best resumes in the country. The dangerous backfield pairing of Sellers and Sanders is somewhat reminiscent of the Baltimore Ravens, but the dark horse trajectory of this team is more comparable to the LA Rams. Like the Gamecocks, the Rams started out slow with a 1-4 record but have since won three straight and are poised to make some noise in the NFC playoff race. 

10. Missouri (6-2, 2-2)

NFL Comparison: New York Jets

The Missouri Tigers, like the New York Jets, are the most disappointing team in their respective league. The Tigers were ranked No. 11 in the AP’s preseason poll after a surprise 2023 season in which they finished at No. 8. This year’s Tigers, despite returning quarterback Brady Cook and star wide receiver Luther Burden III, look like a completely different team. Cook’s regression under center has been startling, and a significant reason why the Tigers fell from the sixth-best passing offense in the SEC in 2023 to the 11th in 2024. Burden III, the preseason favorite for the Biletnikoff Award (given each season to the nation’s top wide receiver), has struggled with health and consistency and currently ranks 17th in the SEC with 450 receiving yards. After a bye last week, the Tigers should have an opportunity to bounce back down the stretch, as their remaining games come against four unranked teams in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi St. and Arkansas.

11. Florida (4-4, 2-3)

NFL Comparison: Denver Broncos

The Florida Gators will not go down without a fight. Going into 2024, Florida was written off as a team that might go winless in the SEC and would almost certainly be parting ways with head coach Billy Napier. The Gators deserve some credit for their tenacity, in spite of a 2-3 conference record, after their surprisingly close battle with Georgia that ended in a 34-20 loss. Injuries have been a major problem for this team, as the Gators have now seen two starting quarterbacks knocked out after losing Lagway last week against Georgia and Graham Mertz earlier this season. Napier’s work with Florida this season bears similarities to Sean Payton’s job as head coach of the Broncos: both have outperformed expectations.

12. Arkansas (5-4, 3-3)

NFL Comparison: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arkansas is another team projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC, but it has been surprisingly competent thus far. The Razorbacks earned their signature moment this year in a hard-fought victory over then-No. 7 Tennessee but have struggled against other higher-seeded SEC foes. Their most recent outing resulted in a 63-31 loss to former-No. 16 Ole Miss, proving that the Razorbacks and head coach Sam Pittman might not be out of the woods just yet. Arkansas has followed a similar storyline to Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, with a bevy of talented skill position players but an uncertain position in the standings. 

13. Oklahoma (5-4, 1-4)

NFL Comparison: New York Giants

The grass hasn’t been any greener in the SEC for the Oklahoma Sooners so far. A 3-0 start in nonconference play was quickly glossed over after the Sooners went 1-4 to begin their new life in the SEC. Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell was fired after the team’s 26-14 loss to then-No. 18 Ole Miss in their most recent conference matchup. The Sooners have looked completely inept on offense outside of their 27-21 victory over Auburn, resulting in sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold being benched for multiple games. Due to the Sooners' serious offensive struggles and murky future at quarterback, a comparison to the New York Giants seems appropriate. 

14. Auburn (3-6, 1-5)

NFL Comparison: Indianapolis Colts

The Auburn Tigers just can’t catch a break. The Tigers have kept things competitive in each of their SEC matchups but only managed to eke out one win against Kentucky in Week Eight. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of No. 24 Vanderbilt, a performance in which their offense simply could not find a way to move the chains. Running back Jarquez Hunter, who ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards and first in yards per carry, was completely neutralized by Vanderbilt’s defense, finishing with only 50 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Payton Thorne is somewhat reliable as a game manager but lacks the arm talent to elevate his offense to a higher level. With its only remaining conference matchups against No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 11 Alabama, it’s hard to imagine Auburn will end the season with more than one SEC win. Just like the Colts, the Auburn Tigers will go back to the drawing board in 2025. 

15. Kentucky (3-6, 1-6)

NFL Comparison: Las Vegas Raiders

While they were never a preseason favorite in the conference, this is still a disappointing season for the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has made eight straight bowl-game appearances under head coach Mark Stoops, but it will likely see that streak come to an end after this season. Kentucky has been a true doormat in the SEC, dropping its last three bouts by double digits to No. 7 Tennessee, Auburn and Florida. The Wildcats’ performances of late make their early season win against No. 16 Ole Miss — and near win over No. 2 Georgia — all the more shocking. The defense that held the Rebels to a meager 17 points has been nowhere to be found recently; the Wildcats conceded an average of 30 points per game in four SEC contests across October. Not only does quarterback Brock Vandagriff resemble Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew in stature, but he, unfortunately, plays like him, too. And just like the Raiders, the Kentucky Wildcats could not be more disappointed in how their season has played out. 

16. Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5)

NFL Comparison: Carolina Panthers

Both the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Carolina Panthers seem like they belong in a lower-level league when they play against real competition. The Bulldogs entered a rebuilding season with low expectations under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby, but they certainly hoped for a better outcome than this. As the lone SEC member with zero conference wins, the Bulldogs are unquestionably the worst team in the conference power rankings. But it hasn’t all been bad — the Bulldogs’ offense ranks 10th in the conference in points and yards per game. Unfortunately, their defense is below the caliber needed to contend in the best conference in college football, ranking dead last in the SEC in nearly every category. The Bulldogs have some bright spots to build off on offense, but winning football games is tough when you’re giving up a league-worst 34.6 points a game.