The SEC’s chaos reached unprecedented heights in Week 13. Playoff hopefuls like No. 20 Texas A&M, No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 13 Alabama had dreams shattered by upset defeats that gave them each their third loss. Oklahoma and Florida’s seasons were revitalized with huge victories that secured their spots in a postseason bowl game. With rivalry week on the horizon, 13 members of the SEC are currently bowl eligible with Auburn potentially representing the 14th if it can get a win this weekend. The Hustler’s rankings this week take a peek at where each conference team may be heading for the postseason.

1. Texas (10-1, 6-1 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: College Football Playoff (No. 6 seed) 

No. 3 Texas cruised to another victory this past weekend, toppling Kentucky 31-14 on the back of a 158-yard rushing performance from Quintrevion Wisner. On top of the standings with the best record in the conference, the Longhorns are a probable lock for the College Football Playoff. However, the road ahead that determines where they’ll place in the playoffs is challenging. Texas first has to go on the road to Kyle Field to take on a motivated Texas A&M with a berth in the SEC Championship up for grabs. If Texas takes care of business in College Station, the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs will await it in Atlanta with a playoff bye week and SEC hardware on the line. 

2. Georgia (9-2, 6-2 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Sugar Bowl (SEC Champion and No. 2 seed)

The Bulldogs, who were somehow locked in a 7-7 game after one quarter with a 2-9 UMass team, dominated down the stretch en route to a 59-21 win. Georgia finished off conference play two weeks ago with a strong, resume-building win against Tennessee. It then secured a spot in the SEC Championship game thanks to Alabama and Texas A&M’s losses last weekend. Georgia only has to avoid falling victim to an upset at the hands of Georgia Tech to make the playoff without question. While the SEC Championship will determine if they get a bye through the CFP’s opening round or play in the quarterfinals, the Bulldogs are in a comfortable position as the projected favorites to win the conference.

3. Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: College Football Playoff (No. 10 seed)

A dream scenario unfolded this week for the Rocky Top faithful. Including the three ranked SEC teams that lost, four other playoff contenders — No. 19 BYU, No. 10 Indiana, No. 25 Army and No. 23 Colorado — also took defeats, pushing Tennessee into prime position to make the College Football Playoff. Now ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll, the only team standing in the way of the Volunteers is the gritty Vanderbilt Commodores. A win in Nashville would make it hard to keep Tennessee out, but a loss may crash its playoff hopes into the ground, opening the door for any of the five three-loss SEC teams to sneak in. 

4. Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Gator Bowl vs. Louisville

Texas A&M trailed 21-7 at halftime against Auburn until it unexpectedly roared to life, scoring 24 points in the second half to send the game to overtime. Still, the spirited fight ended in heartbreak, with Amari Daniels dropping a pass in the endzone to end the game in the fourth overtime, 43-41. Three losses may seem like the end for playoff chances, but the Aggies still control their destiny. A win against Texas would catapult Texas A&M into the SEC Championship against Georgia with a chance to play for a national title. However, it’s more than likely that Texas A&M will fall short, with our projections placing them in the Gator Bowl against 7-4 Louisville. 

5. South Carolina (8-3, 5-3 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Washington 

As the hottest team in the conference, the Gamecocks dominated against Wofford for their fifth straight win to keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot. Rivalry week will deliver No. 16 South Carolina its best chance to bolster its resume with a showdown against No. 12 Clemson in Death Valley. Even with a win, it’s hard to say whether or not South Carolina has done enough to make the playoff, meaning it’ll have to settle for a bowl game in Las Vegas against former Pac-12 champion Washington. South Carolina will need another spectacular result — and some more chaos among the nation’s top teams — to pave the way for the Gamecocks. 

 6. Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Texas Bowl vs. Kansas State

Jaxson Dart forced every fan in Oxford, Mississippi, to watch the season go up in flames by throwing a pair of devastating fourth-quarter interceptions against the Florida Gators this weekend. Following up a substantial triumph over Georgia with a tragic loss to now bowl-eligible Florida was the worst-case scenario for the Rebels, leaving their fate hanging in the balance similar to South Carolina. The only difference? Dart and Co. aren’t riding the same momentum as the Gamecocks. The Hustler projects Ole Miss to end up in the Texas Bowl with Kansas State as its opponent. Baylor and TCU may also be in the running for this game, alongside the other prospective eight-to-nine-win SEC teams. 

7. Alabama (8-3, 4-3 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Citrus Bowl vs. Illinois

Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach in Tuscaloosa has been brimmed with glorious highs and catastrophic lows. Allowing 260 rushing yards and only putting up three points against an Oklahoma team in the bottom four of the SEC standings is surely rock bottom. Pairing this loss to Oklahoma with a loss to Vanderbilt gives the Crimson Tide two bad losses on their resume, placing them right outside the CFP. Even with Alabama’s first three-loss season since 2010, with a win over Auburn, it’s likely to still end up in the Citrus Bowl. Even if South Carolina, Ole Miss and Missouri also finished the season with nine wins, the Citrus Bowl would be inclined to go with the biggest brand of the four: the Crimson Tide. A matchup with the Fighting Illini, the best Big Ten team that’d be kept out of the playoff, would represent a chance for Alabama to finish off an uncharacteristic season strong.

8. Missouri (8-3, 4-3 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Iowa

Prior losses to Texas A&M, Alabama and South Carolina — alongside uninspiring performances against Auburn and Oklahoma — have pushed No. 24 Missouri down our power rankings, even with a fairly strong 8-3 record. Defeating Mississippi State doesn’t do much to move the needle, leaving the Tigers far out of the College Football Playoff but in line for a good bowl spot — perhaps in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa. Iowa, in some ways, is replicative of Missouri, having had similar struggles with consistency this season. Having endured a drastically more difficult schedule, though, it’s reasonable to believe that Missouri would have an advantage in a matchup with the Hawkeyes.

9. LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Music City Bowl vs. Michigan

A three-game losing skid shattered the massive expectations that loomed over LSU and the rest of Baton Rouge this year. In a saving-grace performance — for both the season and head coach Brian Kelly’s job security — the Tigers escaped with a 24-17 win over Vanderbilt in a clean and efficient performance. LSU will close out the season with a game against Oklahoma, but The Hustler projects the Tigers to take on Michigan in Nashville even with a loss. LSU would be favored to knock off the Wolverines in a clash between two teams that were both ranked in the preseason top 15 and had title hopes coming into this year. 

10. Florida (6-5, 4-4 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Liberty Bowl vs. Texas Tech

The Swamp remains a difficult place to play, even with the Gators amid a brutal second-half schedule. After undergoing harsh losses to ranked Tennessee, Georgia and Texas, Florida has rebounded with two great wins over LSU and Ole Miss in an astounding head coaching turnaround by Billy Napier. With a presumed win over 2-9 Florida State, the Gators will reach their highest win total since Napier’s hire in 2022 and have earned themselves a place in a bowl game for just the second time since then. DJ Lagway is the quarterback of the future for Florida, and these final two games will be the foundation for his expected jump next year. 

11. Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Birmingham Bowl vs. East Carolina

Vanderbilt’s bowl possibilities have shrunk over the last few weeks. A two-game losing streak, along with the emergence of Oklahoma and Florida as bowl-eligible teams, has soured the Commodore hype train. Nonetheless, everyone involved with Vanderbilt’s program will be thrilled to play in any bowl game. Vanderbilt lines up to play in a less prestigious bowl as of now, with our projections pointing at a clash with the East Carolina Pirates — who currently sit at fourth in the AAC — in the Birmingham Bowl. Vanderbilt’s bowl prospects may improve if it can play spoiler against Tennessee this weekend. The Commodores’ last bowl appearance was in 2018, as was the last time they beat the Volunteers in Nashville.

12. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Gasparilla Bowl vs. Boston College

In a season of spectacular SEC upsets, the Sooners finally nabbed one of their own by besting Alabama at home. Even though Oklahoma’s first season in the conference has been rough, reaching bowl eligibility by toppling a top-15 opponent is a refreshing sight. The last game of the season will still be a dogfight as Oklahoma has to take a trip to Death Valley for a nighttime battle against LSU. The Sooners will likely end up in the Gasparilla Bowl, making them the third SEC team to do so in the past four seasons. Going against Boston College, another team that has had to claw its way to six wins, would be an interesting matchup for a tandem of teams that boast run-heavy offenses.

13. Arkansas (6-5, 3-4 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: Cure Bowl vs. Texas State

Arkansas has effectively stalled out since defeating Tennessee when it was ranked No. 4 in the nation, dropping three games against ranked opponents. A win against Louisiana Tech has helped the Razorbacks gather their footing, with the overall view on this year now resting on their season finale at Missouri. Being on the low end of the conference wouldn’t earn Arkansas a trip to a usual SEC tie-in bowl game, but instead, a trip to Orlando for the Cure Bowl against Texas State. A variety of teams — like Louisiana and South Florida — could also be possible opponents for the Razorbacks.

14. Auburn (5-6, 2-5 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: N/A

Auburn has spent most of the season hovering near the bottom of our rankings. Nevertheless, the Tigers have somehow dragged themselves one game away from bowl eligibility after shocking the Aggies in a four-overtime thriller at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Under .500 or not, Auburn showed grit when needed, and its fanbase hasn’t faltered in support, either. Nothing would be sweeter for the Tigers than securing a postseason spot and spoiling whatever CFP aspirations Alabama has left when the two teams face each other in the Iron Bowl this weekend. The situation this year is eerily similar to last season when a ranked Alabama required a miracle touchdown on 4th and 31 to beat a 6-5 Auburn. If we’ve learned anything from recent years of this rivalry, it’s to expect another thriller this time around.

15. Kentucky (4-7, 1-7 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: N/A

Kentucky has fallen apart since its upset win over Ole Miss in late September. The Wildcats have lost five of six since then, most recently getting bumped by Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns. Four of these five losses have been by at least 10 points as head coach Mark Stoops’ two-quarterback experiment with Brock Vandagriff and Cutter Boley hasn’t worked. This year will break the eight-season streak of bowl eligibility for Kentucky under Stoops, leaving question marks surrounding the direction of the program. A promising note, though, is that Kentucky currently boasts the No. 26 ranked recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports, so perhaps a turnaround is in store for the future. Up next, though, Kentucky will be at home against ACC rival Louisville.

16. Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 SEC)

Bowl Prediction: N/A

This season officially marks Mississippi State’s worst since 2006, when Mississippi State went 3-9 (1-7 in the SEC). It appears likely that the Bulldogs may end up with a worse result than that fateful season, since their next stop will be in Oxford, Mississippi, against in-state rival Ole Miss for the Egg Bowl. Going winless in the conference will send the Jeff Lebby regime back to the drawing board this offseason, desperate for any sign of life.