With this college football regular season nearing its conclusion, teams are looking to make a final push for the playoffs or, at the very least, finish on a high note. This week featured significant movement in the rankings, fueled by multiple highly anticipated SEC matchups. With every game carrying heightened stakes, The Hustler spotlighted each team’s biggest weakness.
1. Texas A&M (9-0, 6-0 SEC)
Biggest Weakness: Run defense
No. 3 Texas A&M secures the top spot in this week’s rankings, ending Alabama’s extended stay at No. 1. The Aggies dominated the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, securing an impressive 38-17 victory. Mike Elko’s squad is exceptional on both sides of the ball, ranked third in the SEC in points per game and tied for first in the conference in sacks. The only unit on Texas A&M that has continued to struggle is the run defense.
Texas A&M finds itself in the bottom half of the SEC in total rushing yards allowed and was outmatched by Missouri’s powerful ground attack. While Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers completed just 7-of-22 passes for 77 yards, the Tigers’ running backs combined for 219 yards. Running back Ahmad Hardy rushed for 109 yards and scored a touchdown, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Hardy’s backup, Jamal Roberts, recorded 110 yards and a score of his own.
Texas A&M will host South Carolina on Nov. 15 in hopes of remaining undefeated.
2. Alabama (8-1, 6-0)
Biggest Weakness: Rushing attack
Alabama ended this past week with a strong 20-9 victory over LSU, maintaining its strong position in the SEC with zero conference losses. The Crimson Tide’s defense impressed, limiting LSU to just nine points and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to 121 yards through the air. However, the offense’s failure to establish the run made the win closer than it should have, with the team rushing 26 times for just 56 yards as a whole. Lead back Jam Miller recorded just 8 carries for 13 yards, putting added pressure on quarterback Ty Simpson to deliver big plays through the air.
Alabama will next take on Oklahoma in Tuscaloosa for one of Week 12’s marquee matchups on Saturday.
3. Georgia (8-1, 6-1)
Biggest weakness: Pass rush
No. 5 Georgia keeps their No. 3 spot on The Hustler’s rankings following a convincing 41-21 victory over Mississippi State. Quarterback Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns in this commanding win as the offense continued to roll. The defense, though — and the pass rush in particular — could undergo substantial improvement.
The Bulldogs rank last in the SEC with 11 sacks this season — five fewer than the next closest teams, Florida and Arkansas. Despite being a top-five team in the country, they sit near the bottom of the FBS in pass rush production. Without improvement from the edge rushers, Georgia could face trouble in future high-stakes games.
The Bulldogs will next host the Texas Longhorns in an attempt to remain a one-loss team.
4. Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1)
Biggest weakness: Run defense
Ole Miss rolled over the Citadel this week in a 49-0 win. The Rebels piled up more than 600 yards of total offense and allowed just six first downs on defense en route to a shutout victory. Their offense continues to show explosive playmaking ability, led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss’s run defense could use some work, though, as it ranks No. 64 in the country in rushing yards allowed. They’ll look to improve this defensive deficiency in future games.
Ole Miss faces the Florida Gators this weekend, looking to add another quality win to its resume.
5. Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2)
Biggest weakness: Offensive line
Oklahoma remains at No. 5 in The Hustler’s rankings following its bye week as it prepares to face its fifth-straight SEC opponent this weekend. The Sooners are coming off a narrow 33-27 victory over Tennessee in which running back Xavier Robinson propelled them to victory, notching 115 rushing yards and a score. Their biggest obstacle remains an inexperienced offensive line.
Oklahoma ranks 11th in the SEC in total points and touchdowns, a reflection of their struggles to win on the line of scrimmage. True freshman Michael Fasusi starts at left tackle — one of the most demanding positions on the field — and only two starters returned from last season. Transfers Jake Maikkula and Derek Simons have stepped in, but the unit is still forming chemistry. The Sooners will travel to Tuscaloosa to face No. 4 Alabama in a highly anticipated contest on Nov. 15.
6. Texas (7-2, 4-1)
Biggest weakness: Quarterback play
Texas improved to 7-2 after defeating Vanderbilt, 34-31, two weekends ago, but the Longhorns remain a complicated team entering the final third of the season. Despite a late collapse against the Commodores, the defense has impressed most of the season, ranking second in the SEC in points allowed per game.
The biggest question for head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns continues to be quarterback play. While the Vanderbilt game showed encouraging signs, quarterback Arch Manning has not lived up to the lofty expectations set for him so far in 2025. Missed throws, slow starts and drive-killing mistakes have kept the Longhorns from breaking through into the top five conversation, despite the roster to do so on both sides of the ball.
Their improvements will be tested immediately as they head to Athens for a high-stakes showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs this weekend.
7. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2)
Biggest weakness: First quarter struggles
Vanderbilt enters its bye week after a thrilling 45-38 overtime victory over Auburn. Quarterback Diego Pavia recorded a career-high 489 total yards and 4 touchdowns, helping the Commodores erase a 20-10 halftime deficit. Slow starts, however, continue to hold Vanderbilt back. Head coach Clark Lea’s squad went down 17-3 early against Auburn after falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter in Austin, Texas, two weekends ago. Even in Vanderbilt’s 44-20 domination over Virginia Tech in Week 2, it trailed 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Cleaning up first quarter play will be essential as the Commodores chase a College Football Playoff bid.
Coming off their bye week, Lea’s Commodores host the surging Kentucky Wildcats on Nov. 22.
8. Missouri (6-3, 2-3)
Biggest weakness: Offensive inconsistencies
Missouri fell to Texas A&M, 38-17, and has now dropped two of its last three games, all but eliminating itself from College Football Playoff contention. Offensive inconsistency remains the Tigers’ biggest concern, as they managed just 284 yards of total offense against the Aggies and struggled to sustain drives. While their defense held firm early, the unit surrendered 316 yards and 24 points in the second half, foiling any plans for an offensive comeback.
Despite the skid, Missouri remains positioned for a solid bowl berth. The Tigers now play host to Mississippi State in Columbia, Missouri, on Nov. 15.
9. Tennessee (6-3, 3-3)
Biggest weakness: Pass defense
Tennessee remains at No. 9 in The Hustler’s power rankings as the Volunteers were off on a bye week. The Volunteers are coming off a tight 33-27 loss against No. 11 Oklahoma two weeks ago, where quarterback Joey Aguilar threw for just under 400 yards. Tennessee is No. 1 in the SEC in total points this season as its offense has been near unstoppable. However, their lackluster pass defense has prevented them from being a top contender in the conference.
While Tennessee has consistently been at the top of the league in scoring, it ranks second to last in total points allowed. The Volunteers’ defense has given up the most passing yards per game in the SEC and has allowed opposing quarterbacks to find consistent success through the air.
The Volunteers will host New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 15.
10. LSU (5-4, 2-4)
Biggest weakness: Offensive consistency
The LSU Tigers suffered a decisive 20-9 loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide this past weekend. The Tigers failed to take control of the game early on, and the defense struggled, allowing Alabama to accumulate 344 yards of offense. The offensive performance was lackluster, and the continued penalties and various mistakes have made consistency hard to find. After the firing of Brian Kelly, it appears that the team hasn’t figured out its game plan for the rest of the season.
With its next matchup against Arkansas slated for this Saturday in Baton Rouge, the Tigers will have an opportunity to right the ship against a struggling opponent.
11. Kentucky (4-5, 2-5)
Biggest weakness: Quarterback
Kentucky is coming off its second-straight upset, blowing out Florida 38-7. This win brought the Wildcats up three spots in this week’s rankings as they look to continue their success against Tennessee Tech. Mark Stoops’ defense has been impressive these last two weeks, giving up just 10 points to Auburn and 7 to Florida. Running backs Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell rose to the occasion last week, combining for 196 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in Kentucky’s dominant win over the Gators. While quarterback Cutter Boley recorded his highest QBR of the season against Florida, he has been a clear weakness on this roster. Even with Kentucky’s two-game winning streak, Boley has thrown an equal number of touchdowns and interceptions. Additionally, the Wildcats rank second to last in total passing yards in the SEC, ahead of only South Carolina.
The Wildcats will host undefeated Tennessee Tech on Saturday in hopes of extending their winning streak to three.
12. Mississippi State (5-5, 1-5)
Biggest weakness: Run defense
Mississippi State came up short against Georgia, falling 41-21 this past weekend. The second quarter is where everything fell apart for head coach Jeffy Lebby’s team, as they were outscored 21-0 across that period. Georgia running back Nate Frazier put up his best performance of the season, posting 181 rushing yards and a touchdown while averaging an exceptional 15.1 yards per carry. Mississippi State’s inability to stop the run has been a common theme all season, as it has allowed a conference-high 1,762 rushing yards this season. This figure is more than 100 yards more than Arkansas, who comes in at No. 2 on the list with 1,657 rushing yards allowed.
The Bulldogs will travel to Missouri to face off against the Tigers on Nov. 15.
13. Auburn (4-6, 1-6)
Biggest weakness: Penalties
Following a 10-3 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats two weekends ago, the Auburn Tigers rebounded as they forced a tight contest against Vanderbilt but came up short in overtime. This 45-38 loss came directly after the Tigers’ firing of head coach Hugh Freeze with defensive coordinator DJ Durkin stepping in as interim head coach. With Durkin at the helm, the Tigers displayed a completely revamped offense. Quarterback Ashton Daniels played the best game of his entire career and effectively spread the ball around to playmakers, such as running back Jeremiah Cobb and wide receivers Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton. Despite the Tigers newly found motivation and confidence, an area that continued to plague them was penalties.
Durkin’s team committed 12 penalties which resulted in a loss of 91 yards, compared to Vanderbilt’s three penalties for just 21 yards. These mistakes could have easily been the difference in this high-scoring overtime battle. Auburn has the most penalties in the conference this season with 79, at least five more than any other SEC team. This has cost the Tigers 640 yards, also the most out of any team in the conference.
Auburn looks to focus on cleaning up mental mistakes on its bye week before it is back in action against Mercer on Nov. 22.
14. South Carolina (3-6, 1-6)
Biggest weakness: Rushing attack
South Carolina has moved down one spot in The Hustler’s power rankings following its bye week. The Gamecocks are coming off a 30-14 loss to Ole Miss two weeks ago, their fourth-straight loss. Head coach Shane Beamer’s team has fallen short of their preseason expectations, in large part due to their inefficient running game. South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in rushing yards despite holding the No. 10 spot in rushing attempts. The team averages a lowly 2.83 yards per carry which has contributed to their offense’s inability to move the chains and sustain quality drives.
South Carolina will travel to College Station, Texas, as they take on No. 3 Texas A&M on Nov. 15.
15. Florida (3-6, 2-4)
Biggest weakness: Third down struggles
Florida moves down five spots in The Hustler’s power rankings as a result of its shocking 38-7 loss to Kentucky. The Gators’ lone touchdown came in the first quarter as running back Jaden Baugh caught a pass from quarterback DJ Lagway. From there, the offense’s inability to effectively convert on third downs has been detrimental to the team’s success. The Gators rank dead last in the SEC in third down conversions with just 38. They also find themselves at the bottom of the conference in third down conversion rate at just 32.48%.
The Gators will travel to Oxford, Mississippi as they face off against No. 7 Ole Miss on Nov. 15.
16. Arkansas (2-7, 0-5)
Biggest weakness: Finishing strong
Arkansas comes off a bye week after losing to Mississippi State, 38-35, two weeks ago. The loss to the Bulldogs was the fifth time the Razorbacks have lost in a one possession game this season. Three of these losses were to ranked teams, showing how close Arkansas is to breaking through. Even after head coach Sam Pittman’s firing, the team has continued to show great effort but failed to finish games strong.
The Razorbacks will continue to fight for their first conference win this season as they travel to LSU on Nov. 15.
