Seven Southeastern Conference teams were projected to be College Football Playoff contenders when the 2026 season began Labor Day weekend.
As the calendar flips from September to October, two of those seven teams have been replaced. The two dropouts are Texas A&M and Oklahoma, both of whom lost games Saturday by nearly 30 points.
Moving into this group of CFP possibilities are Florida and Mississippi State. The Gators, under new head coach Jon Sumrall, handed Ole Miss its first defeat of the season 52-28. The Bulldogs rallied in the fourth quarter against Missouri for a fourth straight victory.
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Florida must avoid a letdown when it goes to Missouri on Saturday. Mississippi State can make an even bigger statement by defeating unbeaten Alabama in Starkville. The matchup between the Bulldogs and the Tide is the big game of the week in the SEC.
LSU remained at the top of the second tier. The Tigers took care of business in their 35-6 victory against the Aggies. LSU got passed up by Florida, but it moved ahead of Ole Miss.
Here is a breakdown of the 16 Southeastern Conference teams into four tiers heading into the fifth week of the regular season.
TIER 1
1. TEXAS (4-0): Defeated Tennessee 20-17; next up – open date
2. GEORGIA (4-0): Defeated Oklahoma 41-13; next up – Vanderbilt at home
3. ALABAMA (4-0): Defeated South Carolina 49-18; next up at Mississippi State
4. FLORIDA (4-0): Defeated Ole Miss 52-28; next up – at Missouri
SKINNY: Florida registered the most impressive SEC victory of September by crushing Ole Miss. Now, the Gators must show they can deal with prosperity when they visit Columbia to meet Missouri. Alabama has a challenge when it faces red hot quarterback Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State. Georgia should have no problems with Vanderbilt, while Texas has the week off before meeting Oklahoma.
TIER 2
1. LSU (3-1): Defeated Texas A&M 35-6; next up – McNeese at home
2. OLE MISS (3-1): Lost to Florida 52-28; next up – open date
3. MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-0): Defeated Missouri 31-24; next up – Alabama at home
4. TENNESSEE (3-1): Lost to Texas 20-17; next up – Auburn at home
SKINNY: All eyes will be on Mississippi State when it goes for a fifth consecutive victory against Alabama. Two of the best young quarterbacks in the SEC will be on the field – the Bulldogs’ Taylor and the Crimson Tide’s Keelon Russell. Tennessee must bounce back from the close loss to Texas against a pesky Auburn team. LSU, which responded well against Texas A&M, has a FCS opponent to begin October. Ole Miss has a much needed off week after being defeated by Florida.
TIER 3
1. MISSOURI (3-1): Lost to Mississippi State 31-24; next up – Florida at home
2. KENTUCKY (3-1): Defeated South Alabama 45-21; next up – at South Carolina
3. TEXAS A&M (2-2): Lost to LSU 35-6; next up – Arkansas at home
4. AUBURN (3-1): Defeated Vanderbilt 21-15; next up at Tennessee
SKINNY: New head coaches at Kentucky and Auburn have a chance to build their body of work by winning road games this week. The Wildcats face a reeling South Carolina team. Auburn gets a shot at Tennessee, which is coming off a tough loss to Texas. Missouri can make up for its defeat against Mississippi State by upsetting Florida. Texas A&M finds itself in a must-win situation against Arkansas.
TIER 4
1. OKLAHOMA (2-2): Lost to Georgia 41-13; next up – open date
2. VANDERBILT (3-1): Lost to Auburn 21-15; next up – at Georgia
3. SOUTH CAROLINA (2-2): Lost to Alabama 49-18; next up – Kentucky at home
4. ARKANSAS (2-2): Defeated Tulsa 34-6; next up – at Texas A&M
SKINNY: Oklahoma’s season is on very thin ice. The Sooners proved to be no match for Georgia last week. Oklahoma trailed 28-0 at halftime. The Sooners now have two weeks to get ready for the rivalry game with Texas. South Carolina coach Shane Beamer may not survive the season. A loss at home to Kentucky could end his coaching tenure with the Gamecocks. Arkansas has one of its best opportunities at a SEC victory this week when it goes to College Station.
