2024 Southeastern Conference Power Rankings: Week 2

Week 2 had some surprise results, with Notre Dame falling to Northern Illinois the biggest. The Southeastern Conference had mixed results, affecting the bottom of the Power Rankings. Who were the biggest movers?

1. Georgia

Georgia took care of business against Tennessee Tech, winning 48-3, with the opposition's field goal coming in the last seconds. Quarterback Carson Beck threw five touchdown passes and 242 yards, keeping him on the Heisman watch.

2. Texas

I had to move Texas up a spot after their demolition of current National Champions Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Longhorns dominated the first half, with quarterback Quinn Ewers putting together some exceptional drives. It was the best win on paper for any college football team thus far.

3. Vanderbilt

Honestly, dropping a place felt harsh on Vanderbilt. The Commodores shut out Alcorn State, winning 55-0. Vandy hasn't shut a team out since 2019, so it was an extra impressive victory. They may fall off soon, but for now, they look impressive.

4. Tennessee

The Volunteers jumped up two spots after their victory over ranked NC State in the Duke's Mayo Classic. Tennesse allowed just 143 offensive yards, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava throwing two touchdowns and rushing for a 31 yard score.

5. Ole Miss

The Rebels added another win on the season, and although expected, it was done with more style points. The defense only gave up three points while Jaxson Dart continued his Heisman push. Running back Henry Parrish Jr. stole the show, rushing for 165 yards and four touchdowns.

6. Alabama

It took 28 points in the fourth quarter to make Alabama's score look comfortable, but it was far from that against South Florida. The Crimson Tide struggled to deal with rushing quarterback Byrum Brown, who had over 100 yards on the ground. Freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams had another touchdown for Alabama in their 42-16 win.

7. Missouri

Missouri moved to 2-0 with a 38-0 win over Buffalo. The Tigers had over 400 more rushing yards than their opponents, and the 38 points were not a reflection of Missouri's dominance. Theo Wease Jr. had 149 receiving yards, and quarterback Brady Cook rushed for two touchdowns.

8. South Carolina

The first SEC game of the season saw South Carolina take care of Kentucky on the road in style, winning 31-6. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers looked much improved from Week 1, throwing for 159 passing yards and two touchdowns.

9. Oklahoma

Oklahoma was another team that moved to 2-0 but by the skin of its teeth. The Sooners beat Houston 16-12 in Norman, earning a safety on the second-to-last Houston drive with over 1:30 on the clock. The offense performed subpar, but they moved to 2-0, which is the main thing.

10. LSU

Garret Nussmeier threw three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to help LSU pull away from FCS side Nicholls, winning 44-21. Nussmeier threw for over 300 yards and six touchdowns, with 2024 looking like a mirror image of 2023, good offense alongside poor defense.

11. Texas A&M

Another team grabbing its first win of the season was Texas A&M, beating McNeese 52-10. The ground game did the damage, combining for 333 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Connor Weigman will need to improve if the Aggies want to compete in the SEC.

12. Arkansas

Despite losing to Oklahoma State in overtime, Arkansas played well in the first half but lost the game in the second. It may have been different on home soil, so putting them here with question marks seems fair, just like the next team.

13. Kentucky

Kentucky failed to lay a glove on South Carolina in their SEC match-up. The Wildcats could not look after the ball, with quarterback Brock Vandagriff throwing one interception, as did backup Gavin Wimsatt. Vandagriff's was returned for a touchdown. This could be just a blip in Week 2 for the Wildcats.

14. Mississippi State

The only positive for Mississippi State was that two teams looked worse. The Bulldogs lost on the road to Arizona State, who look good early in the season. Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo had 262 rushing yards, nearly as many as the whole Mississippi State offense.

15. Florida

Florida is not at the bottom of the pile? This is mainly thanks to the new worst team in the SEC. The Gators moved to 1-1, beating Samford 45-7. Florida has hope in freshman quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns.

16. Auburn

The new worst team in the SEC is Auburn, which couldn't beat California at Jordan-Hare Stadium. This past weekend, they were the laughingstock on social media. Quarterback Payton Thorne threw four interceptions, and running back Jarquez Hunter lost a fumble. The Tigers will likely not play as badly as this, but they are at the bottom of the SEC Power Rankings for now.