There’s a pretty clear pecking order at the top of the SEC standings as we head into the latter third of the 2023 season.

Things are much more fluid nearer the bottom, however, as there are still three teams winless in SEC play and two more with just one league victory. Four teams will have their open dates this week, after which it will be mostly SEC on SEC from here on out.

So how do the teams in the SEC stack up as we head into the final week of October? Here’s the Week 9 edition of AL.com’s SEC football power rankings for 2023 (all times Central and all games Saturday):

14. Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4)

Last week’s ranking: 14

Last week’s game: Open date

This week’s game: at Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network

The Commodores went into their bye week on a six-game losing streak, and have one more brutal road game before a two-week stretch vs. Auburn and South Carolina in which they might have a chance for a win. But first up is that trip to Oxford, where Vandy will try to keep Ole Miss’ powerful offense in check.

13. Arkansas (2-6, 0-5)

Last week’s ranking: 12

Last week’s game: Lost to Mississippi State, 7-3

This week’s game: Open date

The Razorbacks have been sinking like a stone in recent weeks, with Saturday’s offensive no-show vs. Mississippi State probably (but not definitely) the bottom. Sam Pittman fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos on Sunday, and will likely be coaching for his own job over the final four weeks of the season.

12. Auburn (3-4, 0-4)

Last week’s ranking: 11

Last week’s game: Lost to Ole Miss, 28-21

This week’s game: vs. Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network

The Tigers’ loss to Ole Miss was not as close as the final score indicated, as the Rebels mostly controlled the action. Auburn’s offense has been a huge disappointment in Year 1 of the Hugh Freeze era, but the Tigers have a chance to turn their season around during a three-week stretch in which they will face Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas — teams that have combined for one SEC win this season.

11. South Carolina (2-5, 1-4)

Last week’s ranking: 10

Last week’s game: Lost to Missouri, 34-12

This week’s game: at Texas A&M, 11 a.m., ESPN

The same old problems surfaced for the Gamecocks in their third straight loss, an inability to stop the run or protect quarterback Spencer Strider, who was sacked six times. Outside of a shootout win vs. Mississippi State and a good first half vs. Georgia, it’s been a forgettable year in Columbia. Next up is a road trip to face the Aggies, one of the other massive underachievers in the SEC this season.

10. Mississippi State (4-3, 1-3)

Last week’s ranking: 13

Last week’s game: Beat Arkansas, 7-3

This week’s game: at Auburn, 2:30 p.m., SEC Network

It wasn’t exactly a season-defining victory, but was like a glass of ice water in the desert for a Bulldogs team desperate for any win. If Mississippi State can pull off another SEC road win at Auburn on Saturday, they’ll be one win from bowl-eligibility, with a game still remaining vs. hapless Southern Miss.

9. Florida (5-2, 3-1)

Last week’s ranking: 9

Last week’s game: Open date

This week’s game: vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville, Fla.), 2:30 p.m., CBS

The Gators righted their season with victories over two of the weaker teams in the league headed into their bye week, but the annual showdown with Georgia in the “Cocktail Party” this Saturday will be the ultimate measure of progress under second-year coach Billy Napier. A victory over the two-time defending national champions would be wonderful of course, but just not getting blown out would be nice.

8. Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)

Last week’s ranking: 8

Last week’s game: Open date

This week’s game: vs. Tennessee, 6 p.m., ESPN

What could have been a dream season for the Wildcats was derailed in the final two weeks prior to the open date, as Georgia and Missouri showed Kentucky it wasn’t an actual SEC East contender. Mark Stoops’ team might have to settle for playing for third place, and Saturday’s home game vs. Tennessee will go a long way toward determining that.

7. Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2)

Last week’s ranking: 7

Last week’s game: Open date

This week’s game: vs. South Carolina, 11 a.m., ESPN

The Aggies have been unable to keep up with any opponent with any sort of offense this season, and entered their open date with back-to-back losses that all but knocked them out of the SEC West race. The final five weeks of the season will likely be a referendum on Jimbo Fisher’s future in College Station, but with road games remaining at Ole Miss and LSU, 7-5 looks like the ceiling this year.

6. Tennessee (5-2, 2-2)

Last week’s ranking: 5

Last week’s game: Lost to Alabama, 34-20

This week’s game: at Kentucky, 6 p.m., ESPN

The Volunteers played a near-perfect first quarter in Tuscaloosa, and looked at halftime as if they were headed toward a second straight victory over Alabama. Then the second half happened, and Tennessee played much like it had for most of the last two decades vs. the Crimson Tide. It remains to be seen if 2022 was a Hendon Hooker-driven anomaly, or if Josh Heupel is building something sustainable in Knoxville.

5. Missouri (7-1, 3-1)

Last week’s ranking: 6

Last week’s game: Beat South Carolina, 34-12

This week’s game: Open date

The Tigers continue to surge in Eli Drinkwitz’s fourth season, with only a shootout loss vs. LSU keeping them from perfection thus far. Missouri is one of the more balanced offensive teams in the SEC this season, equally able to run and pass the ball for big yards. They head into their open date on a roll, and will face Georgia in Athens on the other side.

4. LSU (6-2, 4-1)

Last week’s ranking: 4

Last week’s game: Beat Army, 62-0

This week’s game: Open date

Not even the U.S. Army can stop this LSU offense, which now leads the country in yards (552.9) and points per game (47.4). The blowout win also gave the Tigers a chance to rest their starters much of the second half, in effect an open-date-and-a-half before the all-important trip to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 4. LSU almost can’t win the SEC West for a second straight year without a victory over Alabama.

3. Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1)

Last week’s ranking: 3

Last week’s game: Beat Auburn, 28-21

This week’s game: vs. Vanderbilt, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network

The Rebels survived an often-treacherous trip to Auburn, and outplayed the host team outside of two turnovers that kept the Tigers in the game. Ole Miss faces Vanderbilt and Texas A&M the next two weeks, and if they win both of those, it might be time to start discussing Lane Kiffin’s team as a possible darkhorse College Football Playoff contender. A Nov. 11 trip to Georgia will determine if that’s a reality.

2. Alabama (7-1, 5-0)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Last week’s game: Beat Tennessee, 34-20

This week’s game: Open date

As with four weeks prior vs. Ole Miss, the second half vs. Tennessee on Saturday showed what this Crimson Tide team is capable of. The offense remains painfully inconsistent with Jalen Milroe at the controls, but the defense is good enough to keep Nick Saban’s team in any game. Alabama heads into its bye week with its main task trying to figure out how to score enough points to keep up with LSU.

1. Georgia (7-0, 4-0)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Last week’s game: Open date

This week’s game: vs. Florida (at Jacksonville, Fla.), 2:30 p.m., CBS

The Bulldogs have played four dominant quarters just once all season, in their Oct. 7 blowout of Kentucky. Now they must figure out how to mount an offensive attack without star tight end Brock Bowers, who is out indefinitely after ankle surgery. It seems likely that someone is going to knock off Georgia at some point, and the arch-rival Gators will be out for blood in the annual “Cocktail Party” game in Jacksonville.

Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @CregStephenson.