It’s not been a banner early season for the SEC in 2023.

Alabama, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt became the latest league teams to suffer convincing non-conference losses this past Saturday, a week after Florida, South Carolina and LSU all got drummed on a national stage. Things get a little more “intramural” this week, however, with three high-profile SEC vs. SEC matchups.

So how do the teams in the SEC stack up after all have played at least two games? Here’s the Week 3 edition of AL.com’s SEC football power rankings for 2023 (all times Central and all games Saturday unless noted):

14. Vanderbilt (2-1)

Last week’s ranking: 13

Last week’s game: Lost to Wake Forest, 36-20

This week’s game: at UNLV, 6 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)

The Commodores didn’t make up a ton of ground against a diminished Demon Deacons team this year, and a couple of crucial errors — including a fumbled punt that was returned for a touchdown just before halftime — were their undoing on Saturday. It’s hard to see many more victories on the schedule for Vanderbilt, though perhaps a trip to the desert this weekend provides an opportunity.

13. Florida (1-1)

Last week’s ranking: 14

Last week’s game: Beat McNeese, 49-7

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

The Gators took care of business against an FCS opponent, snapping a four-game losing streak in the process. Florida rushed for 327 yards, the type of ground game we haven’t seen in Gainesville in many years. Billy Napier’s team returns to reality this week, however, hosting the Volunteers in what was once the marquee game on the SEC schedule. It’s much less than that these days.

12. Missouri (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 12

Last week’s game: Beat Middle Tennessee, 23-19

This week’s game: vs. Kansas State, 11 a.m. (SEC Network)

The Tigers are still undefeated, but aren’t terribly good. They struggled to beat a Blue Raiders team that lost by 49 to Alabama the previous week, allowing six sacks, including one that resulted in a safety. Missouri hosts an old Big 12 rival in the 15th-ranked Wildcats this weekend, but that one looks like an almost sure “L” barring swift improvement.

11. South Carolina (1-1)

Last week’s ranking: 10

Last week’s game: Beat Furman, 47-21

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

It was an FCS opponent, but Spencer Rattler was nearly perfect. He completed 25 of 27 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for a score. Most importantly, he wasn’t sacked after going down nine times vs. North Carolina. Things get serious this week, however, with a visit to Athens.

10. Kentucky (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 8

Last week’s game: Beat Eastern Kentucky, 28-17

This week’s game: vs. Akron, 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

The good news is that the Wildcats rallied after trailing early in the third quarter. The bad news was that they had to do so against an FCS opponent. Special teams weren’t great for Kentucky, though Devin Leary showed big-time skill in the passing game. The Wildcats get another warmup game this week against Akron, traditionally one of the worst FBS teams in the country.

9. Mississippi State (3-0)

Last week’s ranking: 11

Last week’s game: Beat Arizona, 31-24 in OT

This week’s game: vs. LSU, 11 a.m. (ESPN)

It says something (not something good) that the Bulldogs’ overtime win over the Wildcats is on the short list for best SEC wins this year. Mississippi State got it done on defense, forcing five turnovers and stopping Arizona short of a first down on the game’s final play. Zach Arnett’s team will have to be at its best on defense against an LSU team that can put points on the board.

8. Auburn (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 9

Last week’s game: Beat California, 14-10

This week’s game: vs. Samford, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)

A win is a win of course, particularly one played late at night and 3,000 miles from home. But it must be noted the Tigers didn’t play particularly well against the Golden Bears, but somehow pulled off that old Auburn voodoo to keep Cal from scoring again and again. Hugh Freeze and company get another week to sort out their quarterback situation before the meat of the schedule starts.

7. Texas A&M (1-1)

Last week’s ranking: 5

Last week’s game: Lost to Miami, 48-33

This week’s game: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 3 p.m. (SEC Network)

The SEC’s greatest underachievers returned in a dreadful showing in Miami, in which they allowed five touchdown passes — two of which went for 64 and 52 yards — also also surrendered a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Aggies appear to be solid offensively, but continue to come up small on the biggest stages. Jimbo Fisher faces his old boss this week in ULM head coach Terry Bowden, but it should be a “get well” game for the Aggies.

6. Arkansas (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 7

Last week’s game: Beat Kent State, 28-6

This week’s game: vs. BYU, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

The Razorbacks struggled to put points on the board against a bad MAC team on Saturday, but did just enough to win convincingly anyway. More concerning is the status of star running back Raheim Sanders, who sat out with a knee injury and might not be back this week, either. This doesn’t appear to be a vintage BYU team, but the Hogs can’t get off to a slow start again and expect to beat the Cougars.

5. LSU (1-1)

Last week’s ranking: 6

Last week’s game: Beat Grambling State, 72-10

This week’s game: at Mississippi State 11, a.m. (ESPN)

As they often do, the Tigers took out a lot of frustration on an in-state FCS school, scoring their most points in a non-overtime game since 1936. LSU led just 14-10 after the first quarter, but scored the game’s final 58 points. Brian Kelly’s team hits the road for an SEC game on Saturday, against a Mississippi State likely to put up a little more resistance.

4. Tennessee (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 3

Last week’s game: Beat Austin Peay, 30-13

This week’s game: at Florida, 6 p.m. (ESPN)

The Volunteers didn’t play like a Top 10 team against in-state FCS foe Austin Peay, but they were never actually in danger of losing the game. Joe Milton accounted for three touchdowns and the Tennessee defense eventually adjusted to the Governors’ up-tempo offensive style. Center Cooper Mays is expected to be back from injury for the SEC opener at Florida on Saturday, which could make a huge difference for an offensive line that has been inconsistent through two games.

3. Alabama (1-1)

Last week’s ranking: 2

Last week’s game: Lost to Texas, 34-24

This week’s game: at South Florida, 2:30 p.m. (ABC)

It says a lot about the overall weakness of the SEC that the Crimson Tide didn’t slide farther after a double-digit home loss to Texas. There are major issues at quarterback and on the offensive line, and injuries in the secondary have also taken their toll. The Crimson Tide makes a rare trip to face a non-Power 5 team on the road, but the Bulls shouldn’t put up much of a fight.

2. Ole Miss (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 4

Last week’s game: Beat Tulane, 37-20

This week’s game: vs. Georgia Tech, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)

A three-score win over a team that went 12-2 and won the Cotton Bowl a year ago is more impressive than it’s getting credit for, though the Rebels trailed much of the first half and didn’t pull away until the final two minutes. Quinshon Judkins was mostly held in check by the Green Wave, but Ole Miss made enough plays in the passing game to get the win. An improved Georgia Tech visits Oxford on Saturday, and we could be in for some offensive fireworks.

1. Georgia (2-0)

Last week’s ranking: 1

Last week’s game: Beat Ball State, 45-3

This week’s game: vs. South Carolina, 2:30 p.m. (CBS)

The most-frustrating part of Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC next year is that we didn’t get to see the Bulldogs face the Sooners this past weekend. Instead, Georgia ho-hummed its way through a dominant victory against an overmatched MAC team. We really don’t know how good the Bulldogs are yet, and with South Carolina’s issues on defense and on the offensive line, we might not learn a ton this week, either. A revved-up Spencer Rattler vs. Georgia’s secondary should be fun, though.

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.