When there's chaos in the SEC, it devastates some teams but creates opportunity for others. Kentucky has taken full advantage of that opportunity, climbing to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 poll and No. 3 in our SEC Power Rankings. That may raise some eyebrows, and I certainly understand that.
Do I think the Wildcats are really the third-best team in the conference? No, but evidence is mounting in their favor with each passing week. On Saturday, Kentucky picked up its sixth win of the season with a road win over Oklahoma.
That's not exactly a resume-boosting victory, but it is the Wildcats' third road win in conference play. Look around the rest of the league and tell me there's not something to be said for handling business away from home. What if the combination of Will Stein's offensive scheme and the talent brought in via the transfer portal was enough to transform the Wildcats into a strong SEC team?
Kentucky ranks 20th in adjusted per play, and its strength of record ranks second, according to ESPN FPI. Until the Cats give me reason to drop them, they'll keep climbing amid chaos. With that in mind, here are the updated SEC Power Rankings.
That Georgia remains at No. 1 despite losing to unranked Auburn is a major condemnation of the teams slotted just behind the Bulldogs last week. I'm willing to give Georgia a mulligan because apparently everyone in the SEC needs one, but there were at least some yellow flags. The Dawgs didn't exactly bully the Tigers in the running game, and Gunner Stockton marred an otherwise great performance with a trio of catastrophic mistakes.
Georgia's open date comes at a good time as it prepares to meet Florida in Atlanta. In their four games before the open date, the Rebels struggled to defend the run at times. There were too many lapses in big games, and opponents could exploit them.
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