SEC Rankings Shift After Week 5

To wrap up Week 5 in the SEC, some top teams were put to the test and others fell short. Mississippi State and LSU enter the rankings while Texas A&M and Arkansas fall out of the Top 25. Alabama moved to No. 1, knocking undefeated Georgia down a peg.

SEC Matchups in Week 5

• Alabama v. Arkansas
• Georgia v. Missouri
• Ole Miss v. Kentucky
• Texas A&M v. Mississippi State
• LSU v. Auburn

Alabama v. Arkansas

The Alabama Crimson Tide found their way to the top of the AP Poll following a 49-26 win over Arkansas, that feel from No. 20 to unranked.

Alabama was without starting quarterback Bryce Young for a majority of the game after he suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Head coach Nick Saban said he is hopeful Young will play in their upcoming matchup against now unranked Texas A&M. Alabama was leading 14-0 when Young left the game.

Nick Saban on Bryce Young: AC Sprained shoulder. Take it day to day. Doesn’t have a serious injury.

— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) October 1, 2022

In the second quarter, Young’s replacement, redshirt freshman Jalen Milroe managed two more touchdowns. However, shortly after, the Alabama offense started to slow down, not scoring a single point in the third quarter.

While the Razorbacks put themselves in a position to win going into the fourth quarter trailing 28-23, the Alabama offense shifted the momentum. The Crimson Tide scored three more touchdowns to win the game 49-26.

Georgia v. Missouri

Georgia secured a narrow 26-22 win over Missouri, falling from the number one spot in the AP Poll. The Bulldogs trailed the Tigers until late in the fourth quarter.

Kicker Jack Podlesny kept Georgia in the game, managing four combined field goals in the second and third quarters.

https://twitter.com/SEC/status/1576966126730416129?s=20&t=NWyqBaw7ytRut1YLf1qCUQ

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett struggled throughout the entire game and was unable to throw for a single touchdown. Kendall Milton ran for a touchdown, which decreased the gap between the Bulldogs and Tigers. In the final minutes of the game, Daijun Edwards ran for a touchdown to secure the win for Georgia.

Throughout the game, Georgia showed weaknesses. The Bulldogs had three turnovers and plenty of penalties. However, they were able to overcome these mistakes in order to remain undefeated.

Ole Miss v. Kentucky

Mississippi entered the Top 10 after Week 5 and its 22-19 win over Kentucky. With a missed extra point and a failed two-point conversion by Kentucky in the first half, Ole Miss led 19-12 going into the final 30 minutes.

In the third quarter, however, the Wildcats closed the gap, evening the score at 19. That lead did not last long. Mississippi kicker Jonathan Cruz secured a field goal, putting his team ahead.

The Ole Miss defense stood strong, managing to hold of the Wildcats in the final quarter of the game. The defense forced two fumbles in the fourth quarter to hold off Kentucky.

Y’all! What a defensive play on the forced fumble by Jared Ivey and the recovery by @Taviusrobinson!! Literally game-changing as the Rebels beat No. 7 Kentucky, 22-19! #PartyInTheSip pic.twitter.com/xLnfdRfJqc

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 1, 2022

Looking ahead, some notable SEC matchups coming up include Tennessee and LSU, Georgia and Auburn and Alabama and Texas A&M.