Where is Kentucky in SEC football power rankings after week one
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Coach Will Stein and the Kentucky football team opened up the 2026 season along with the rest of the SEC on Saturday. They faced off against Youngstown State, and dominated the game from start to finish, winning by a score of 45-13.
It wasn't a perfect outing, as Coach Stein was quick to point out. Defensively, they weren't able to get a pass rush going, and they gave up some big plays. On offense, they were very good. Kenny Minchey looked strong, and the running game was effective, no matter which running back was in.
Around the SEC, it was much of the same. In week one, the SEC went 16-0, and there were some solid wins over good teams. The biggest was Ole Miss' win over Louisville with a game-winning field goal as time expired.
So did one week give fans clarity on who the best teams in the conference are? Not really, but here is our best guess at who the best teams are, in reverse order.
16. Vanderbilt Commodores
- Beat Austin Peay 28-9
Vandy got an opening week victory, but they didn't make it easy on themselves. Playing against Austin Peay, they struggled offensively, generating less than 400 yards of total offense as they try to find the right combinations on that side of the ball.
15. Arkansas Razorbacks
- Beat North Alabama 31-14
Like Vanderbilt, Arkansas is working with a lot of new pieces. They moved the ball pretty effectively, but they'll need to cut back on the turnovers going forward. They had three of them in the game, keeping them from dominating as much as they should have.
14. Auburn Tigers
- Beat Baylor 17-16
An exciting finish gave Auburn a week one win, but their offense will need to find more of a groove. Quarterback Byrum Brown threw three interceptions in the game, but they hung on with some good work on the other side of the ball.
13. Kentucky Wildcats
- Beat Youngstown St 45-13
It was a good showing for the offense on Saturday, but the defense certainly has some question marks as they begin to play against better opponents. Generating a pass rush is necessary, but they will be aided by getting their starting cornerbacks back.
12. Florida Gators
- Beat Florida Atlantic 66-21
The Gators offense certainly got things going, and running back Jaden Baugh looked like the best in the country. However, the defense will have to improve by quite a bit, or they'll give up a lot of points this season.
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Beat Louisiana-Monroe 62-13
Quarterback Kamario Taylor was spectacular, and the offense was terrific overall, putting up an incredible 762 yards of total offense. The defense played well enough, and the Bulldogs looked like a team ready to compete in the SEC.
10. Missouri Tigers
- Beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 54-14
Austin Simmons stepped into the starting quarterback spot and was as good the Tigers could have hoped for, throwing for 4 touchdowns. It was a very nice showing all around.
9. Tennessee Volunteers
- Beat Furman 59-6
It's nitpicking at this point, and the Vols offense looked as high-powered as any in the conference this week. However, they'll need to tighten up the run defense just a bit heading into bigger matchups.
8. South Carolina Gamecocks
- Beat Kent State 57-0
LaNorris Sellars is looking to show he is an elite quarterback, and is off to a good start, posting nearly 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. They also ran for nearly 300 yards as a team while holding Kent St to less than 200 total yards.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
- Beat East Carolina 48-10
The Tide came into the season with question marks at quarterback, and Keelon Russell played well, but still needs polish. The defense, though, was very good, holding their opponent to just 162 total yards.
6. Oklahoma Sooners
- Beat UTEP 51-0
John Mateer was solid in game one, tossing 3 touchdowns passes in an efficient performance. As expected, they were also strong on the defensive side of the ball, holding UTEP to 198 total yards and recording 4 sacks.
5. Texas A&M Aggies
- Beat Missouri State 50-0
The Aggies did what they were supposed to do, shutting out an inferior team, but it took them a while to get going. They totaled 505 yards of offense, but really should have had more.
4. Texas Longhorns
- Beat Texas State 59-7
The Texas offense behind Arch Manning was dominant. The defense gave up a lot of yards, though, so they'll need to button that up before taking on Ohio State next weekend.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
- Beat Tennessee State 63-3
Tennessee State managed just 109 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs defense. On the other side of the ball, Georgia rushed for 272 yards and Gunnar Stockton was efficient with the ball.
2. LSU Tigers
- Beat Clemson 51-10
It was an impressive debut for Lane Kiffin's Tigers squad, who demolished Clemson. However, Clemson may not be a quality team this season. Sam Leavitt threw for 230 yards and ran for 113 more.
1. Ole Miss Rebels
- Beat Louisville 41-38
In one of week one's best games, Ole Miss came out on top, and Trinidad Chambliss was every bit as good as expected. They battled against a very good Louisville team, and though it was close, they got the win.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Where is Kentucky in SEC football power rankings after week one
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