It’s November — the time of year when the SEC starts to sort itself out, and our panel was unanimous at both the top and the bottom. Texas A&M holds firm as the clear No. 1 after another complete performance against Missouri, while Oklahoma stays locked in at No. 6 — a steady, respectable position heading into its defining SEC road test in Tuscaloosa. And at the other end, no debate needed: Arkansas remains dead last. Between those three anchors, though, the middle of the league continues to be a weekly roller coaster. Georgia and Alabama continue to jockey for the No. 2 spot, while Ole Miss and Texas are still clinging to playoff conversations.
The real intrigue this week lies in the muddled middle. Kentucky and Mississippi State land in a tie at No. 11 — a snapshot of just how cloudy that second-tier picture has become. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt continues to win over skeptics, rising into the top half of the rankings for some of us, while Missouri and Tennessee split opinions depending on whether you value results or résumé. LSU and Florida, both fading fast, are near-consensus disappointments. There’s agreement at the extremes, but in between? It’s chaos — and that’s exactly what makes November in the SEC so compelling.
2025 Heartland Sports SEC Power Rankings – Week 12
| Ranking | Points |
| 1. Texas A&M | 48 |
| 2. Alabama | 44 |
| 3. Georgia | 42 |
| 4. Ole Miss | 39 |
| 5. Texas | 37 |
| 6. Oklahoma | 33 |
| 7. Vanderbilt | 29 |
| 8. Tennessee | 26 |
| 9. Missouri | 25 |
| 10. LSU | 19 |
| 11. Kentucky | 18 |
| 11. Mississippi State | 18 |
| 13. Florida | 10 |
| 14. Auburn | 9 |
| 15. South Carolina | 8 |
| 16. Arkansas | 3 |
Comparing Week 11 to Week 12
There wasn’t much change at the top of our SEC Power Rankings this week, but that doesn’t mean the standings are without intrigue. The top six remain identical to Week 11 — with Texas A&M unanimously holding at No. 1 after another convincing win, followed closely by Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas, and Oklahoma. That top tier has clearly separated itself, showing the kind of depth and stability that defines November football. The Aggies’ grip on the No. 1 spot remains ironclad, while Oklahoma continues to sit just outside the elite cluster, waiting for a breakthrough opportunity. Vanderbilt also holds firm at No. 7, proving their midseason surge is no fluke.
Where things get interesting is in the middle and bottom halves of the conference. Kentucky made the biggest move this week, jumping from 15th to a tie for 11th with Mississippi State after a dominant performance that turned some heads. LSU slipped slightly but still holds on to a top-ten position, while Florida, Auburn, and South Carolina continue to slide as their seasons unravel. Arkansas, meanwhile, remains rooted at the bottom, still seeking its first SEC win. Overall, Week 12 didn’t rewrite the script — it just sharpened the picture: the SEC elite are solidifying their places, while the rest of the league continues to shuffle for footing as the finish line approaches.
Individual Rankings
Caleb
1. Texas A&M | The Aggies handled business against Missouri. Marcel Reed and Ruben Owens kept making highlight plays to lead A&M to victory.
2. Alabama | The Tide get it done against LSU. Alabama’s defense looked like the better side of the ball for the first time this season with allowing just over 200 yards of total offense.
3. Ole Miss | It’s easy to look good while playing Citadel, but Ole Miss has been doing that all season long.
4. Georgia
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. Missouri
8. Vanderbilt
9. Tennessee
10. Mississippi State
11. LSU
12. Kentucky
13. South Carolina
14. Florida
15. Auburn | One score losses have been the story for Auburn this season, they simply can’t find ways to win.
16. Arkansas | The Razorbacks are looking like they won’t win an SEC game.
Craig
1. Texas A&M | Missouri was no issue for Texas A&M. It’s time to have serious discussions about the Aggies being the number one team in the country.
2. Alabama | The Tide just rallied off their 8th straight win. Outside of playing Oklahoma this coming week they do not have any tough games remaining. Alabama is poised to be back in the SEC championship game.
3. Georgia | The Bulldogs handled business against Mississippi State. However, they remain on the outside looking in of the conference championship game. They’ll need to take care of the Longhorns this week and hope for some chaos at the top of the
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas
6. Oklahoma
7. Vanderbilt
8. Tennessee
9. Missouri
10. LSU
11. Mississippi State
12. Kentucky
13. Florida
14. Auburn
15. South Carolina | It’s pretty tough to drop down in the rankings on a bye week. But, it has been 5 weeks since the Gamecocks won a football game.
16. Arkansas | No game this past week for Arkansas. They have a winnable one coming up against LSU though.
Matt
1. Texas A&M | No movement here — and there shouldn’t be. Texas A&M is still the class of the SEC. It’s not just that they’re winning — it’s how they’re winning. There was no emotional dip after beating Alabama. No hangover. No complacency. Just a mature, methodical team taking care of business.
2. Georgia | Georgia finally looked like Georgia again. This was one of those “reset” performances — four full quarters of consistent execution.
The offense looked smoother — rhythm in the passing game, patience in the run game — and that defense… when it locks in, it still suffocates.
3. Alabama | Alabama didn’t win with style points, but they didn’t need to. They won with grit. This was an ugly, grind-it-out kind of game — and honestly, that might be exactly what the fanbase needed to see.
4. Texas
5. Ole Miss
6. Oklahoma
7.Vanderbilt
8. Tennessee
9. Kentucky
10. Missouri
11. LSU
12. Mississippi State
13. Auburn
14. Florida
15. South Carolina – South Carolina moves down one spot for me, and not because they did anything — but because Florida completely fell apart, making way for Kentucky to rise.
16. Arkansas | The effort is there. The grit is there. But they still can’t close games. At some point, you’ve got to finish. Until that happens, they’ll stay at the bottom.
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