Each SEC team has played three games of the 12-game college football regular season. 

A few teams that were expected to finish near the bottom of the conference look like they could be real contenders. A few contenders have been exposed. 

Here are grades for each team’s first quarter of the season.

The Good

Vanderbilt: A

Vanderbilt was predicted to finish 13th in the SEC in the conference’s preseason media poll. But, about a month ago, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia went on “The Paul Finebaum Show” and said he thinks Vanderbilt has the tools to win a national championship. 

So far, Pavia’s prediction looks better than the media poll. 

Vanderbilt opened the season with impressive away wins over Virginia Tech and No. 11 South Carolina. Neither game was particularly close; both wins were by 24 points. 

Diego Pavia is looking like one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC. He ranks second in the conference with a 76.4% completion percentage and fifth with 9.5 yards per attempt. The Commodores are succeeding on the other side of the ball too, though. Vanderbilt ranks third in the SEC in points and yards allowed.

Plus, Vanderbilt is one of only three SEC teams with multiple wins over Power Four teams this year. The Commodores have catapulted themselves on to the national playoff watchlist, which is the best achievement possible for the first quarter of their season. 

Mississippi State: A

Coming off a two-win season, the Bulldogs were predicted to finish dead last in the preseason SEC media poll. They opened the season with a convincing away win over in-state foe Southern Miss. 

However, the real accomplishment came in Week 2, when Mississippi State hosted Big 12 favorite Arizona State. They pulled off a narrow 24-20 upset over ASU to end its hopes of remaining in the national conversation.

After beating Alcorn State, the Bulldogs surpassed their 2024 win total to become 3-0. Their strength of record is also impressive, ranking 15th in the country, according to ESPN’s FPI. This has been the best-case scenario.

Oklahoma: A

Oklahoma came into the season with two major unknowns.

First, is head coach Brent Venables really the guy for the job? So far, yes. Oklahoma is 3-0 with a defining win over Michigan in Week 2. The Sooners looked dominant against Temple, which is expected for an SEC team, but not a given.

Secondly, is John Mateer going to be legit at Oklahoma? So far, the answer is also yes. Mateer leads the SEC with 944 passing yards through three games. He has also gotten things done on the ground with 161 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on the season. This includes 270 yards passing and 74 yards rushing against Michigan. With the Heisman race looking wide open, Mateer seems like one of the current favorites.

So Oklahoma has shown it can compete, and its two biggest unknowns are trending in the right direction. That’s a great start for a team that was barely bowl eligible in 2024. 

The Bad

Florida: F

There’s not much competition for the worst start in the SEC. The Gators are the only SEC team with two losses and the only SEC team with a loss to a Group of Five team. Not great.

Billy Napier entered the season on one of the hottest seats in the country, and it has only gotten hotter. While their schedule is one of the hardest in the country, the Gators’ loss to USF was supposed to be a relatively easy win. 

DJ Lagway’s performance so far has also been a stain on Florida’s season. Lagway has thrown six interceptions this season, which is tied for second most in the FBS. After showing his talent multiple times last season, he seems to have regressed, and he’s not the same player he was in 2024. 

The Gators have completely destroyed all of the preseason hopes they had and will need to brave the toughest remaining schedule in the nation (according to ESPN’s FPI) on their way to bowl eligibility.

Alabama: D

Alabama’s reputation took a significant hit in the first quarter of this season. The Crimson Tide opened the season with a loss to Florida State, a team coming off its worst season in 50 years. It was also Alabama’s first Week 1 loss since 2001.

Only three games into Kalen DeBoer’s second season as Alabama’s coach, the Crimson Tide have lost their “powerhouse” status and will fight for the rest of the season to be in playoff talks come November. 

The Rest

Texas A&M: A

The Aggies are undefeated and have a big win under their belt. They have handled two Group of Five teams with ease.

Ole Miss: B+

The Rebels started conference play early in the season, and have already taken down Arkansas and Kentucky. They dominated Georgia State, but won both SEC games by only one possession. 

Georgia: B

Georgia already has a good conference win after its victory over Tennessee in Week 3. On the flip side, though, SEC teams shouldn’t struggle to score against Austin Peay.

LSU: B

The No. 3 Tigers are 3-0 with wins over Clemson and Florida. However, Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t looked spectacular, and they’ve struggled to dominate games, even against Louisiana Tech.

Auburn: B

Auburn beat Baylor and two Group of Five teams to start the season. Nothing to complain about, but a more accurate grade can be given after the Tigers face No. 11 Oklahoma this weekend.

Missouri: B-

The Tigers are undefeated, but their schedule has been relatively weak. Watch out for quarterback Beau Pribula to have a breakout season and perhaps become a dark horse for the Heisman.

Arkansas: C

Arkansas is 2-1 after falling to Ole Miss and beating one Group of Five and one FCS team. Not spectacular, but not horrendous.

Kentucky: C

Kentucky fell short against Ole Miss but beat Toledo and Eastern Michigan. The Wildcats are 2-1, which is a good start for a team who was predicted to finish 15th in the conference.

Tennessee: C

The Volunteers opened the season with a solid neutral-site win over Syracuse, but their grade is a C because they lost to Georgia.

Texas: D

Texas opened with a loss to Ohio State, but it was close, and it was against the now No. 1 team. Arch Manning hasn’t looked good, though, and Texas hasn’t been able to put away Group of Five teams with ease. 

South Carolina: D

South Carolina’s preseason expectations were similar to Florida’s. The Gamecocks hoped to have a star quarterback and make a run at the playoffs. Then they lost to Vanderbilt, and quarterback LaNorris Sellers got injured. It’s safe to say that game was a bit of a reality check.

Category: College Football, Gators Football, SEC