SEC midseason grades: Kentucky's 'A+' is best in class, while Texas and Texas A&M disappoint

There are a ton of good teams in the SEC, but is there an elite team capable of winning multiple College Football Playoff games this season and ending the league's national title drought in January?

That remains to be seen.

As expected, this conference is beating itself up a bit with the move to a nine-game league schedule through the first half of the regular season. The SEC is one of two conferences within the Power Four without an unbeaten team entering Week 8, a product of the league being closer to the NFL model than any other nationally.

There are nine SEC teams in the latest AP poll, but only two are situated inside the top 10. Handing out midseason grades for every squad is a lesson in futility since any team in the league could take out any other the rest of the way -- well, maybe not Arkansas or Vanderbilt.

We've included every school's preseason and current ranking to reflect expectations and actual results.

CBS Sports 138: Miami tops Ohio State, BYU for No. 1 spot in college football rankings

Chip Patterson

No. 13 Alabama

Record: 5-2, 3-2 | Preseason AP ranking: 13

The Crimson Tide's once handsome start is beginning to fizzle, much like Keelon Russell's significance in the Heisman race. Alabama's sophomore quarterback has been quiet over his last two outings since the multi-touchdown explosion at Mississippi State on Oct. 3 pushed his team toward the top 5. The running game has improved this season, one of the promises Kalen DeBoer made this offseason, but Alabama has underwhelmed up front with the second-most sacks, pressures and tackles for loss allowed in the SEC. The negative plays hinder an offense that gets by on explosive plays and Russell's ingenuity, and have too often put Alabama's average defense back on the field. Grade: B

Arkansas

Record: 3-4, 1-3 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

Something has finally clicked for the Razorbacks over their last two SEC games, easily the best they've looked this season following a one-possession loss to Tennessee and Saturday's win over Vanderbilt. Maybe small strides are being made in Ryan Silverfield's first season, but this remains nowhere near where Arkansas wants to be as a program. Near the bottom of the SEC in total offense and scoring offense, the Razorbacks must find a way over the second half of the campaign to generate a level up in momentum entering 2027. With only one win right now against Power Four competition and five games left as likely betting underdogs, it could get uglier from here. Grade: D

Auburn 

Record: 4-2, 2-2 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

No one's projecting this team to reach the CFP, but it's obvious the Tigers are ahead of schedule under Alex Golesh after Saturday's win at Georgia. Auburn watched a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter evaporate before forcing a crucial turnover and winning anyway, a high-end level of confidence and execution the last few coaching regimes never experienced against the Bulldogs. In fact, in previous matchups of that magnitude, Auburn would've likely folded. The biggest shock for this team is being in the league's bottom tier defensively despite DJ Durkin's return. A couple stops during the 44-39 home loss to Florida on Sept. 19, and the Tigers might be ranked inside the top 20. Grade: B+

No. 20 Florida

Record: 5-2, 3-2 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

This campaign could've deteriorated quickly for the Gators if Jon Sumrall didn't personally challenge his team to show more fight in high-pressure situations. Florida trailed 17-3 over the weekend at Texas before spot starter Tramell Jones, and that offense pulled itself off the turf with the season on the line. As Sumrall said at a program in transition, progress will not always be smooth. We may not be as starry-eyed over Florida as we were when this team was unbeaten and ranked No. 8 after beating Ole Miss, but they can still get to the CFP with a strong finish and better play in the secondary. The Gators certainly look like a more well-rounded football team from the top down under the new staff. Florida's one of three SEC teams entering Week 8 with two ranked victories. Grade: B

No. 5 Georgia 

Record: 6-1, 4-1 | Preseason AP ranking: 3

There's no sense of defensive invincibility with this Georgia team as in years past, but the Bulldogs still look like the class of college football's most competitive league at midseason. Passing the test at Alabama in Week 6 was a major victory for Kirby Smart, but he had his reservations entering the rivalry bout with Auburn, and his fears came to fruition as Georgia was out-muscled at the line of scrimmage and failed to overcome self-inflicted mistakes. Gunner Stockton is a fine quarterback when he's not asked to do too much. Playing from behind with this passing game is not a winning recipe for the Bulldogs. Grade: B+

No. 12 Kentucky

Record: 6-1, 4-1 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

The only team I'm comfortable giving a superior grade through Week 7 in the SEC, Will Stein gave off Curt Cignetti vibes with a hint of arrogance at SEC Media Days, and he has backed up that talk with superior execution. Not all mid-summer takes age well, but this Kentucky team -- on paper -- had the ingredients to put together a special season with a couple breaks, and the Wildcats have finished the drill with a top-15 ranking up to this point. Kentucky leads the SEC in turnover margin and is the least penalized team in the league, two signs of being well-coached. While Georgia's the only league lock right now for the playoff, Kentucky might be the second-best team in the conference, and that's no exaggeration. Grade: A+

No. 18 LSU

Record: 5-2, 2-2 | Preseason AP ranking: 11

The loss at Ole Miss was predictable, if not expected given the hoopla surrounding Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford, but failing to beat Kentucky in Lexington as a 10-point favorite with a superior roster was stunning for the Tigers. More inexcusable was Kiffin's decision to punt on fourth-and-1 near midfield with a chance to ice the game in the fourth quarter. A rookie head coach on the other sideline looked like the seasoned vet, comparatively. Defensively, LSU has looked terrific under Blake Baker's leadership. The Tigers are No. 1 in total defense and in run defense against conference foes, and should be favored in November to beat Alabama and Texas in Baton Rouge. Win those two games and others to reach the CFP, and this satisfactory showing goes to exemplary quick for Kiffin. Grade: C+

Mississippi State

Record: 4-2, 2-2 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

The Bulldogs had a cup of tea inside the top 25 following their 4-0 start, but then the Alabama debacle happened, during which quarterback Kamario Taylor and Fluff Bothwell got banged up and had to miss the showdown at LSU over the weekend. Consecutive humiliating losses in the conference have been humbling Jeff Lebby and his crew, who take on Oklahoma and Texas to finish out October. A promising start to the season now looks like Mississippi State will be scraping to hit seven wins. Considering preseason win total projections, however, it's a move in the right direction for a program that's already recorded more conference victories (2) this season than it had in the previous two years combined. Grade: B-

No. 22 Missouri

Record: 5-2, 2-2 | Preseason AP ranking: 25

It's critical that the Tigers are able to flush Saturday's 28-point loss at Ole Miss and simply move on. The open date comes at a great time for Missouri, ahead of a stretch run featuring Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma over the final month. Most physicality-geared teams like the Tigers would struggle with their Doak Walker candidate unavailable throughout the first seven games, but Jamal Roberts has 867 yards and eight touchdowns in relief of Ahmad Hardy and Missouri hasn't missed its top offensive weapon. If Missouri can get to nine wins, that might be enough to reach the CFP and torch preseason expectations from outside the program. Grade: B

Oklahoma

Record: 3-3, 1-2 | Preseason AP ranking: 10

A win over previously top-ranked Texas was supposed to put the Sooners back in business with Kentucky coming to Norman in Week 7. Didn't happen. Oklahoma's offense just can't get out of its own way with John Mateer at quarterback. The Sooners lead the SEC in turnovers (14) and rank last in total offense. This was an issue last season too, though not as critical. The Week 2 road loss at Michigan hasn't aged as well as most of us thought it would, either. The Wolverines only have one Big Ten win this fall. One guarantee with a Brent Venables-coached team continuing to hold true? This defensive group makes you earn everything. Grade: C-

No. 7 Ole Miss

Record: 5-1, 3-1 | Preseason AP ranking: 9

No grading on a curve here, folks. I can't overlook the 50-burger Florida hung on the Rebels a few weeks ago, but credit to Pete Golding and his staff for fixing defensive-wide issues during the open date that came thereafter. Ole Miss has blown out its consecutive league opponents (Vanderbilt and Missouri) but, surprisingly, is not favored to beat Texas on the road in Week 8. This looks like another double-digit-win season for a program that is proving Lane Kiffin was not the primary reason for its success. It's still about the players and leaders like Trinidad Chambliss. Grade: B+

South Carolina

Record: 3-3, 1-3 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

The toughest team to evaluate at this point, the Gamecocks flunked their first three SEC exams this season under Shane Beamer before acing their trip to Florida last time out. Nothing about that performance made sense, except that South Carolina's execution finally lived up to its talent. The Gamecocks lead the SEC in rushing under new OC Kendal Briles, and LaNorris Sellers is coming off a five-touchdown outing. Problems have been blown leads, lack of consistency in the passing game, and occasional breakdowns in the secondary that lead to points. South Carolina's one of the brightest students in the class, but doesn't have the work ethic to match its potential. Grade: D+

No. 11 Tennessee

Record: 6-1, 3-1 | Preseason AP ranking: 20

The best defensive staff hiring of the SEC this season, Josh Heupel's courting of Jim Knowles has paid off big for the Vols. While the passing game works out the kinks with two different quarterbacks, Tennessee's defense has been its calling card in SEC play. The league's top-ranked scoring defense, the Vols also lead the conference in sacks and tackles for loss and have allowed the fewest touchdown passes (3). Tennessee has taken full advantage of its home schedule with wins over Auburn and Alabama and still has dates with Kentucky and LSU. The Vols' only loss was a three-point setback at Neyland Stadium to Texas, after the Longhorns tallied 10 sacks against Faizon Brandon. Grade: A

No. 19 Texas

Record: 5-2, 2-2 | Preseason AP ranking: 5

A satisfactory score on midterms is not what anyone associated with Texas football expected this fall, not after the Longhorns spent more than $40 million assembling a roster headlined by Arch Manning, Colin Simmons and a wealth of talented transfers. There's no easy fix for an offense that ranks 15th in the SEC in explosive plays, 13th in rushing and 11th in passing and struggles to sustain drives. 

It's not like consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Florida exposed hairline cracks, either. Texas was outplayed by Ohio State for three quarters in the Longhorns' Week 2 win over the Buckeyes and needed to ask its dominant defense to yield one more stop in a 20-17 win at Tennessee. Few teams nationally have multiple wins over nationally ranked opponents like Texas, but the Longhorns would be unbeaten right now and not fighting for their playoff lives with five games left if Steve Sarkisian had things figured out offensively when the signs were there early. Grade: C

Texas A&M

Record: 4-3, 1-3 | Preseason AP ranking: 8

From preseason top 10 to unranked at midseason, the Aggies have been a disaster in SEC play outside of a win over Arkansas. Texas A&M was exposed at Kyle Field by Kentucky after an inflated 2-0 start, then got outscored by LSU and Missouri on the road, 62-12. Texas A&M was the overwhelming pick here at CBS Sports in August to be the SEC's most underwhelming team, so we nailed that one. Marcel Reed's regression at quarterback was obvious late last season despite the team's trip to the CFP, and replacing multiple offensive line starters in 2026 wasn't going to help. In four SEC starts as a junior, Reed has one touchdown pass and five interceptions. Grade: F

Vanderbilt

Record: 3-4, 0-4 | Preseason AP ranking: N/A

The Commodores were gifted a win against NC State, keeping them from being halfway to 10 losses after posting 10 wins last fall. Mind you, this was a confident group internally heading into the season, despite personnel losses and the plan to bring in five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis without restrictions. He's battling through growing pains during the team's current four-game skid, and it's not getting easier with a trip to Kentucky coming this weekend. If Vanderbilt doesn't find a way to upend Mississippi State in Starkville on Nov. 7, this is likely a winless campaign in SEC play for Clark Lea. Ouch. Grade: D