ATHENS — Texas is making a statement in its first year as an SEC member.
With a blazing 3-0 start that includes a 31-12 road win at defending champ Michigan, Texas has overtaken Georgia on eight of the nine ballots comprising the AJC Power Poll.
After a close-call victory at 24-point underdog Kentucky, the Bulldogs (3-0) dropped to No. 2 overall, and to No. 3 on the ballots of noted national analysts Chris Doering (SEC Network) and Aaron Torres (Fox Sports).
“While Texas is a deserving No. 1, I feel people are too quick to write off Georgia after one bad performance,” said AJC poll voter and CBS analyst Shehan Jeyarajah. “This is still the same team that obliterated Clemson. Seeing them look so vulnerable makes the margin of error for staying No. 1 much more tenuous, but this team is still the class of college football.”
Former Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson moved Texas ahead of Georgia last week, but she draws the line there.
“Georgia stays second on my ballot because the Bulldogs still have the second-best win in the SEC — that beatdown of Clemson on a neutral field is second only to Texas’ beatdown of Michigan in Ann Arbor,” Carlson said. “Yes, Georgia had a closer-than-expected shave against Kentucky, but that’s still a better win than Tennessee’s cupcake wins against Chattanooga and Kent State, and the Bulldogs’ win against Clemson is much more impressive than Tennessee’s win against NC State.”
There’s plenty of interest near the bottom of the SEC Power Poll, as well, with Florida falling to No. 15 of the 16 teams after a 33-20 home loss to Texas A&M.
Third-year Gators coach Billy Napier, 12-16 in his tenure, is reportedly holding onto his job by a thread, with some speculation he may not hold it through the regular season.
“It seems impossible to believe that Billy Napier will survive the season,” Knoxville WNML radio analyst Josh Ward said. “The real questions appear to be: how much longer until Florida makes a change? And who will make the hire to replace Napier when he’s let go?”
Carlson and Jeyarajah agree, pointing to the Gators’ home losses.
“Billy Napier was in trouble as soon as he got blown out by Miami,” Carlson said of the season-opening 41-17 setback. “Losing that game? No shame in that. But looking non-competitive? No way Gator brass was on board with that. And the problem is, Florida has an SEC slate that is brutal….
“If the Gators weren’t competitive against Miami, it’s only going to get worse. It feels like when — not if — with Napier.”
Jeyarajah felt the more recent loss cemented Napier’s fate.
“Florida’s performance against Miami was disappointing, but the game against Texas A&M felt like an inflection point,” Jeyarajah said. “Talent simply isn’t the issue with performances like this. Realistically, there’s no pathway back for Billy Napier from this start. It’s not a question of if but when.”
The Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson is a voter on the SEC Power Poll, but he did his primary work at Napier’s press conference earlier this week.
Thompson asked Napier if anyone had talked to him about his job, and if he saw a path for him to return as head coach in 2025.
Napier said he’s been told “nothing” about his future and made it clear there’s still time for him to save his job.
“One hundred percent,” Napier said when asked if he has a path forward. “There’s a lot of football to be played.”
Perhaps, but Ward believes the Gators’ administration will be tuned into other games looking for Napier’s replacement.
“If I were making the next hire at Florida, I would want to know Lane Kiffin’s interest in the job,” Ward said. “If he’s truly interested, he’d be at or near the top of my list of candidates.
“I’m sure Alex Golesh’s name will get some attention. He’s only in his second season as a head coach at USF, but he’s an impressive coach.”
Notable SEC football risers: Texas moved from second to the top spot with eight of nine possible first-place votes; Kentucky moved up three spots, from No. 15 to No. 12, after a one-point home loss to Georgia.
SEC football programs stock down: Vanderbilt was the big loser, its 36-32 road loss to Sun Belt Conference member Georgia State led to the Commodores falling from No. 11 to No. 14 in the rankings.
AJC SEC Power Poll after week 3
Note: The parenthetical after the current ranking denotes last week’s ranking.
1. (2) Texas — 143 points (Highest vote 1, Lowest vote 2)
2. (1) Georgia — 134 points (Highest vote 1, Lowest vote 3)
3. (3) Tennessee — 125 points (Highest vote 2, Lowest vote 5)
4. (5) Alabama —115 points (Highest vote 3, Lowest vote 5)
5. (4) Ole Miss — 113 points (Highest vote 3, Lowest vote 5)
6. (6) Missouri — 96 points (Highest vote 6, Lowest vote 8)
7. (7) LSU — 86 points (Highest vote 6, Lowest vote 9)
T-8 (10) Texas A&M — 75 points (Highest vote 7, Lowest vote 11)
T-8 (8) Oklahoma — 75 points (Highest vote 7, Lowest vote 11)
10. (9) South Carolina — 69 points (Highest vote 7, Lowest vote 11)
11. (12) Arkansas — 52 points (Highest vote 10, Lowest vote 13)
12. (15) Kentucky — 43 points (Highest vote 11, Lowest vote 14)
13. (13) Auburn — 37 points (Highest vote 11, Lowest vote 14)
14. (11) Vanderbilt — 31 points (Highest vote 10, Lowest vote 15)
15. (14) Florida — 20 points (Highest vote 13, Lowest vote 16)
16. (16) Mississippi St. — 10 points (Highest vote 15, Lowest vote 16)
SEC Power Poll voting panel
SEC football schedule, Saturday, Sept. 21
Akron at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Ohio at Kentucky, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Arkansas at Auburn, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Tennessee at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. ABC
Louisiana Monroe at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN-Plus
Vanderbilt at Missouri, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
UCLA at LSU, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Florida at Mississippi State, Noon, ESPN
Bowling Green at Texas A&M, 7 p.m., ESPN-Plus
Georgia Southern at Ole Miss, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
Off: Georgia, Alabama
