ESPN College Football Power Rankings After Week 1

Six teams from the SEC are ranked in ESPN's College Football Power Rankings after Week 1.

1. Georgia
4. Alabama
9. Tennessee
17. LSU
18. Ole Miss
22. Texas A&M

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No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)
Ho-hum. Another dominant defense, another deep running game, another Brock Bowers touchdown. What else did you expect from the back-to-back champs? Yeah, quarterback Stetson Bennett is finally gone, but Carson Beck looked solid in his debut as a starter against Tennessee Martin, completing 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. All told, Georgia racked up 559 yards of offense, which should be plenty against one of the weakest schedules in the SEC this season. Ball State is up next in the quest to three-peat, followed by a home game against South Carolina. -- Alex Scarborough

Up next: vs. Ball State (Noon ET, SEC Network)

No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
Jalen Milroe was nearly perfect against Middle Tennessee, accounting for 242 total yards (194 passing, 48 rushing), four touchdowns (three passing, two rushing) and no turnovers. But was that enough to secure the starting job at quarterback? It might be a week too soon to say considering the caliber of competition. Next week against Texas will be the real litmus test about whether Milroe can handle the pressure and fit the ball into tight windows. But setting the QB battle aside, Crimson Tide fans can feel good about the receivers, particularly Isaiah Bond, and the defense, which consistently created pressure on the passing game. -- Scarborough

Up next: vs. Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
Tennessee was a four-touchdown favorite in its season opener against Virginia, and even though the Vols were guilty of a few missteps in the first half, they were never threatened in a blowout victory in Nashville. Joe Milton III was solid at quarterback with 201 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in three quarters, and the Vols racked up 499 yards of total offense. But the story of the game for Tennessee was its defense. The Cavaliers took over on Tennessee's side of the 50 three times in the first half, but all Tennessee's defense would allow was a single field goal, which set the tone for the rest of the game. -- Chris Low

Up next: vs. Austin Peay (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

No. 17 LSU Tigers (0-1)
The offense clearly needs some work after a lousy effort against Florida State, particularly in the red zone. And while quarterback Jayden Daniels showed once again he's a big play waiting to happen running the football, he's yet to prove he can consistently push the ball downfield in the passing game. But perhaps more troubling was the play of the secondary, which flat out got exposed by Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson & Co. Getting Maason Smith back at tackle and pairing him alongside Mekhi Wingo should help when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, but the DBs have to step up. Grambling offers a good opportunity to regroup this Saturday, but don't sleep on a trip to Mississippi State the following week, where quarterback Will Rogers won't be afraid to put the ball in the air. -- Scarborough

Up next: vs. Grambling (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels (1-0)
Lane Kiffin waited all preseason to name a starting quarterback, which must have motivated Jaxson Dart. He started Saturday's opener by completing his first 11 passes and finished the game with 334 passing yards and four touchdowns -- all four going to Tre Harris -- as the Rebels steamrolled FCS foe Mercer 73-7 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Harris, a transfer from Louisiana Tech, set an Ole Miss single-game record with four touchdown receptions. Spencer Sanders, an Oklahoma State transfer, took over for Dart at quarterback in the third quarter and also threw two touchdown passes, as the Rebels piled up 667 yards of total offense. Jordan Watkins' 70-yard punt return for a touchdown put the Rebels ahead 45-7 a few minutes into the third quarter and was their first punt return for a touchdown in 10 years. -- Low

Up next: at Tulane (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)
The coach Jimbo Fisher-offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino pairing got off to a high-flying start in a 52-10 blowout of New Mexico, giving the Aggies hope that last season's woes that led to a 5-7 season are gone. The Aggies scored on their first five possessions and sophomore QB Conner Weigman had a career-high five touchdown passes, three to Noah Thomas and two to Evan Stewart, who had 8 catches for 115 yards. Since Weigman took over as the Aggies' starter last October, he has thrown 12 TDs with zero interceptions -- that's the most touchdowns without an interception in the FBS during that span. The defense dominated as expected, allowing 91 yards and just 2.8 yards per carry. Another new face, Boston College transfer Josh DeBerry, made an instant impact with 10 tackles, a sack and an interception. -- Dave Wilson

Up next: at Miami (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

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