The SEC is loaded with Top 25 teams and College Football Playoff contenders – and the balance of power in the strongest conference in the FBS will shift every Saturday.
That is what we learned in Week 3 in a thrilling showcase in the first wave of conference play. No. 6 Georgia beat No. 15 Tennessee 44-41 in overtime. No. 3 LSU knocked off Florida 20-10.The Bulldogs and Tigers remain the class of the conference, but there are emerging storylines elsewhere.
Vanderbilt hammered No. 10 South Carolina 31-7 with quarterback Diego Pavia. No. 17 Ole Miss shook off an upset bid from Arkansas in a 41-35 shootout behind backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The conference also went 8-0 in non-conference play, with No. 19 Alabama making a statement with a 38-14 victory against Wisconsin and No. 16 Texas A&M scoring a thrilling 41-40 win at No 8 Notre Dame.
SEC Week 3 results
| SEC WEEK 3 RESULTS |
| No. 3 LSU 20, Florida 10 |
| No. 6 Georgia 44, No. 15 Tennessee 41, OT |
| No. 7 Texas, 27, UTEP 10 |
| Vanderbilt 31, No. 10 South Carolina 7 |
| No. 13 Oklahoma 42, Temple 3 |
| No. 16 Texas A&M 41, No. 8 Notre Dame 40 |
| No. 17 Ole Miss 41, Arkansas 35 |
| No. 19 Alabama 38, Wisconsin 14 |
| No. 24 Auburn 31, South Alabama 15 |
| No. 25 Missouri 52, Louisiana 10 |
| Mississippi State 63, Alcorn State 0 |
| Kentucky 48, Eastern Michigan 23 |
How do you re-set the SEC after Week 3? Here are the five biggest over-reactions.
Georgia owns UT at Neyland Stadium!
Imagine what the reaction would be if Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert makes that 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation. The Vols would be the SEC kings, Joey Aguilar the Heisman front-runner and we would be questioning whether Kirby Smart's Georgia empire is crumbling for good. There is a fine line here.
MORE: Will Georgia loss hurt Tennessee later?
Smart still knows how to tight-rope that like a two-time national championship coach. He called timeouts at the right times. He didn't give into the high emotions at Neyland Stadium. Smart trusted quarterback Gunner Stockton, who tied the game with 2:32 remaining with a 28-yard TD pass on fourth down to London Humphreys. The Bulldogs closed the victory in overtime with three straight runs and a 1-yard TD run by Josh McCray.
Georgia and LSU remain the lead contenders in the SEC as a result, and it's hard to say Smart doesn't own the Vols considering his 9-1 record. A bye week will lead to the buildup against Alabama. Speaking of which …
Alabama, Kalen DeBoer are back in SEC contention!
Kalen DeBoer is back. The Crimson Tide are 2-1 after a 38-14 victory against Wisconsin, and Ty Simpson finished 24 of 29 for 382 yards and four TDs. Sophomore receiver Ryan Williams had five catches for 165 yards and two TDs, including a 75-yard TD on a flea-flicker screen to start the second half.
"RAZZLE-DAZZLE, ROLL TIDE!"
— ESPN (@espn) September 13, 2025
What a play from Ryan Williams and Alabama 🐘 pic.twitter.com/BGB02gqbLT
At minimum, Alabama is re-centered after the world's worst mulligan in Week 1 at Florida State. Let's see if they take the show on the road at Georgia. That is where the struggles have been under DeBoer. The Seminoles out-rushed the Crimson Tide 230-87 in the opener. That will be the key in two weeks in Athens.
Remember last year's 41-34 thriller Alabama won against Georgia on Sept. 28, 2024? This one will have that kind of weight.
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed needs Heisman hype!
Reed will get the Heisman Trophy bump for making the clutch play of the season for the Aggies. Reed connected with tight end Nate Boerkircher for an 11-yard TD with 13 seconds remaining to pull off a 41-40 victory at Notre Dame that might have knocked the Irish out of College Football Playoff contention.
MARCEL REED MAGIC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 14, 2025
pic.twitter.com/o6dsfcomtO
Reed finished 17 of 37 for 360 yards with two TDs and an interception. He added seven carries for 37 yards. Reed had 869 passing yards, 142 rushing yards, 10 total TDs and one interception through three games. It's not quite Johnny Manziel-level hype, but Reed has made a leap in Year 2 with coach Mike Elko. The Aggies play No. 24 Auburn after a bye week. Reed has more than enough time to build the hype.
Speaking of quarterbacks in Texas …
Arch Manning-led Texas offense is mid!
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian answered questions about Arch Manning's health in bizarre fashion during his press conference this week. Manning could have silenced criticism against UTEP, but he struggled in the first half. Manning was 5 of 16 for 69 yards and an interception. He did have two TD runs, but Texas' offense was stop-and-start in an underwhelming 27-10 victory.
MORE: Arch Manning stats from Week 3
Manning finished 11 of 25 for 114 yards, one TD and one interception. He entered the game 12 of 27 (44.4%) with four TDs and two interceptions on passes of 10 yards or more. He's still working into the role of starting quarterback – but the clock is ticking and he needs to be more accurate in the intermediate range. After a matchup against Sam Houston in Week 4, the SEC grind begins at Florida.
We're not jumping ship on Texas by any means – but Manning was billed as a Heisman Trophy front-runner and All-American (we're guilty, too) to start the season. We're at least a year away from re-starting those conversations. It's also a conversation whether the Longhorns or Sooners should be ranked higher right now, especially with the emergence of John Mateer – who had 345 total yards in a 42-3 victory against Temple in Week 3.
LSU ended Billy Napier, DJ Lagway!
LSU has allowed nine points per game through three weeks, so if you are making that assessment you already had your mind made up. The Tigers beat Florida with the help of five interceptions of DJ Lagway, who finished 33 of 49 for 287 yards and a TD. The Gators averaged 2.9 yards per carry, and were suffocated in Death Valley.
Deshawn Spears' 58-yard interception return for a touchdown was the capper for LSU, which might have the most-talented defense in the FBS. Brian Kelly finally might have a national championship contender.
As for Napier? The Gators are 1-2 and face No. 5 Miami before a bye week. That is going to be an uncomfortable bye week when you consider Florida plays six ranked teams in its final eight games.
MORE: Potential replacements if Florida makes a move
Vanderbilt is a playoff contender!
Isn't that the logic we should use? Vanderbilt broke a 16-game losing streak against South Carolina in an eye-opening 31-7 blowout. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers suffered a concussion, and the Gamecocks were not prepared for the Commodores.
Vanderbilt's likability rating will go off the charts as a result. Pavia (18 of 25, 177 yards, 2 TDs, INT) continues to be the ultimate blue-collar quarterback, and safety C.J. Heard added 12 solo tackles. Vanderbilt is building off last year's 7-6 break-through 2024 season under Clark Lea, and this is further proof there are no weeks off in the SEC.
Vanderbilt plays Georgia State and Utah State the next two weeks before an Oct. 4 matchup at Alabama. The Commodores have not beat the Crimson Tide in back-to-back seasons since 1955-56. That was one year before Bear Bryant's arrival in Tuscaloosa.