The AJC SEC Power Poll reflects an incredible race for the SEC Championship Game

ATLANTA — The race for the SEC Championship Game is taking center stage, displacing the urgency of the 12-team College Football Playoff predictions for now.

LSU is playing in a playoff game of its own at Texas A&M as the Bayou Bengals and Aggies are in full control of their SEC Championship games as the league's only undefeated teams.

And yet a look at the AJC's SEC Power Poll shows that Georgia and Texas, fresh off the Bulldogs' 30-15 victory over the previously ranked No. 1 nationally ranked Longhorns, remain the league's top two teams, according to pollsters are.

SEC Championship Game predictions are indeed plentiful, but first, a look at the undefeated and one-loss teams remaining in the league standings:

• Texas A&M 4-0 SEC, 6-1 overall

• LSU 3-0 SEC, 6-1 overall

• Georgia 4-1 SEC, 6-1 overall

• Tennessee 3-1 SEC, 6-1 overall

• Missouri 2-1 SEC, 6-1 overall

• Texas 2-1 SEC, 6-1 overall

• Vanderbilt 2-1 SEC, 5-2 overall

It's an incredible race for the SEC Championship Game, which will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7th at 4 p.m.

When Texas plays Vanderbilt this Saturday, it will actually be another elimination game in the SEC title game.

A sampling of voters from the AJC SEC Power Poll shows they are just as intrigued as anyone at this point in the season.

Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports: “No one in the SEC should be confident that their spot in Atlanta is secure. Georgia still has loseable games against Ole Miss and Tennessee. LSU plays Texas A&M and Alabama in consecutive weeks.

I've long believed that Georgia and Texas are on a collision course in the SEC Championship Game, and I'm sticking with it for now. Specifically, the winner of Texas-Texas A&M and the winner of Georgia-Tennessee travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

Anwar Richardson, Texas OrangeBloods: “LSU has the clearest path to the SEC Championship game, especially if they beat Texas A&M this weekend. After Texas A&M, LSU plays Alabama, which will lose at least two more games this season, as well as Florida, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, a team currently in disarray. Even if LSU loses to Texas A&M, the Tigers can still reach the title game with a conference loss.

Georgia still has Ole Miss and Tennessee in back-to-back weeks, but I believe the Bulldogs are good enough to beat both.”

Aaron Torres, FoxSports: “It may seem unlikely, but I still like a rematch between Texas and Georgia in the 2024 SEC title game.”

While LSU is 1-6 and undefeated in the league, they've had a string of tough games, from this weekend's showdown at Texas A&M to a trip to a suddenly feisty Florida Gators team… and might miss a few Will the little upstart named Alabama also play the surprise spoiler in Baton Rouge?

Josh Ward, Knoxville WNML Radio: “Updated SEC title game prediction: Georgia-Texas rematch…” If you gave me an out option, I would say Georgia will play the winner of the Texas-Texas A&M game on November 30th becomes. Anything could happen in this game at Kyle Field – the first game between the Aggies and Longhorns in 13 years.

LSU has a good chance, especially if the Tigers can win at Texas A&M this weekend. LSU will still be in a good position if it can split its next two games against Texas A&M and Alabama. The first half of the season shows us that there will be a wild race to Atlanta in the last six weeks.”

Significant newcomers: Mobility gets harder to come by as the week goes on, but Georgia's 30-15 win at Texas, which moved Georgia up one spot and reclaimed the top spot, was a big one. LSU moved up two spots with a 34-10 win at Arkansas, and Florida moved up two spots to advance after a 48-20 win over Kentucky.

Big falls: After a 24-17 loss at Tennessee, Alabama falls three spots to No. 6. Oklahoma fell two spots after a decidedly disappointing 35-9 home loss to South Carolina.

AJC SEC Power Survey

1. (2) Georgia 144 points, highest vote 1, lowest vote 1

2. (1) Texas 133 points, highest vote 2, lowest vote 3

3. (5) LSU 120 points, highest vote 3, lowest vote 5

4. (4) Texas A&M 118 points, highest rating 2, lowest rating 5

5. (6) Tennessee 114 points, highest vote 3, lowest vote 6

6. (3) Alabama 92 points, highest vote 6, lowest vote 9

7. (7) Ole Miss 89 points, highest vote 6, lowest vote 9

8. (8) Vanderbilt 77 points, highest vote 5, lowest vote 11

9. (10) Missouri 73 points, highest vote 7, lowest vote 12

10. (11) South Carolina 63 points, highest vote 8, lowest vote 12

11. (9) Arkansas 58 points, highest vote 8, lowest vote 12

12. (14) Florida 51 points, highest vote 9, lowest vote 13

13. (13) Kentucky 31 points, highest vote 13, lowest vote 15

14. (12) Oklahoma 28 points, highest vote 12, lowest vote 15

15. (15) Auburn 23 points, highest vote 12, lowest vote 16

16. (16) Mississippi State 10 points, highest vote 15, lowest vote 16

SEC Power Voting Panel

Chris Doering, SEC Network

Kaylee Mansell, DawgNation

Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel

Josh Ward, Knoxville WNML

Ryan Fowler, Tuscaloosa Tide-100.9

Anwar Richardson, Orange Bloods

Aaron Torres, Fox Sports Radio

Mike Griffith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This week's SEC games

Oklahoma at Ole Miss (-20), noon, ESPN

Arkansas (-8) at Mississippi State, 12:45 p.m. SEC Network

Missouri at Alabama (-13), 3:30 p.m. ABC

Texas (-17) at Vanderbilt, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network

LSU at Texas A&M (-3), 7:30 p.m., ABC

Auburn at Kentucky (-3), 7:45 p.m. SEC Network