The Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country with their resume built on the strength of a dominant Week 2 win over Michigan, but the outlook for their season will be heavily influenced by the next three weeks. This weekend is the Red River Rivalry, with Quinn Ewers expected to return from injury. This is followed by a home game against Georgia and an away game against the Vanderbilt team that just upset Alabama. Their early success has led everyone to this point.

Alabama (-500): Precarious

The Crimson Tide suffered a surprising loss to Vanderbilt last week, putting them in a precarious position ahead of the important part of their schedule. They still have to play Tennessee, LSU and Oklahoma on the road and Missouri at home, and their margin of error has shrunk considerably as there is now a one in the loss column.

Georgia (-500): Poor

The Bulldogs made a statement with their 34-3 victory over Clemson in Week 1, but came up just short with a win over Kentucky (13-12) two weeks later before a frantic comeback failed against Alabama (41-34). Quarterback Carson Beck has taken a step backwards from his performance in 2023, and other than that win over Clemson, it didn’t look like Georgia would be the top team it was expected to be at the start of the season. They now need to go 2-1 against Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee to stay in the playoffs.

The Rebels’ offense has been strong since Lane Kiffin patrolled the sidelines, and this season is no different as they are the only team in the country averaging at least 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game. The defense has also made a name for itself, allowing just 7.5 points per game and leading the nation with 24 sacks in six games. After an early loss to Kentucky, they have to go 2-1 against LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia.

Tennessee (+110): Worried

Last weekend’s loss to Arkansas put the Volunteers in a tough spot with games against Georgia and Alabama still on the schedule. There was a world where they lost both games and still made the playoffs, but now they need to win at least one of them without further slip-ups to have a chance. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava will have to prove he can keep the SEC defense honest to prevent them from becoming too strong against the Volunteers’ rushing attack.

Texas A&M (+140): Capable

If the Aggies finish the season with a loss to Notre Dame in Week 1 and a loss to Texas in the regular-season finale on Nov. 30, that could be enough to sneak into the playoffs. They still have to play a good LSU team, but their other remaining games are against Mississippi State, South Carolina, New Mexico State and Auburn, and they looked like a playoff contender in a 41-10 win over Missouri last Saturday out of.

The LSU defense allowed 21 points to Nicholls State in Week 2 and gave up 333 total yards to South Alabama in Week 5 while also turning the ball over twice. This lackluster performance against lesser competition makes it difficult to believe the Tigers can thwart their top competition in the SEC. A strong Ole Miss offense will be a big first test this weekend, while Alabama, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are also among their remaining opponents.

Missouri (+360): Slip

The Tigers averaged 32.5 points per game last year in a surprising 11-2 season, with quarterback Brady Cook having a breakout season and running back Cody Schrader leading the way with an All-American performance. With Schrader gone, Cook has had a much tougher time in the passing game this season: His average yards per attempt has dropped from 9.0 to 6.9 as he has thrown just five touchdown passes in five games. After looking underwhelmed in a 41-10 loss to Texas A&M last weekend, their stocks are slipping.