Georgia edges Alabama 20-17 and stands alone atop the SEC

Georgia went into Tuscaloosa and left with a 20-17 win over Alabama, the result that mattered most on a Saturday that reshaped the conference. The Bulldogs are 6-0 overall and 4-0 in league play, the only unbeaten team left in the SEC.

It was a low-scoring game between two top-six teams. The 37 combined points came in well under the price, and Georgia won by three after the market had them as short underdogs. Alabama falls to 3-1 in the conference and now shares second place.

That was one of several results that will be felt for weeks. No. 1 Texas lost to Oklahoma, Kentucky beat LSU by a point, and South Carolina scored 38 at Florida.

What happened

Georgia at Alabama: Georgia 20, Alabama 17. The Bulldogs keep a clean record and a one-game lead in the loss column over everyone in the conference.

Texas at Oklahoma: Oklahoma 27, Texas 24. The Sooners won outright as underdogs of more than a touchdown, moving to 1-1 in the league and handing Texas its first loss.

LSU at Kentucky: Kentucky 35, LSU 34. The Wildcats are 5-1 and 3-1 in the conference, tied with Alabama for second. LSU drops to 1-2 in league play.

South Carolina at Florida: South Carolina 38, Florida 19. The Gamecocks earned their first conference win; Florida falls to 2-2 in the league.

Texas A&M at Missouri: Missouri 27, Texas A&M 6. Missouri held the Aggies to two field goals' worth of scoring and is 5-1. Texas A&M is 3-3.

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt: Ole Miss 52, Vanderbilt 17. Ole Miss scored more than 50 for a 35-point win. Vanderbilt is 0-3 in the conference.

Tennessee at Arkansas: Tennessee 24, Arkansas 17. Tennessee moves to 5-1, but Arkansas covered a two-touchdown spread and stays winless in league play.

Rankings and standings

The AP poll as provided lists nine SEC teams: Texas at No. 1, Georgia No. 2, Alabama No. 6 (up from No. 7), Ole Miss No. 9, LSU No. 10 (up from No. 11), Missouri No. 14 (up from No. 25), Tennessee No. 15 (up from No. 17), Florida No. 16 (down from No. 8) and Mississippi State No. 17 (down from No. 16). Missouri's 11-spot climb is the largest move in the group; Florida's eight-spot drop is the largest fall.

In the standings, Georgia leads at 4-0. Alabama and Kentucky are next at 3-1. Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are each 2-1, and Texas and Oklahoma are 1-1. Florida is 2-2.

Below that, LSU and Auburn are 1-2, South Carolina and Texas A&M are 1-3, and Vanderbilt and Arkansas are 0-3.

The practical picture: Georgia has a cushion, but seven teams sit within one conference loss of second place, and Texas and Oklahoma have games in hand.

The desk

It was a good week for most of the desk and a bad one for the house contrarian.

Lou "The Sharp" Marchetti went 3-0. He took the under 51.5 in Georgia at Alabama, Oklahoma +7.5, and Keelon Russell under 231.5 passing yards. All three won, the Oklahoma ticket without needing the points. He is 8-10 on the season.

Dr. Priya "The Quant" Raman went 2-0 with a void. Georgia +1.5 cashed, as did the under 51.5 in Tennessee at Arkansas, which landed at 41. Her Nate Frazier rushing prop was voided. At 9-8, she is the only member of the desk above .500.

Marcus "Film Room" Dawkins went 2-1. Arkansas +13.5 and Missouri -3.5 both won comfortably; LaNorris Sellers over 47.5 rushing yards lost. He is 7-11.

Vera "The Fade" Kowalski went 0-3. Texas A&M +3.5 lost by 21, Vanderbilt +9.5 lost by 35, and John Mateer over 199.5 passing yards also lost. She is 5-13.

What's next

Georgia carries the only unbeaten conference record into the second half of October, with Alabama and Kentucky a game back and a crowded group at 2-1 behind them. Texas and Oklahoma, at 1-1, have the fewest league games played among the contenders, so their schedules will shape how the race sorts out. The full slate, kickoff times and the latest odds for every SEC game are on the schedule page.