The SEC power rankings saw no change among the top three, but upheaval abounded elsewhere.

Alabama got a glorified bye week in a lopsided win over Louisiana-Lafayette that could have been "name-your-number to nothing" had the Crimson Tide kept pushing. Georgia had to sweat just a little but wound up dispatching Tennessee by a comfortable number, and LSU wiped out rival Ole Miss behind Joe Burrow.

That's the definition of taking care of business.

Kentucky continued to surge and Texas A&M survived, while Florida continued to show that it's getting better under first-year coach Dan Mullen.

The league is no longer as top-heavy as it was a season ago, but there's a definitive break between the top four teams and everybody else. Will that continue? Will anybody be able to knock off the defending national champion Crimson Tide?

There is plenty more of the season to go, but the SEC continued to take shape Saturday with several grudge matches.

Let's take a look at the power rankings following Week 5 action.

14. Arkansas Razorbacks

The opening kickoff looked like the same-old struggling Arkansas Razorbacks team that has been such a disappointment this season in Chad Morris' initial campaign.

Texas A&M kick returner Jashaun Corbin raced 100 yards for a game-opening touchdown that was the third consecutive game Arkansas allowed a special teams score. It could have been deflating and snowballed.

Instead, the Hogs showed plenty of resiliency in a road test against the Aggies, continuing to grow defensively under veteran coordinator John Chavis and keeping things respectable in a 24-17 loss in the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium.

It was the seventh consecutive win for A&M in the series.

"Took a huge punch on the first play of the game," Morris told the Associated Press' Stephen Hawkins. "But the thing that you saw was guys that rallied back, they fought back."

Yes, it's yet another notch in the loss column for the Razorbacks, but it's a step in the right direction.

The frustrating thing for Arkansas was, after it played a mostly clean game following a start to the season that has been riddled with turnovers, the Hogs again bumbled when it mattered most. Needing a touchdown drive at the end of the game, Ty Storey instead threw a pick to end any chance of a comeback.

It was a bitter end to a valiant effort, but nobody is going to feel sorry for you in the SEC, and the Hogs must keep learning and recruiting. It isn't going to be an overnight rebuild for Morris, especially considering the vast differences in coaching styles from the Bret Bielema regime. But this was a building block.

13. Ole Miss Rebels

There's no way to sugarcoat a 45-16 loss to heated rival LSU for Ole Miss.

This is one of those games the Rebels expect to win or at least compete in, no matter the year or the situation. Sure, the Tigers are the better team this year, and they're improving each week with Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow under center, but Ole Miss still expected to show up Saturday night.

Instead, they were left for dead in Death Valley.

Burrow torched Ole Miss' woebegone secondary, which continues not only to struggle but also show little resistance no matter the quarterback. Unfortunately for the Rebels, their vaunted passing game was slowed, too.

That's the second time playing top-shelf opponents that quarterback Jordan Ta'amu and Co. couldn't get o track. It also happened in an embarrassing loss to Alabama.

There was never going to be a postseason for the Rebels, as they continue to muddle through the sanctions from the Hugh Freeze era, but coach Matt Luke needs to continue to build things the right way.

This is still a solid program on strong footing with highly touted quarterback Matt Corral waiting in the wings and a good recruiting class preparing to arrive if they can keep everybody together. It's just a matter of getting through this year and progressing defensively.

Whether defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff is a part of that future or not should depend on whether he can turn things around. Saturday was not a positive sign.

12. Tennessee Volunteers

If you're a Tennessee fan, the time for moral victories is over, and you're just wanting to get back to the point where you compete with your rivals year in and year out.

Saturday's 38-12 loss to Georgia was a lot more competitive than the final score looks, and it was a leap forward from last week's six-turnover debacle against Florida. The Vols were in position to make defensive plays and hit a couple of plays downfield offensively against Georgia.

The talent gap between them and the top programs in the league is wide, and that's evident every time they step onto the field.

Coach Jeremy Pruitt is learning some difficult lessons this year, especially after a season-opening slaughter against West Virginia and back-to-back 26-point SEC East setbacks. But the Vols have to be concerned about getting better from week to week.

They did that from last week till now, and the young secondary, the emergence of junior linebacker Darrell Taylor and the development of running back Ty Chandler and receiver Marquez Callaway are bright spots.

Much like Arkansas, this isn't going to be an overnight fix. UT is at least two recruiting classes away from being able to compete with the top teams, and it may be even further than that.

But Saturday's game, which was at 24-12 in the fourth quarter, should be a building block. It's a matter of what they do in the bye week and moving forward. But games against Auburn and Alabama upcoming may mean it's going to get worse before it gets better.

11. Vanderbilt Commodores

Some things are bigger than football, and that occurred at Vanderbilt Stadium on Saturday when Tennessee State's Christion Abercrombie suffered a severe head injury and had emergency surgery after being rushed to the hospital.

Though it was hard to focus on the game after that, Vanderbilt finished a classic game against an intracity team with a closer-than-expected 31-27 win.

Quarterback Kyle Shurmur struggled from the outset, throwing two quick interceptions. TSU responded behind two FBS transfer quarterbacks in Demry Croft (Minnesota) and Treon Harris (Florida), who is playing wide receiver. They took a 13-10 lead into halftime before the Commodores finally woke up.

That happened thanks to a passing attack of their own, as receiver Kalija Lipscomb had a pair of touchdowns to help VU pull through. Lipscomb's first TD grab was a 38-yard scoring strike, and Ke'Shawn Vaughn added a 78-yard scoring run.

Yes, TSU was undefeated and has looked good this year. But it also is an FCS program that wasn't expected to be close to the Commodores at all. This is a VU team that is just two weeks removed from traveling to South Bend, Indiana, and nearly shocking Notre Dame.

Instead, the Commodores showed up like an SEC bottom-feeder on Saturday. Perhaps they were looking ahead to the big game against No. 2 Georgia next weekend, but it could be VU coming back down to earth the way it did after a hot start last year.

Coach Derek Mason has to guard against the same thing occurring.

10. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Two weeks ago, coach Joe Moorhead's Mississippi State Bulldogs were in the top four on this list, looking like one of the prime opponents to Alabama and Auburn in a grueling SEC West.

Oh, what a difference a couple of bad games make.

After a sterling 3-0 start that featured MSU near the top of the national rankings in scoring offense and defense, the Bulldogs have fallen off the face of the college football planet.

Two weekends ago, they traveled to Kentucky and were dominated by an upstart Wildcats team 28-7. Maybe that was an aberration, right? Well, maybe not. Last weekend, they returned home to Starkville for an important game for the home folks.

They hosted Florida and head coach Dan Mullen, the man who bolted the Bulldogs for Gainesville in the offseason despite having so much returning. It was like he saw a higher ceiling with the Gators and made a lateral move, which didn't sit well with Bulldogs faithful.

Rather than hand him his comeuppance with a loss, the Bulldogs sputtered once again offensively, losing 13-6 in a shocking home setback.

Boos rang out louder than the cowbells after the fourth consecutive second-half punt, according to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger's Tyler Horka.

"This game meant a lot to a lot of people," junior defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said. "To the seniors, to the people in the community. As badly as we wanted to win this game, it happened."

The only way to silence the discord is to get back to winning.

9. South Carolina Gamecocks

No matter how much you want to disguise it as something else, South Carolina has been disappointing this season.

With junior signal-caller Jake Bentley back to go along with several offensive playmakers like Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards and running back Rico Dowdle, the Gamecocks were supposed to be Georgia's biggest competition in the SEC East.

Instead, the Bulldogs easily dispatched them in Week 2 at Columbia, and even after the Gamecocks responded with a convincing road win at Vanderbilt last weekend, they struggled again Saturday.

Kentucky used a massive second quarter to pull ahead and then held off Carolina in an eventual 24-10 win.

Coach Will Muschamp wasn't happy after his team's fifth consecutive loss to Kentucky, pointing out several missed passes and even calling out his receivers.

"I can't catch it for them," Muschamp told reporters. "They've got to catch the ball. That's what they're on scholarship for. They've got to catch the ball."

The Gamecocks also had a frustrating drive that started so well when they converted a 4th-and-10 and a 3rd-and-18. It went 20 plays for 71 yards, taking 7:41 off the clock, but ended with an interception as Bentley threw into double coverage toward Samuel.

It's been a season full of squandered opportunities, and the Gamecocks are so close to being a good team but haven't broken through yet. Now, they've got to play Missouri and Texas A&M next.

8. Florida Gators

All of a sudden, that home loss to Kentucky isn't looking so bad, and Florida has moved beyond that to post a pair of impressive wins in a row.

Make no mistake: The Gators still have deep-rooted offensive issues, but Todd Grantham's defense is performing at a high level after dominating the Vols 47-21 and then going to Mississippi State and whipping the Bulldogs 13-6.

With the game on the line, Grantham dialed up a safety blitz on fourth down to stifle the Bulldogs and win the game.

Florida is winning games with defense and special teams right now, but that isn't going to cut it against teams like LSU, Georgia and even South Carolina and Missouri. The team has to generate more offense, and that will only come if quarterback Feleipe Franks improves.

The Gators are short on playmakers, but they're still winning in spite of that. It's like the early years of the Muschamp and Jim McElwain regimes.

Next week welcomes a massive test when LSU comes to the Swamp for an important game that has a lot of ramifications for both teams. It's also an intriguing matchup, considering how well the Gators are playing lately and the Tigers being one of the top teams in the league.

If UF can somehow pull the home upset, the entire season opens up for the Gators. If LSU wins, it gives coach Ed Orgeron another important resume point for a team that has bigger and better things like Alabama circled on its calendar.

Next week's showdown is big.

7. Missouri TIgers

The Missouri Tigers had a week to recover after a difficult home loss to Georgia a week ago, and it's going to be interesting to see how they respond following the 43-29 loss to the Bulldogs.

Now, they've got their toughest two-game stretch of the season with road trips to South Carolina and Alabama.

While nobody expects the Tigers to escape Tuscaloosa with a victory, this upcoming game against the Gamecocks is a big opportunity to prove they're up there with Kentucky when it comes to the battle for second place in the East Division.

Senior quarterback Drew Lock must play much better in those two games than he did against the Dawgs, and Mizzou also must get more out of its defense, which has been torched in consecutive games against Purdue and UGA.

The Tigers allowed just 29 points against Georgia, though the offense and special teams each surrendered a touchdown. Though they were disappointed in a loss, there was some encouragement that UGA gained just 148 first-half yards.

It was at least an improvement from a shootout win at Purdue.

"A lot of times I feel like people think we play to play," linebacker Terez Hall told the Kansas City Star's Peter Baugh. "Like, 'Oh, Mizzou is playing this team, so keep it close.' No, man. We came to play. We didn’t prepare a full week beating up on each other just so we can go out and lose in a close game."

It's important to get over that hump, and the defense must get a lot better to at least split the next two games. Do that, and Missouri could wind up finishing strong.

6. Texas A&M Aggies

There's no way to come with your A-game every week, especially in a league that's as much of a meat grinder as the SEC.

Texas A&M got away with playing sluggishly on Saturday, walking away from AT&T Stadium with a 24-17 win over a game Arkansas team. The Aggies started the game with a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown, and that was about as exciting as it got.

They slogged through the rest of the game, and quarterback Kellen Mond didn't have his best effort. Thankfully for A&M, junior running back Trayveon Williams had a big game with 152 rushing yards and a pair of scores on the ground.

"I didn't think we played well; we played in spurts." A&M coach Jimbo Fisher told AggieSports.com's Robert Cessna. "...We probably played our worst game of the year."

When that happens and you get away with a win, you consider yourself lucky and use it as a teaching moment.

Mike Elko's defense continues to grow as well, and it responded with a crucial interception when Arkansas needed a scoring drive at the end of the game.

There are a lot of reasons for excitement in Year 1 of the Fisher regime, especially if the Aggies don't do what they've done the past few years under coach Kevin Sumlin and fade. The way this staff is recruiting and with Mond looking like a future star, the Aggies could be a force in the West Division for years to come.

But they've got to play better than they did against the Hogs.

5. Auburn Tigers

Auburn is still one of the best teams in the SEC, but the Tigers won't be for long if they keep playing like they did the past two weeks.

Following a last-second 22-21 loss at home to LSU, coach Gus Malzahn's team endured a lackluster offensive effort against Arkansas but used defense and special teams to dispose of the Razorbacks by a comfortable 34-3 margin.

This past weekend, a lightning-delayed 24-13 win at home against Southern Mississippi wasn't decided until late in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers offensive line struggled yet again as the Golden Eagles' pass rush was a problem. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham hasn't been in sync in several weeks, and the only thing keeping AU afloat on that side of the ball is running back Kam Martin.

Stidham has eclipsed more than 200 passing yards just twice in five games.

"I have full confidence in our guys that we're going to get better," Stidham said, according to the Dothan Eagle's Justin Lee.

If that happens, there's still plenty of time and enough important games for Auburn to be right back where it was a season ago following an early-season loss to LSU. The Tigers have a championship-caliber defense, and the special teams are coming along, too.

This weekend's game against a reeling Mississippi State team is a barometer for getting back on track. Win that one handily, and AU can begin to feel good again.

4. Kentucky Wildcats

If you don't already, it's time to start believing in the Kentucky Wildcats.

It's a toss-up whether they should be rated over the Auburn Tigers right now, but given AU's struggles the past two games and Kentucky continuing to surge, the Wildcats get the nod, at least for this week.

Coach Mark Stoops' team is surging in Year 6 of his tenure, having already dispatched Florida for the first time in 31 years, Mississippi State at home and South Carolina for the fifth consecutive time. Following last weekend's stunning 28-7 thorough pounding of the Bulldogs, UK again mastered the Gamecocks, 24-10.

Everybody expected veteran running back Benny Snell Jr. to be the star of the show, but JUCO transfer quarterback Terry Wilson continues to make plays through the air and on the ground. Perhaps most unexpectedly, the defense has been solid.

It's a team that has taken on the rugged persona of Stoops.

Right now, the only question is whether the Wildcats are Georgia's biggest threat in the East.

Sports Illustrated's Scooby Axson isn't buying just yet, pointing to the fact that "entering Saturday's game, the Wildcats ranked near the bottom of the FBS in explosive plays, having only 10 plays that went for 20 or more yards."

The methodical way Kentucky is winning may not be sexy enough, but the team is winning. And that in itself is turning heads. A road trip to Texas A&M this weekend and back-to-back tests against Missouri and Georgia on October 27 and November 3 will tell us a lot.

But the Wildcats are the most surprising story in the SEC thus far.

3. LSU Tigers

When Joe Burrow decided to finish his collegiate career at Death Valley rather than with the Ohio State Buckeyes, coach Ed Orgeron won a bit of a lottery, considering the Tigers' struggles at the position in recent years.

After an up-and-down start, the signal-caller posted the most brilliant game of his career in a thumping of Ole Miss this past weekend. Part of the reason is the Rebels' awful defense, but there's no question Burrow is growing into his role.

In a 45-16 win, the junior set career highs for passing (292 yards), rushing (96 yards) and total offense (388 yards). The game earned him conference offensive player of the week honors.

"Our offense is getting ready to take off," Burrow told the Times-Picayune's Brody Miller after the win over the rival Rebels. "I think we took a stride tonight."

Playing in front of the home folks is one thing, but Burrow did it at Jordan-Hare Stadium in a comeback win over Auburn, and he gets a major opportunity to do it again this weekend at the Swamp. Handle business there, and the Tigers really will be rolling because UF's defense is playing at a high level.

Speaking of defense, that's why LSU is rated so high in the SEC. Are the Tigers truly a threat to Alabama in the SEC West? They've got to continue to mature and develop a killer instinct that shows on the scoreboard.

But the bottom line is they're winning games, and they're getting more and more convincing. This weekend's battle against the Gators is a huge test.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

A week after Georgia struggled for a half offensively against Missouri, the Bulldogs again failed to bring their best effort in a home win over Tennessee.

Though the Bulldogs wound up winning by a comfortable 38-12 margin, it was much closer than that. The Vols were within 12 points in the fourth quarter before a run-oriented, big-boy drive against a tired UT defense put it away, and the Dawgs added another score following a Jeremy Banks fumble.

The defense continues to play at a high level, swarming around the ball. But quarterback Jake Fromm wasn't consistently sharp, missing a couple of open receivers downfield. And UGA's running back rotation looks disjointed right now.

It's good to be complaining about things like that while still winning by 14 points against Mizzou and 26 points against the Vols. But the fact is UGA was expected to win those games, and coach Kirby Smart's team has its eyes on bigger things.

The defending national runners-up are young, but there is still enough talent to get back to the College Football Playoff. They've got to put everything together.

This isn't news to Smart, who made that clear when asked during a press conference if the Bulldogs are where they thought they'd be heading into October: "It's extremely hypothetical because I don't think you can say where I thought they would be. We're a work in progress. We're a child trying to learn to walk and then run, then sprint. And we're not sprinting. I don't know if we're jogging yet. I don't know where we are on the continuum. But we have to improve."

It's a good problem to have to be 5-0 and be talking about that high of a ceiling, but it's true. The Dawgs are an elite team; they just have to start playing like it again.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Another weekend, another monumental blowout.

By this point, it's become expected in Tuscaloosa, but Louisiana-Lafayette had zero chance this past weekend as the Crimson Tide built a 49-0 halftime lead.

It was a showcase game for Tua Tagovailoa, who may as well been throwing against air, and star freshman wideout Jaylen Waddle, who had three catches for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns and took a punt 63 yards to the house, too. He's averaging 24 yards per catch on the season.

UA coach Nick Saban says he's "pleased" with Waddle's progress. I'd say so.

"Dude is explosive," Alabama running back and kickoff returner Josh Jacobs said, according to AL.com's Michael Casagrande. "Very shifty. Very fast. So, he's going to be a problem. He's going to create mismatches whenever he's out there, regardless of if [sic] he's on special teams or offense."

This weekend, Arkansas shouldn't be much of an issue for the Tide before they host pass-happy Missouri. The easy schedule for UA has enhanced its production, but the Tide have looked pretty much invincible so far.

At times, it's difficult to tell if the teams they're playing are bad or if they're just making them look that way.

One thing is for certain: The Crimson Tide are dominant, and right now, it looks like they're the best in all of college football yet again.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of Sports Reference and CFBStats.com and recruiting data courtesy of 247Sports. Odds provided by OddsShark.

Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.