Ole Miss, Georgia and Kentucky headline a reshuffled SEC after Week 3

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss put on a performance that has the Rebels looking like genuine SEC title contenders, leading Oxford to a 32-24 win over then-No. 7 LSU and coach Lane Kiffin in what sources described as perhaps the greatest atmosphere in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history. Combined with Kentucky's 31-21 road win at Kyle Field and Mississippi State's 41-34 shootout victory at South Carolina, Week 3 delivered the first meaningful slate of SEC conference games — and it reshuffled the league's power order considerably.

According to CBS Sports, Ole Miss now sits at No. 3 in the CBS Sports 138 behind Texas at No. 1 and Georgia at No. 2 — giving the SEC all three of the top spots in that comprehensive ranking. The conference also holds half of the top 10 and 10 of the top 23 spots nationally.

Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) reinforced its No. 2 national standing with a 45-17 demolition of Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, a result that was as lopsided as the score suggests. Kirby Smart, now the holder of the highest winning percentage in SEC history according to UGA Wire, was already looking ahead.

Humility is a week away. Next week, humble pie is somewhere.— Kirby Smart, Georgia head coach

That humbling comes in the form of No. 14 Tennessee visiting Athens — or rather, No. 1 Texas visiting Neyland Stadium — as the Volunteers (3-0) handled Kennesaw State 42-9 to stay unbeaten. A Texas-Tennessee clash in Week 4 is now the game circled on every SEC fan's calendar.

The week's biggest loser in the rankings was Texas A&M. The No. 8 Aggies fell 31-21 to Kentucky at Kyle Field, with Saturday Down South noting that Marcel Reed struggled as a passer and the A&M defense surrendered too many big plays to the Kentucky offense. The Aggies now face a road trip to LSU. Kentucky, meanwhile, climbed sharply in the rankings. Saturday Down South credited first-year influence from coach Will Stein and suggested the Wildcats could reach seven or eight wins this season.

LSU's loss to Ole Miss dropped the Tigers to No. 10 in the CBS Sports 138. Saturday Down South noted that LSU was playing a top-10 team on the road in a hostile environment and lost by eight, stopping short of sounding an alarm — but pointing out that coach Lane Kiffin needs quarterback Sam Leavitt to protect the football better going forward.

Alabama (3-0) continued its pattern of slow starts and dominant second halves, beating Florida State 50-36 in a storm-delayed game. Saturday Down South observed that first-half Alabama looks like a five-win team while second-half Alabama looks like a top-five program, and called on coach Kalen DeBoer to find whatever he is saying at halftime and move it to the pregame locker room. Quarterback Keelon Russell's growing comfort in big games has the Tide looking like a Playoff contender.

Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) earned a 44-39 road win at Auburn behind running back Jadan Baugh and quarterback Aaron Philo, giving first-year coach Jon Sumrall a strong start. Ole Miss hosts Florida in Week 4, a game Saturday Down South suggested could be a trap for the Rebels despite oddsmakers favoring Florida — bulletin-board material, in their view, for Pete Golding's squad.

Mississippi State (3-0, 1-0 SEC) used a 27-point second half to beat South Carolina 41-34 in Columbia. Running back Kamario Taylor's Heisman candidacy, which Saturday Down South had previously called nearly impossible, is now described as at least within the realm of possibility if the Bulldogs can reach nine wins in the regular season.

Vanderbilt (3-0, 1-0 SEC) is unbeaten but unconvincing. The Commodores trailed NC State the entire game before winning 35-31 on the final play after NC State fumbled with one second remaining at FirstBank Stadium. Saturday Down South was blunt: it was one of the worst mistakes in football history that kept Vanderbilt's record clean, and the outlet predicted the Commodores would lose by more than two touchdowns at Auburn in Week 4.

Oklahoma (2-1) and Missouri (3-0) both won against non-Power Four opponents but neither impressed. Oklahoma beat New Mexico 14-6 while dealing with a practice injury to star defensive lineman David Stone, and Missouri edged Troy 27-17 in a sluggish performance that Saturday Down South warned could spell trouble in Starkville against Mississippi State. South Carolina (2-1) faces a defining moment for coach Shane Beamer with a road trip to Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium in Week 4.

According to CBS Sports, the top seven teams nationally — Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Miami, Notre Dame, Indiana and Ohio State — have separated into a clear tier, each averaging a ballot ranking of 6.0 or better among CBS Sports and 247Sports voters. LSU, at No. 10, averages 12.1, reflecting significantly less consensus about the teams just outside that elite group.

Why it matters — With Texas, Georgia and Ole Miss occupying the top three national spots and a loaded Week 4 slate — including Texas at Tennessee and Ole Miss at Florida — the SEC is positioned to dominate the College Football Playoff conversation, and this week's results will either cement or crack that hierarchy.

Reported by yahoo.com, ugawire.usatoday.com, saturdaydownsouth.com, cbssports.com, volswire.usatoday.com