Power Rankings: Could Texas take the top spot in the SEC?

The Philadelphia Eagles‘ blowout win in Super Bowl LIX ended up being far from the most compelling sporting event to happen this past Sunday.

In a top-five women’s college basketball showdown earlier that afternoon, No. 4 Texas upset No. 2 South Carolina 66-62, marking the first time since December 2021 that South Carolina dropped a game in SEC regular-season play — in other words, two national championships ago for the Gamecocks. The matchup amassed over one million television viewers.

The win was a long time coming for Texas — it was coach Vic Schaefer’s first in 10 tries against top-five-ranked Dawn Staley squads — and avenged the Longhorns’ 17-point defeat to South Carolina in January. Big picture, the result strengthened Texas’ hold on a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament and made the SEC title race more interesting, as South Carolina, Texas and LSU all sit tied atop the conference standings at 10-1. Plus, it shook things up in ESPN’s latest Power Rankings, with Notre Dame and Texas coming in No. 2 and No. 3 behind top-dog UCLA while South Carolina dropped to No. 4.

Expect even more jostling in the rankings, standings and projected NCAA tournament field this coming week. USC and UCLA face off in a marquee matchup Thursday at the Galen Center. Sunday features a pair of top-10 showdowns on ABC, starting with UConn taking on South Carolina at 1 p.m. ET and LSU going up against Texas at 3 p.m. The ACC has some intriguing games with NC State visiting North Carolina on Sunday and Duke at Notre Dame on Monday. All will make for appointment viewing as the regular season nears its close and postseason play rapidly approaches. — Alexa Philippou

Previous ranking: 1

The Bruins are the last undefeated program standing, after picking up two wins last week, including one against ranked Ohio State. All eyes are on their Thursday matchup against crosstown rival USC, which could provide them with a big test. — Kendra Andrews

Next seven days: @ USC (Feb. 13), vs. Michigan State (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 3

Notre Dame handed Stanford its worst loss in program history (49 points) and then followed that up by building a 23-point lead against Cal in the first half. With the way the Irish are shooting and the depth they’ve proven to have, there are no signs of them slowing down. — Andrews

Next seven days: @ Pittsburgh (Feb. 13), vs. Duke (Feb. 17)

Previous ranking: 5

You can’t talk about the Longhorns’ big upset without talking about star sophomore Madison Booker. Booker had to work for her shots Sunday but still led all players in scoring and became the first Longhorn since 2019 to compile 20 points and 10 rebounds against an AP top-10 opponent. Posts Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre were also impactful with a combined 24 points, 12 rebounds and 6 steals and will be crucial for Texas as it seeks to return to the Final Four for the first time in over two decades. — Philippou

Next seven days: @ Kentucky (Feb. 13), vs. LSU (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 2

The Gamecocks picked up their second loss of the season last week, falling to Texas by only four points. It was South Carolina’s first SEC regular-season loss in 57 games. — Andrews

Next seven days: vs. Florida (Feb. 13), vs. UConn (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 4

LSU pulled off two somewhat tight wins over SEC foes Missouri and Tennessee, while the Lady Vols were coming off their huge upset over UConn. The more Kailyn Gilbert can establish herself as a reliable fourth scorer to complement the Tigers’ big three — as she did against Tennessee last weekend — the more likely LSU is to make some real noise in March. Sunday’s matchup against the surging Longhorns should be a litmus test on whether the Tigers belong in the upper echelon of national title contenders. — Philippou

Next seven days: @ Texas (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 7

The Trojans dominated Ohio State, beating it by 21 points. But here comes the real test: UCLA. This will be a Hollywood matchup and could see USC hand the Bruins their first loss of the season. — Andrews

Next seven days: vs. UCLA (Feb. 13), @ Washington (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 8

The Buckeyes had the opportunity to prove they are among the Big Ten’s utmost elite but faltered in both road contests against top-10 squads UCLA and USC. The UCLA game was at least more competitive — the score was tied early in the fourth quarter before the Bruins went up by as many as 18. USC easily took care of the Buckeyes, who trailed by as many as 25. The biggest concern was that Ohio State’s offense went cold in both outings, shooting 29.4% from the field. Kevin McGuff’s squad can get back on track this week against likely NCAA tournament teams Minnesota and Iowa. — Philippou

Next seven days: vs. Minnesota (Feb. 13), vs. Iowa (Feb. 17)

Previous ranking: 6

Geno Auriemma was not pleased with how his Huskies handled then-No. 19 Tennessee in Thursday’s 80-76 road loss to the Lady Vols, the first time UConn fell to its storied rival since the series’ resumption in 2020. The coach in particular was critical of star Paige Bueckers for her lack of aggressiveness and said he wanted to see more from redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy. Those two and the rest of the Huskies will look to respond to Auriemma’s challenge Sunday against arguably their toughest opponent this season: No. 4 South Carolina, at Colonial Life Arena. — Philippou

Next seven days: vs. St. John’s (Feb. 12), @ South Carolina (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 11

It was a seesaw of a week for Kansas State, which first picked up a big win over then-No. 9 TCU behind Serena Sundell‘s season-high 27 points but then was stunned by Oklahoma State on Saturday. It wasn’t so much the result that was surprising but the way the Wildcats lost, getting outscored 51-20 in the first half and allowing the Cowgirls to net 14 3-pointers. But with the teams around them having worse weeks, Kansas State ended up gaining ground in these Power Rankings because it could at least boast that TCU win. Fortunately, star center Ayoka Lee could return in about 10 days, according to Hoops HQ’s Eden Laase. — Philippou

Next seven days: @ Cincinnati (Feb. 12), vs. UCF (Feb. 15), @ West Virginia (Feb. 17)

Previous ranking: 10

TCU is continuing to slip, including a loss to Kansas State last week. Defenses have been pressing hard on Hailey Van Lith and even doubling Sedona Prince down low where it’s hard for the Horned Frogs to produce a flowing offense. — Andrews

Next seven days: @ Arizona (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 9

Kenny Brooks’ Wildcats have had an up-and-down start to SEC play: They boast big wins over Vanderbilt, Alabama and Oklahoma, but their pair of conference losses are to Texas A&M and, as of Monday, Ole Miss. In the latter contest, Kentucky was outrebounded 54-33, took 21 fewer shots than the Rebels and was outscored 35-20 after halftime. Ole Miss is no slouch, but the Wildcats’ conference schedule will only ramp from here, starting with a Thursday game against Texas, before later ending their regular-season slate against LSU, Tennessee and South Carolina. — Philippou

Next seven days: vs. Texas (Feb. 13), vs. Georgia (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 12

For most of the season, NC State hasn’t been the same juggernaut it was last season, but the squad might be finally finding its groove. On Feb. 3, the Wolfpack secured a signature win by beating Duke, and on Sunday they followed that with a blowout win at then-No. 22 Florida State. In all, Wes Moore’s squad has won 15 of its past 16 games and is second in the ACC standings behind Notre Dame. How NC State fares as its conference schedule intensifies — starting Sunday when it plays UNC on the road — will signify whether the Wolfpack have truly flipped a switch. — Philippou

Next seven days: vs. Miami (Feb. 13), @ North Carolina (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 13

Duke took care of business after last week’s loss at NC State, stringing together comfortable wins over Clemson (by 19) and Miami (by 41) behind a combined 44 points from star freshman Toby Fournier. A sign of growth for Kara Lawson’s squad would be to pull off an upset next Monday against Notre Dame, which jumped to No. 2 in the AP poll, guaranteeing the Blue Devils the potential for a signature win. — Philippou

Next seven days: @ Wake Forest (Feb. 13), @ Notre Dame (Feb. 17)

Previous ranking: 14

Oklahoma nearly let a game slip away to unranked Auburn as it operates without its leading scorer Reagan Beers. The good news for the Sooners is they’re entering a lighter portion of their schedule, which should allow them to stack some wins. — Andrews

Next seven days: @ Missouri (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: 15

North Carolina has had some tight games recently, beating California by 11 and then Stanford and Clemson each by two. Sunday’s win over the Tigers featured a game-winner from Reniya Kelly with 42 seconds left to ensure the Tar Heels remained one of three teams in the country that are still undefeated on the road. But UNC’s next big test will actually be home at Carmichael Arena when it hosts NC State, which shot up to the No. 10 spot in the AP poll this week. — Philippou

Next seven days: vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 13), vs. NC State (Feb. 16)

Previous ranking: NR

The Lady Vols had a split week, losing to LSU by just five points, but then picking up a huge win over UConn in a four-point upset — their first win in this rivalry since 2007. That win washed away any sour taste, and now a three-game homestand should let them build some momentum as the schedule heads toward March. — Andrews

Next seven days: vs. Auburn (Feb. 13), vs. Ole Miss (Feb. 16)

Fell out: Michigan State Spartans

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