The SEC is a pressure cooker, and this season’s race for supremacy feels like a spider’s web with no escape. As the contenders battle it out, the two-loss teams—Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Tennessee—are like intricate chess pieces moving toward the playoff board. The Texas Longhorns are out in front with a 9-1 record, while the rest of the teams trail with 8-2 records. Deciphering who belongs in the SEC Championship Game is no small feat, but Joel Klatt, on The Joel Klatt Show, is here to untangle the mess with his unique ranking strategy.

Klatt’s framework for ranking these teams is simple yet effective. The Fox Sports analyst puts his case—“Who are you at your best? Let’s take everybody’s ceiling and let’s rate the ceilings and then place them in my rankings based on their ceiling.” He prioritizes ceiling over floor, assessing how dominant each team is when firing on all cylinders. “Georgia at their best is better than all of these teams,” Klatt declared, pointing to the Bulldogs’ impressive win over the Texas Longhorns on the road and their handling of Tennessee.

Next, Klatt slotted Ole Miss, and this might raise a few eyebrows. While Alabama and Tennessee are traditional powerhouses, Ole Miss holds a trump card: they thoroughly dominated Georgia for nearly an entire game, a feat unmatched by the others. It’s this kind of performance that catapults them above Alabama, whose best moments—a solid half against Georgia and a standout road win over LSU—don’t carry the same dominance. Ole Miss’ victory over the Dawgs helps them come in second on this list, but the former Buffs QB believes that the Bulldogs have a higher ceiling than the Rebels.

Tennessee finds itself fourth in Klatt’s rankings, largely because their ceiling moment—a narrow home win over Alabama—doesn’t shine as brightly compared to the others. Despite flashes of brilliance, the Volvs haven’t consistently reached the levels of their SEC counterparts. Still, Klatt’s analysis underscores how tight the margins are, as each of these teams has beaten or been beaten by another in this group. The great analyst already came here with his top teams in the CFB rankings in his mind.

Joel Klatt’s top four CFB Teams were already set

Klatt started the list after week 12, of course, putting Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks first. The team is lonely at the top with an 11-0 on everyone’s list. Then he put the Buckeyes with a 9-1 record; they still have the best roster in college football, and it showed in their win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns, with a 9-1, came in third. Their Arkansas display wasn’t as decisive as its win over the Florida Gators a week prior. But Sark and Co. got their job done in a road game against a rival on Saturday. Fourth comes Cignetti’s Indiana with a perfect 10-0, reminding everyone that Hoosiers are better than what people think. They have been so consistent all season long, and the defense has been better than some might realize.

As we approach the business end of the season, Klatt’s insight highlights a bigger picture: the SEC especially remains a gladiator arena.