There are still tons of questions surrounding the league as a whole. Nobody looks that good. However, the top two currently look like the two you would expect on any given year. Whether or not it lasts heading into October is a different question. Here is a look at our SEC Power Rankings after Week 4.
14. Vanderbilt
No surprise here, Clark Lea’s team did not take another step forward from last year’s 5-7 disaster. A 45-28 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats is just part of an unraveling program. Losing to the UNLV Rebels was all we needed to know that there’s no reason to have faith in this team being dangerous at all.
13. Mississippi State
Over the last three weeks, the Mississippi State Bulldogs beat the Arizona Wildcats at home off a bad call, got blown out by the LSU Tigers and then lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks. The magic behind this team is somewhat over, and they’re back to looking like we thought they’d look.
12. Arkansas
Yes, they played LSU close, but that was a rivalry game for the Arkansas Razorbacks. We still can’t overlook them losing at home to the BYU Cougars a week earlier, so as of right now, they still belong near the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings, and Sam Pittman’s program is in trouble.
11. South Carolina
Both of South Carolina’s losses are to teams who are still undefeated. Mississippi State was their first good win on the season, though, and it’s a game they should have won given the fact that they were playing at home and at night. Now they’ve got a real test visiting the Vols.
10. Auburn
So Hugh Freeze’s Auburn Tigers weren’t ready for big time just yet. They didn’t just lose to the Texas A&M Aggies over the weekend. This team got blown out. The offense still hasn’t taken off, and that means they’ll likely remain in the bottom half of the league for at least this year.
9. Tennessee
A win over the UTSA Roadrunners doesn’t erase what we saw the previous two weeks of the season. The Vols are surrounded by questions, most notably at quarterback, as they get set to enter their gauntlet of league play. That will show us where they truly belong in this league.
8. Florida
Sure, the Gators didn’t look great against the Charlotte 49ers, but that team has actually put up fights against multiple programs. Right now, Florida’s only loss is to an undefeated Utah Utes team, and they still have that impressive win over Tennessee, so they are middle of the pack in the league.
7. Texas A&M
Hey, Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M aren’t done yet. That loss to the Miami Hurricanes doesn’t look as bad anymore, and beating an undefeated Auburn team, even if it does have a new head coach, is pretty impressive. As a result, they’re in the top half of our SEC Power Rankings.
6. Ole Miss
We had no idea what to make of this Ole Miss Rebels team through three weeks, but Lane Kiffin’s unit was exposed for the most likely thing we thought they would be in their loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. They have an offensive genius as head coach but are limited talent wise.
5. Kentucky
After looking ugly in Week 2, Kentucky has been dominant the past two games. Now, true, it’s part of the easiest start to the season any program has ever enjoyed, but Mark Stoops’ team is still 4-0. We’ll find out if they belong near the top of the league this week when they face Florida.
4. Missouri
Unlike Kentucky, the Missouri Tigers have quality wins. They beat the Kansas State Wildcats and then just beat one of the best Group of five teams in the Memphis Tigers. As a result, we can’t ignore them anymore, and they belong in the top four of our SEC Power Rankings.
3. LSU
People are going to overreact to LSU struggling to put away Arkansas at home, and it did drop them one spot, but it’s not a big deal. That’s a rivalry game, so the Hogs always put up a fight. LSU is still fine and has everything out in front of it, and it’s looking like one of the best teams in the league.
2. Alabama
We truly may be witnessing an old-school Alabama team, as the Tide beat Ole Miss with elite defense and good enough offense last Saturday. Jalen Milroe is Nick Saban’s quarterback, and while he has issues, this team has a formula to win with him, so they may be back on track.
1. Georgia
Once again, the Georgia Bulldogs didn’t cover, beating the UAB Blazers 49-21, but Carson Beck looked better. They are still undefeated too, despite the most pathetic schedule any team of their caliber has ever played, so while they don’t deserve a high ranking, they belong at the top of our SEC Power Rankings.
