Southeastern Conference football is in full swing with the results of last weekend, as two of the premiere programs in the league lost, one in a big upset. It has totally shaken up our SEC Power Rankings. Now, as October rolls in, we have a good idea as to who the true contenders and pretenders are. Let’s go ahead and dive into that.
16. Mississippi State
They put up a fight against the Texas Longhorns, but the Bulldogs were also largely lucky with Steve Sarkisian’s team committing quite a few turnovers. Jeff Lebby is building something, and I’ll stick by that, but there’s no way anybody could say this isn’t the worst team in the league as of right now.
15. Auburn
Pastor Hugh Freeze seems to have upset the college football gods. The Tigers absolutely choked what should have been a sure win against the Oklahoma Sooners over the weekend. Their constant losing puts them near the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings, and they may have quit on their team.
14. Florida
Billy Napier still seems like a dead man walking, but the Gators got a bye at just the right time, coming off a blowout win over Mississippi State. Maybe they can get something going in October to save Napier’s job, but they are still one of the worst teams in the league as of right now.
13. Vanderbilt
Clark Lea should be coaching a 5-0 team right now. However, Vandy is gonna Vandy, and the Commodores choked away two games to the Georgia State Panthers and Missouri Tigers. Although they were close, that loss to GSU keeps Vandy down here in our SEC Power Rankings. You can’t drop those.
12. Arkansas
Sam Pittman’s team should also be 5-0, but Pittman’s in-game mismanagement always costs his team in close games. The Razorbacks dropped a tough one to the Texas A&M Aggies, and just like Vandy, you have to think the Hogs are gonna pull a Hogs at some point every time they step onto the field.
11. Texas A&M
Mike Elko doesn’t have a quarterback, but the Aggies are now 4-1, and they constantly win games in ugly fashion. Sure, they got lucky against the Hogs over the weekend, just as they did against the Bowling Green Falcons, so they are below average in our SEC Power Rankings, but they are staying afloat.
10. Oklahoma
Brent Venables is not down and out. The Sooners have their quarterback now in Michael Hawkins Jr., and thanks to Auburn being Auburn, they were able to pull out the most improbable win ever with their defense. Although the offense is still an issue, 4-1 is 4-1.
9. Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are out of the race of contenders. Dropping a game at home to the Kentucky Wildcats is just something you can’t afford to do. They still have a shot at the College Football Playoff, and it’s a reasonable one, but you have to wonder if a game like this will force them to come undone.
8. Kentucky
How about Mark Stoops and the Wildcats! UK has found its offense, they are taking deep shots now, and the defense is still there. It’s hard to believe these guys lost a game 31-6 to the South Carolina Gamecocks earlier in the year. At 3-2, though, they look like a dangerous, physical team.
7. South Carolina
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks had a much-needed bye, and despite that heartbreaking loss to the LSU Tigers a week ago, they still have that dominant win over UK. As a result, that and a better record forces us to put them in the top half of our SEC Power Rankings for now.
6. Missouri
Eli Drinkwitz and Mizzou got lucky against Vandy a week ago, but by hook or crook, they are still undefeated and now coming off a bye. As a result, the Tigers belong near the top of these rankings, but for now, we can’t really put them in the contenders category.
5. LSU
LSU has a loss, but they fell to the USC Trojans, and they didn’t struggle with Vandy, so we have to put them ahead of Mizzou in our SEC Power Rankings. Even without Harold Perkins Jr. on defense, Brian Kelly has a contender, and the team is coming together, so watch out.
4. Tennessee
There’s a clear-cut tier in our SEC Power Rankings, and UT is in that top tier. Josh Heupel still needs his offense to return to the offense of years past with Nico Iamaleava, and not having a healthy offensive line could be an issue. With those in mind, UT could still be below UGA.
3. Texas
A series of mistakes with Arch Manning starting at quarterback that weren’t even Manning’s fault kept the Longhorns closer than they should have been with MSU. However, Steve Sarkisian’s team remains undefeated. That struggle drops them this week, though, in our SEC Power Rankings.
2. Georgia
Sure, they lost, but the Bulldogs fell on the road to a top five team by one touchdown. They came back from a 28-0 deficit and should have beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide, so we can’t drop them too much in our power rankings. Kirby Smart’s team is still elite.
1. Alabama
Kalen DeBoer is legit, and Jalen Milroe is a fit for this offense. The Crimson Tide deserve to be No. 1 in our SEC Power Rankings, and they should be No. 1 in the nation in every poll after that win. They have a lot to be excited about going forward.
