1. Alabama, 238 points (18 first-place votes)
2. Florida, 219 (2)
3. Georgia, 203
4. LSU, 176
5. South Carolina, 158
6. Mississippi, 129
7. Vanderbilt, 122
8. Kentucky, 101.5
9. Auburn, 65.5
10. Arkansas, 62
11. Tennessee, 54
12. Mississippi State, 32
The poll remains remarkably stable, though Ole Miss leapfrogs Vanderbilt and Kentucky to claim the No. 6 spot. Tennessee, meanwhile, is closing the gap on Mississippi State in the race for the "Worst of the Best" Cup. (The margin only fell from 22.5 points last week to 22 points this week -- but four more voters cast ballots this week.) Don't worry, Vols fans; Mississippi State doesn't face another Sun Belt team this year.
In any case, voters are coming to the same sinking conclusion we all are. As The Dead Guy notes: "With each passing week, it becomes more and more evident that the SEC isn't as deep this year as it has been in years past, particularly last year. The top 5 teams are pretty clear, but after that, it's a garbled mess of mediocrity."
Voters explain the rest after the jump.
ALABAMA
Nice win in Knoxville. Saban has this team playing at a higher level than they should. Despite the wins they have serious shortcomings on offense, can they keep overcoming them the rest of the way?--Orange and Blue Hue
Nice to see that the Tide rediscovered the art of closing out a game in the second half. Or maybe they just discovered a terrible offense to go up against.--Hey Jenny Slater
This is the easy one. The Crimson Tide are 8-0 and, while it took the Red Elephants a while to pull away in Knoxville, they left no doubt that they were by far the better team. When you're the last undefeated team left in the S.E.C., you're the top team in the league. (Those are the kind of keen insights you can't get just anywhere, by the way.)--Dawg Sports
FLORIDA
Seem to have regained the special teams magic that helped them so much in 2006.--Garnet and Black Attack
It's not fair. They found the three fastest human beings on the entire planet and they put them all on the same offense and IT'S NOT FAIR!!1!!!1!1!! [/five-year-old girl]--Hey Jenny Slater
I know Kentucky was suiting up bottled water vendors by the end of the game, but still, the 2007 Florida defense doesn't hold the 'Cats without a touchdown.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash
GEORGIA
Matt Stafford has established himself as truly one of the best QBs in all of college football. The question is whether his line can keep him and Moreno healthy the rest of the way.--Orange and Blue Hue
Just reveling in the Dawgs having hung half-a-100 on LSU in their own stadium. Huh? We allowed nearly 500 yards of total offense? Nope, don't know anything about that, dum-tee-da-da, dum-tee-doo ... --Hey Jenny Slater
Scoring 50 on LSU in Baton Rouge is more impressive than doing so against Kentucky ... right?--Red Solo Cup
LSU
The Tigers have been pasted by the elite teams from the East. The defense has slipped far too much given their talent. Apparently Pelini took the heart of the LSU defense with him when he left.--Orange and Blue Hue
The Tigers were shredded by the Beasts of the East, which may not bode well for next weekend's Best of the West showdown with the Tide.--The Dead Guy
It's easy to say the Tigers need a better quarterback, but quarterbacks aren't blowing pass coverages and missing tackles.--Georgia Sports Blog
SOUTH CAROLINA
Not spectacular by any means, but they do have a solid defense and are quietly putting together a pretty respectable season.--Roll Bama Roll
Just a few weeks ago everyone was ready for Spurrier to ride off into the sunset. Next week against Tennessee will be a great opportunity to make a statement about the new order in the middle of the SEC East.--Save the Shield
Oh, the Ole Ball Coach has been waiting all year for this week -- another chance to face his old foe, the Great Punkin. Enjoy it while you can, Steve, it'll likely be your last chance.--Gate 21
MISSISSIPPI
What else to say? Dangerous as hell, inconsistent as perceptions of hell.--Pelican State Sports
Two-point squeaker on the road over improving 'Hogs more impressive than "two-point squeaker" implies. With Auburn, ULM, and Miss. St. all left on the schedule, odds are stacked in 7-5's favor.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash
Bounced back from a tough loss in Tuscaloosa to beat a fired up Arkansas team. Could this be the weekend they start a *gasp* winning streak in conference?--The Dead Guy
VANDERBILT
They not only came crashing back to earth, but may have gone subterranean.--Pelican State Sports
Vandy is UT without having played Florida and Georgia yet. Good defense, no offense.--Orange and Blue Hue
Pulling a USC move with the excellent start then fall from grace.--Leftover Hot Dog
KENTUCKY
They've been good on D so far, but the meltdown against Florida was just shameful. Still getting to a third straight bowl, though ... --Roll Bama Roll
Managed to hold Tebow and the Gators below 70. Great success!--Hey Jenny Slater
Given their special teams play last week, I think Kentucky should start going for it on 4th Down every time, and to drink for several days in advance to dull the pain. Still, they're 5-3.--Gate 21
63-5. Is that a score, or how many Wildcats it takes to beat 5 Gators in football?--A Sea of Blue
AUBURN
Between Vanderbilt and Auburn, the number of SEC out-of-conference losses increased by 40% this week.--Save the Shield
Dear Coach Wingnut: Fix the offense. And stop firing people. That is all.--Loser With Socks
260-yard EXPLOSION in Morgantown helps Tigers hold steady at No. 109 in the total offense rankings. In your face, Vols! No. 114 sucks!--Joe Cribbs Car Wash
ARKANSAS
The Hogs are willing to give you bang for your ticket buck: their five games against teams not currently ranked No. 1, No. 2, and No. 5 in the country have been decided by a combined 11 points.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash
Hogs are now good enough to break your heart on a regular basis, but not good enough to actually win a lot of games. Great.--Razorback Expats
Yes, I know the Razorbacks are just 3-5, but they're a team on the rise. The Hogs clearly are making progress, and I fully expect the next Arkansas coach to inherit an improved program when Bobby Petrino bolts for his next gig in the dead of night.--Dawg Sports
TENNESSEE
They got up for the game and played hard for 60 minutes. Vols fans can take any issue they want with the coaches, but they should be damn proud of their players. Still, gobble gobble and such.--Roll Bama Roll
This is the most talented, most uncaring, no-hearted, completely devoid of guts or any compelling reason to want them to do well team I have ever seen. A disgrace.--Pelican State Sports
More talk about Fulmer than the football team lately.--Leftover Hot Dog
What can be said about Tennessee that hasn't already been said about Afghanistan: it's bombed out and depleted.--Red Solo Cup
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Probably their last win of the season.--Garnet and Black Attack
For all the talk of the SEC being down, Croom's Bulldogs are still the only team to have lost to a non-BCS team.--Year 2
Croom burned a red shirt on a promising wide receiver for a 2 yard end around play. Way to go!--Mississippi State Sports Blog