SEC Football

SEC Power Rankings: Yeah, Alabama is Alabama still.

Georgia and Alabama are the best two teams in the SEC. There isn't much to it.

By thomasfloyd@thom_thebomb Oct 2, 2017, 12:35pm EDT

Well, I was actually right about Georgia being that good. I said they weren't as good as USC a couple weeks ago, and I was obviously wrong about that. Other than that, LSU is bad and Florida needs Feliepe Franks to come alive.

14. Missouri Tigers (LW: 14)

They didn't play but Missouri still sucks either way.

13. Ole Miss Rebels (LW: 12)

Yeah, Ole Miss went in to a literal hornet’s nest and got killed. I’m expecting them to clean house after the season, and you probably should too. Shea Patterson had a QBR of 7, which I can't completely blame on him. He needs help, and bad. Ole Miss is probably going to be a bottom feeder for a while.

12. Vanderbilt Commodores (LW: 12)

Vanderbilt went from giving up like 13 points in three games to giving up almost a hundred in two. They gave up 38 to the offensive powerhouse of Florida, which is a terrible sign. When Kyle Shurmur is forced to throw 40 times, it isn't going to be a good game for the Commodores. Oh yeah, they get to play Georgia this week too. Vanderbilt already had their one “mulligan” as you commenters would say.

11. Tennessee Volunteers (LW: 11)

Georgia said here you go, here’s an old fashioned ass whooping. Getting shut out 41-0 at home is awful, not even considering how they just got straight up dominated from start to finish. Quitnen Dormandy only registered a QBR of 1.6. I really don't think I’ve ever seen anything that bad. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel played like themselves, rushing for a combined 150+ yards on this Vols “defense”. Butch Jones is gone.

10. LSU Tigers (LW: 5)

LSU hasn't had a quality win this year. They've beaten BYU, Chatanooga, and Syracuse. All three of those teams aren't any good. The one time they’ve played someone equal to them talent wise, they've lost. The Tigers just threw up a stinker and lost their homecoming game to Troy. They have too much damn talent to be playing this bad. I’m going to include this tweet and you should need no other reasoning for LSU to be at 10:

Hey @LSU, thanks for having us down for homecoming! We really enjoyed it!
— Troy University (@TROYUnews) October 1, 2017

Troy got paid almost a million dollars to play this game.

NCAA Football: Mississippi State at Auburn

9. Mississippi State Bulldogs (LW: 9)

The Bulldogs have faced the two best defenses in the SEC not named Alabama in the previous two weeks and only scored 13 points. They should put more points on the board than that. Dan Mullen is 2-15 when playing ranked teams, which is the worst record ever. I think Nick Fitzgerald is a good QB, I just don't think Mississippi State has the defense for a lot of success in the West. I whiffed on them big time by putting them at number two a couple weeks back.

NCAA Football: New Mexico State at Arkansas

8. Arkansas Razorbacks (LW: 10)

Arkansas played New Mexico State last week, so they didn't exactly play a powerhouse. They haven't won a game this year against a good opponent, but they lost in overtime while scoring 43 points on A&M two weeks ago. I think the Razorbacks are slightly above average, but they play South Carolina this week and that is a pretty even matchup. We’ll know more about exactly where they're at after next week.

NCAA Football: South Carolina at Texas A&M

7. South Carolina Gamecocks (LW: 7)

Look, if South Carolina has an O-line against Texas A&M and better play calling they win the game. Two of their starters stayed home, and Malik Young went down in the first series. To me, this was one of Bentley’s better games. If he wasn't getting put on his back constantly, I think he would've killed A&M in the backend. Their defense played well again, holding a team that has scored 40+ in three out of the four games before to 24 points. The Cocks had four consecutive three and outs in the second half, which is the main reason they lost. The defense is doing their job, the offense has to step up.

NCAA Football: Eastern Michigan at Kentucky

6. Kentucky Wildcats (LW: 6)

I can't believe Kentucky is the 6th best team in the SEC. I don't know if they exactly are because I kinda think it’s Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia and everyone else at this point. Kentucky did almost lose to Western Michigan this week, but they won and they’re 4-1 on the season. They play Missouri this week, so it’s basically an extra bye week.

5. Texas A&M Aggies (LW: 9)

I know, this is a huge jump for the Aggies. If you don't like it, I'm not sorry. A&M is a blown lead away from being 5-0. I think South Carolina lost this game last week, and the Aggies didn't win it. They do deserve credit for getting to Bentley and sacking him something like five times in 10 plays, albeit against a really bad o-line. I think Kellen Mond is a good, not great, QB who fits the Johnny Manziel mold and does what this offense needs him to do. I don't know if I like the Aggies to stay at 5, but it’s where they are right now. They do get to play Bama this week, so have fun with that one.

4. Florida Gators (LW: 4)

Florida was tied going in to the half with Vanderbilt, which I think probably surprised a lot of people. They played what seemed a lot better in the second half with Felipe Franks having to step in again for Luke Del Rio, who’s out for the season. Florida’s defense did come alive some, holding Vandy to only seven points in the second half. Florida gets LSU at home this weekend, so we’ll see if I’m right about LSU and Florida.

3. Auburn Tigers (LW: 3)

Auburn has a really good football team. Their only loss on the season came from Clemson, who sees to have not missed a step whatsoever despite losing so much offensively. They’ve thrashed their previous two SEC opponents, averaging 50 points against them. The Tigers have a great defense, and the offense can consistently put drives together with Jarrett Stidham and those RBs. I like Auburn to possibly be undefeated in the SEC going in to the home game against Alabama.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (LW: 2)

Georgia is very good. I’m pretty much sold on the fact that they're going to win the East, unless Florida comes out of nowhere. Georgia's defensive performance against Tennessee was virtually perfect, at 99.9 percent efficiency. You can't get much better than that. It was against the abysmal offense of Tennessee, so I don't know exactly how to take it. Jake Fromm isn't going to have crazy statistical games, mainly because that’s not what they're asking out of him. He just has to hit the open man and not turn it over, which he’s been doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jacob Eason doesn't get the starting job back.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (LW: 1)

Yeah, thanks to Vandy the Crimson Tide are playing pissed. You don't disrespect a bunch of five-star athletes with the best coaching in the country and be surprised when they start handing out a** cuttings every week. Their defense is finally starting to come alive, which makes them an even better team. I doubt Alabama is going to lose a game heading in to the playoff, and the only exception would be having to play at Auburn.