SEC Power Rankings: Week 9

Conference play is finally up and running. Each SEC team has played at least one conference game so far, and the drama has only begun.

Last weekend had it all with a fair amount of upsets, close calls, and anticlimactic blowouts.

It’s always a fun time talking about the SEC, so I’m not going to waste more time... Let’s dive in.

1. Auburn

Another week passes and Auburn still has the top slot. The Tigers are two SEC games in (one home, one away) and they are still undefeated... I don’t have any reason to drop them.

2. Kentucky

The Wildcats have been red hot and against proven opponents. They follow up their big dub against Louisville with wins against an impressive Missouri squad and Georgia (on the road!!). The Kentucky brand has made a triumphant return after a surprising couple of weeks.

3. Arkansas

Listen, the Razorbacks are still very talented, but this just wasn’t their week. They start by taking down a poor Texas A&M team at home in a pretty mediocre showing and then they lose a nail-biter to LSU. They played their hearts out in the loss, but I could no longer back them up when being compared to Kentucky.

4. Florida

This is a good team. Their victory against Alabama wasn’t pretty, but they still got two more games added to the win column. Kerry Blackshear Jr. has been leading this squad to greatness and they have yet to let a winnable game slip through their fingers. If they keep winning the games they should, it would be a shock to not see the Gators in the postseason.

5. LSU

What. A. Week. For. LSU.

First, they take down Tennessee on the road. People had their questions about the Vols, but they then responded by beating Arkansas. I honestly thought LSU had a good, not great team, but I was proved wrong. Their squad is filled with scorers and can compete with the best.

6. Georgia

It’s official: Georgia IS a good team and IS NOT simply Anthony Edwards. A weekend composed of upsetting Memphis and almost beating Kentucky will get you recognition every time. This is a fun team to watch, and they are definitely good enough to make any fan of the opposing team feel uneasy.

7. Tennessee

I thought Tennessee’s season was done. After Turner went down, they looked flat and disinterested. The beatdown LSU gave them only solidified my point. The Vols then proceeded to go to Missouri and maintain control for the whole game. This team lives and dies with Jordan Bowen, and after some pretty rough games, he found his shot in their win versus Missouri.

8. Missouri

I praised this team’s defense time after time and then they go and give up 71 and 69 respectively. Missouri simply has no offense, so when their defense gets cold, I’m not sure what this team has.

9. Alabama

A close game against Florida and a beatdown of Mississippi State will get my attention. The thing with Bama, though, is that they can only beat you one way and that is by a shoot-out. As long as they get buckets and they keep coming, they will be in every game they play.

10. South Carolina

The Cocks were the only team in the SEC to play one game over the last week, and it looked as if getting the extra time did them no justice. They hung around for a while with the Gators, but eventually fell flat towards the end. South Carolina continues to be a mixed bag week after week.

11. Ole Miss

This was a “wait and see” team for me, and I’ve seen enough. I knew their OOC schedule was unnecessarily easy so I patiently awaited conference play. After getting obliterated by Wichita State and hitting a wall going into the second half against Texas A&M, I know what this team is now and it is a bad one.

12. Mississippi State

Being on two bad ends of a blowout won’t give you a good spot in the rankings. They can score, but their defense can’t stop a nosebleed. I’ll give them a pass in their loss to Auburn but getting run out of the building at Alabama is inexcusable.

13. Texas A&M

I would like to sincerely apologize to every Aggie fan out there for my treatment of this school thus far in the rankings. Their win against Ole Miss, honestly, shocked me. If that wasn’t enough, they hung around against Arkansas too. Texas A&M will no longer be the laughing stock of these rankings. Well done.

14. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt did nothing (except lose) to deserve this drop in the rankings. They played two impressive, very close games and are in my heart of hearts not a terrible team. Aaron Nesmith is going to be something special as well and I can’t wait to keep watching him progress.