AllGators 2020 SEC Power Rankings After Week Four
Is Georgia not as good as everyone thought, or is Alabama just that good? Is Kentucky a real problem in the SEC or is Tennessee just the terrible Tennessee everyone has come to know?
To answer all of those questions and more, we're back with our weekly SEC Power Rankings here at Sports Illustrated-AllGators. These will be compiled weekly after assessing each team following every game, in order to best rank the SEC beyond just team records.
With that being said, how do things look after week seven?
1. Alabama (4-0)
Forty-one points.
That is the main story for Alabama this week. The thought-to-be dominant Georgia defense gave up 41 points to Mac Jones and Co. of Alabama. Jones had another spectacular day for the Crimson Tide, throwing for 417 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception.
Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith had a marvelous day as well, scoring two touchdowns for 167 yards on 11 catches. Despite losing at halftime, the Crimson Tide blew out UGA by a score of 41-24.
It is clear that Nick Saban's group is once again the King of the SEC. Until someone can knock down the giant, it'll remain at No. 1.
2. Florida (2-1)
Just like it has been all year, this will be the cornerstone of drama in the rankings until the Florida-Georgia game is played in Jacksonville on Nov. 7.
The fact is, ranking these two squads is interchangeable, as both have shown incredible strength and incredible weakness at times in this young season. The Gators did not play the game they were supposed to on Saturday against LSU because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the orange and blue.
However, the Gators didn't have to play to leapfrog the Bulldogs, Georgia did it for them.
3. Georgia (3-1)
Defense.
Yes, it in some ways sounds absurd to put Florida ahead of Georgia because of defense, but here is the case for it:
UGA gave up 41 points to Alabama on Saturday. Kirby Smart's team is one that prides itself on perhaps the best defense in all of college football, that is the Bulldogs' pride and joy.
Yet still, they allowed Alabama to have the offensive day that it had, while proving its offense is still relatively inept. If Georgia's defense is not as elite as everyone thought and Stetson Bennett throws for three interceptions again as he did on Saturday, UGA will lose more football games.
4. Texas A&M (3-1)
Texas A&M fans probably would have liked to see the Aggies beat Mississippi State a little more convincingly this weekend, but 28-14 is still good enough. TAMU running back Isaiah Spiller had the best day of Jimbo Fisher's offensive group, rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
If The Aggies can run the ball like that a little more consistently, quarterback Kellen Mond doesn't have to have unbelievable performances week in and week out for them to win football games. With Alabama already history in their schedule and the rest of the SEC West looking much weaker, that should win Texas A&M almost all of its remaining games.
5. Kentucky (2-2)
Just like Ole Miss last week, Kentucky finds itself in this position by default. The rest of the middle-tier SEC teams managed to disappoint, so the Wildcats find themselves at No. 5 after a thorough beatdown of Tennessee this weekend.
The Wildcats beat the Vols 34-7 on the road by way of two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Quarterback Terry Wilson had another uninspiring day, throwing for one touchdown and just 101 yards. However, Kentucky is getting consistent pressure on the quarterback defensively, and that is causing QB's to consistently play poorly against the Wildcats.
UK will struggle against better competition because of poor QB play from Wilson, however, if Kentucky consistently causes other quarterbacks to stoop down to his level, the Wildcats will have a chance in every game.
6. South Carolina (2-2)
In perhaps one of the biggest wins of the Will Muschamp era at South Carolina, the Gamecocks beat Auburn on Saturday, 30-22. This game said more about Auburn and quarterback Bo Nix, however, as the sophomore threw three interceptions. South Carolina quarterback Collin Hill didn't have a particularly great day either, throwing for just 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
However, a defense still has to make those plays, and South Carolina did. Also, SCAR ran the ball effectively with running back Tank Bigsby, who took 16 carries for 111 yards a touchdown. This was a massive win for the Gamecocks season, and a defense that can create turnovers is a defense that can win games.
7. Auburn (2-2)
The Tigers have dropped steadily in these rankings, and will continue to do so if they keep losing and quarterback Bo Nix keeps looking like he doesn't belong on an SEC field. His overall stats were 24-47, 272 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
That can't happen for a team that likes to consider itself a top dog in the SEC.
8. Arkansas (2-2)
Just like Auburn will continue to fall in the rankings, Arkansas will continue to rise if the Razorbacks keep either winning or staying competitive in games. Sam Pittman's group has the hardest schedule in the entire conference, but four games in and the Hogs are .500 and feeling relatively optimistic in a season they weren't supposed to win anything.
Arkansas beat Ole Miss on Saturday, who was playing excellent offensive football until the Razorbacks held the Rebels to just 21 points, as the Hogs won 33-21. Defensively, in a season where teams are scoring 40 seemingly at will, holding a powerful offense to 21 points will win football games more often than not.
9. Ole Miss (1-3)
Shock is the only word to describe Ole Miss's offensive performance on Saturday against Arkansas. It definitely appears that the Razorbacks are not the SEC embarrassment most thought they would be, but Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral threw for an abysmal six interceptions.
As awful as the Rebels defense is, six interceptions is guaranteed to lose every contest they play. Like Georgia on defense, offense is supposed to be the side of the ball that a Lane Kiffin-coached group hangs its hat on.
This was embarrassing for the Rebels, no way around it.
10. Tennessee (2-2)
It is simple for the Vols - bench Jarrett Guarantano. The senior quarterback was 14/21 for an embarrassing 88 yards and two interceptions. His QBR was an appalling 4.4.
Tennessee does not have the talent elsewhere to make up for QB play that is that bad. If Guarantano continues to play and doesn't improve, or if he gets benched and his backups are no better, UT will lose a lot more games.
11. LSU (1-2)
The Tigers were the biggest wildcard in the SEC before the season started. No one was sure how Ed Orgeron and Co. would fare after losing quarterback Joe Burrow, offensive coordinator Joe Brady and a slew of other talents.
And now everyone knows: Not well. LSU is bordering on being an SEC-bottomfeeder this season. The Florida game was going to tell a lot about how bad, or not bad, the Tigers actually were.
Now, more games must be played to truly know, but the Tigers have yet to impress really at all this season.
12. Missouri (1-2)
Missouri's game against the worst team in the conference, Vanderbilt, was postponed as well due to COVID-19 concerns. That may not be a bad thing, however, as the college football world was spared from watching two atrocious teams go at it.
The Tigers' victory over LSU two weeks ago showed that Mizzou has a little bit of fight in it, but it has no talent. As a result, expect this team to lose a lot more than it doesn't.
13. Mississippi State (1-3)
Outside of maybe LSU, Mississippi State has been the most disappointing team in the conference. The Bulldogs beat LSU in week one and made the country feel like Mike Leach in the south was a dangerous combination.
When in fact, Leach just doesn't have the talent on his roster to compete with SEC teams on a regular basis. He is not getting good quarterback play, as true freshman Will Rogers only threw for 120 yards and one touchdown off of a 15-of-18 passing performance.
If Leach doesn't get excellent quarterback play, his teams don't win. Right now, he has borderline bad quarterback play.
14. Vanderbilt (0-3)
No surprise here.
Vanderbilt was spared from having to play a game of American football on Saturday thanks to COVID-19. The last two games the Commodores have played, they have lost both by the exact same score of 41-7.
Any week where Vandy doesn't play is mercy for fans that cheer on the black and gold in Nashville.
