AllGators SEC Power Rankings After Week 8
Kyle Trask and COVID-19 dominated SEC Football's headlines this weekend. But of the games that did happen, how did that impact the conference as a whole? What teams were hurt, or helped, the most by postponements of so many games across the league?
To answer all of those questions and more, we're back with our weekly SEC Power Rankings here at Sports Illustrated-AllGators. These are 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 eight?
1. Alabama (6-0)
The Crimson Tide had the week off due to a COVID-19 spike at LSU, which it was supposed to play. Alabama still sits pretty at No. 1., playing the best football of anyone in the country, and is not only the conference's best football team, but the nation's as well.
However, in all likelihood, UA gets Florida in the SEC Championship for its next competitive game. Florida is arguably playing as well as Alabama currently. Until then, it will be interesting to see if anyone makes Nick Saban's group sweat.
2. Florida (5-1)
Change the story. Please.
Stop talking about how quarterback Kyle Trask didn't start in high school. We all get it.
Now, with a 2019 Joe Burrow-like season in the works for UF's QB, there is a bigger story to tell - this man is the rightful Heisman front-runner as things currently stand.
This will undoubtedly be an all-QB Heisman race this season, and Trask is statistically at the top right now. As Ohio State plays more games and Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields continues to impress, things will get more interesting, but, for now, Trask should be the leader to hoist the trophy.
When Florida beat Arkansas this weekend 63-35, the redshirt senior was 23-29 for 356 yards and six touchdowns, with no interceptions.
Is that good?
The Gators have the conference's best quarterback and arguably the league's best offense as a whole. The defense as an entire unit is improving weekly outside of giving up explosive plays.
This is a team that will continue to make noise. And as games keep going, more people will hear it.
3. Texas A&M (5-1)
The Aggies' battle against Tennessee was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak as well. However, TAMU's body of work thus far this season, including an impressive win over Florida, puts them snuggly in third place by quite a large margin.
Jimbo Fisher's group is the only team in the conference, other than Alabama and Florida, to have legitimate confidence in on a week-to-week basis.
4. Georgia (4-2)
Georgia did not play its battle against Missouri. So Kirby Smart's team had to sit on the Florida loss for another week.
UGA is perhaps the most talented team in the country. Based on recruiting numbers alone, the Dawgs are as good as it gets.
But, there is no excuse for the absolute embarrassment of a quarterback situation they have in Athens. If a team can compete with yours athletically, scheme and quarterback play win the game for you.
Or, in Georgia's case, lose the game for you.
Until Smart gets a competent QB behind center that looks like he belongs at the quarterback position in college football at all, much less the SEC, the red and black are going to have problems.
5. Auburn (4-2)
Auburn's battle against Mississippi State was canceled as well due to COVID-19. Tigers head coach Guz Malzhan's team is not good, but it also isn't bad.
Like a lot of placements on this list, the Tigers are at No. 5 by default.
6. Ole Miss (3-4)
The Rebels had quite the night against South Carolina on Saturday.
Lane Kiffin threw a clipboard, Will Muschamp got fired and Ole Miss embarrassed the Gamecocks 59-42. Oxford, Mississippi, on Saturday, was exactly what it needed to be: one hell of a party.
Rebels QB Matt Corral was an unconscious 28-32 for 513 yards and four touchdowns. The Rebels now average 41 points per game and are near .500 despite a brutal schedule.
The Kiffin era still has uncertainty around it, but it also has a 100 percent certainty that things will be a whole lot of fun as long as he calls the shots in The Grove.
7. Arkansas (3-4)
The Razorbacks posted a valiant effort against the Gators on Saturday. It doesn't seem like it, being that Florida put up 63 points, but the Hogs fought hard. It wasn't until about midway through the second half when things really spiraled for Sam Pittman's team.
It was a quick Florida touchdown on offense followed almost immediately by a QB Feleipe Franks fumble, scooped and scored by Florida's Zach Carter, that caused the game to get away from the Razorbacks.
However, they did what they have done all season: fought like hell. Franks, against his old team, was an admirable 15-19 for 250 yards and two touchdowns on Arkansas' way to torching UF for a few explosive touchdowns in the loss.
Arkansas got killed on Saturday. But this is not a bad football team. And Pittman has this program in a very good direction.
8. Kentucky (3-4)
The Wildcats only beat Vanderbilt by three points on Saturday, winning just 38-35. The body of work before that game keeps them this high on the list, but that is something to be unbelievably embarrassed by.
Vanderbilt is always bad, but this is different. The Commodores are a new level of bad this season. It is a mystery how, but 0-6 Vanderbilt is an embarrassment to the conference.
UK let it hang around.
Be better.
9. LSU (2-3)
The Tigers have not played in seemingly forever and their fans may prefer it that way at this point in the season.
10. Missouri (2-3)
Missouri has not played since getting embarrassed by Florida. The Tigers are awful, it's just the teams behind them are somehow worse.
11. Tennessee (2-4)
Tennessee didn't have to do anything to jump South Carolina. The Vols didn't play this weekend against Texas A&M, but they would have lost, badly.
And Jeremy Pruitt's group will only win one more game this season. It will beat Vanderbilt, but Auburn, Florida and a rescheduled match against the Aggies are the only other games left.
There are no wins on that list. UT will finish a season that seemed promising 3-7.
Pruitt will assuredly be on the hot seat next season.
12. South Carolina (2-5)
What an embarrassment.
The Gamecocks have gotten progressively worse as the season has worn on. The 'L' column has not only increased, but the margins by which they lose has increased as well.
With Muschamp fired, this is a lost season for them.
Try again next year.
13. Mississippi State (2-4)
With Mississippi State not playing this week, the only positive note about Mike Leach's group right now is it isn't Vanderbilt.
14. Vanderbilt (0-6)
No surprise here.
