AllGators SEC Power Rankings After Week Nine
Only one game got postponed last week and there was exciting action in the SEC.
How big of a concern is Florida's defense? Can Florida beat Alabama? What is wrong with Georgia?
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 nine?
1. Alabama (7-0)
Wow.
This weekend, Alabama embarrassed Kentucky by a score of 63-3. The Crimson Tide were balanced offensively and dominant defensively. Nothing worked for the Wildcats and everything worked for Nick Saban's group.
Quarterback Mac Jones had perhaps his least impressive performance of the year, throwing for just 230 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as opposed to his typical four-to-five-touchdown performance.
However, UA's running backs picked up plenty of slack. Najee Harris had two scores, Jase McClellan, Roydell Williams and Brian Robinson Jr. each had a touchdown of their own as well.
With that effective of a run game, along with its passing attack returning to usual form, this offense is borderline unstoppable. If the defense continues to tighten things up like on Saturday, the Tide will be extremely tough to beat.
2. Florida (6-1)
The Gators had their typical headache in the first half against Vanderbilt in Nashville. For whatever reason, UF never starts that game out strong. However, as the game wore on, a convincing 38-14 victory has everything status quo for Florida this week.
Quarterback Kyle Trask added three more touchdowns to his Heisman resume and is still rightfully the front-runner. Dan Mullen has his offense still playing at an elite level offensively.
What will make or break the Gators down the stretch is preventing, or not preventing, big plays. Allowing explosive plays can lose UF an SEC Championship in Atlanta. But stop those plays and give the ball back to the offense? This team can play with anyone in college football.
3. Texas A&M (5-1)
A postponed game against Ole Miss this weekend gave nothing to criticize when it comes to the Aggies. However, this ranking has more to do with Georgia's performance against Mississippi State.
As far as TAMU, Jimbo Fisher and Co. just keep impressing.
4. Georgia (5-2)
What an embarrassment.
Mississippi State has been a bottom-feeder in the conference all season long. Georgia barely squeaked out a victory against the other group of Bulldogs 31-24. And this game was still a contest with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The bright spot for UGA, however, was quarterback J.T. Daniels. The transfer from USC has ridden the bench all season until now, for whatever reason, in favor of D'Wan Mathis and Stetson Bennett.
And he is so much better.
The signal-caller threw for four touchdowns with no interceptions for 401 yards. Yet amazingly, it was the 'Dawgs defense that had a rough game.
Believing that Daniels will throw four touchdowns regularly is not realistic. If UGA's defense does not play at the elite level it is supposed to, Georgia will grow less relevant with every passing week.
5. Auburn (5-2)
The Tigers beat the lowly Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday by a score of 30-17. It was not a sexy win, but it'll do.
Quietly, at 5-2, Guz Malzahn's group has strung together a nice season. Its next two games, however, will tell the story much better.
AU has a date with Alabama this coming Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Following that, the Tigers head home to face Texas A&M. How they fare in those two games will say everything anyone needs to know about Auburn.
6. Ole Miss (3-4)
Similar to Texas A&M, the Rebels remain relatively status quo this week since they didn't play. Just outside the top-five feels right for Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin's group is the best team in the conference with a losing record.
7. Missouri (3-3)
Somehow, this Missouri group has clawed its way to .500 with a 17-10 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. Eli Drinkwitz has his group fighting for every inch they get and it has Mizzou playing good football coming down the home stretch of the regular season.
The future could be quietly bright in Columbia.
8. LSU (3-3)
LSU claimed a surprising victory over Arkansas on Saturday 17-14. The Tigers ran the ball well and did enough in the passing game to beat a team that has outplayed expectations this year in Arkansas.
9. Arkansas (3-5)
The Razorbacks fight in every game they play. Sam Pittman has his team playing hard every snap and this group is better than 3-5.
The Hogs have had an absolutely brutal schedule and look better than anyone at the start of the season expected. Despite losing 17-14 to LSU on Saturday, don't get too down on Arkansas.
The future looks up in Fayetteville.
10. Kentucky (3-5)
The Wildcats started the year relatively strong and seem to be getting progressively worse. Bama is the best team in the SEC but losing 63-3 to anyone is embarrassing. Especially in a year where the Tide give up a lot of points.
Mark Stoops and Co. have to regroup and look in the mirror or keep sliding down this list to bottom-feeder territory.
11. Mississippi State (2-5)
Outside of Auburn, this is the conference's weirdest team.
On any given day, Mike Leach's team can compete with heavyweights like Georgia and lose just 31-24, or get swallowed by a nobody like Kentucky 24-2.
12. Tennessee (2-5)
The Vols are a decently-talented group. The issue is they have no quarterback whatsoever and they play too tough of a schedule to survive without a decent signal-caller.
13. South Carolina (2-6)
The Gamecocks have to be careful. The rest of this season, now with Will Muschamp fired, is about the future.
If they continue to lose and chalk up and embarrassing two or three-win season, recruiting will suffer tremendously. That will be on top of having a brand new head coach.
This is a tough road.
14. Vanderbilt (0-7)
No surprise here.
