SEC Power Rankings Entering Week Five
And then there was one, one undefeated team left in the SEC. Week four of the SEC race did not disappoint unless you were a fan of a losing team.
The latest edition of the Game of the Century turned into a second-half coronation of Alabama as the conference's best team. The Tide trailed at the half but shutout Georgia in the second frame while Mac Jones and his mates tossed 21 unanswered points at the conference's best defense.
A week after being robbed of an upset over Auburn, Arkansas did it again, throttling Ole Miss, where the Hogs intercepted six Rebel passes in the game.
South Carolina took out Auburn in Columbia while Kentucky exercised a 36-year-old demon but thumping the Volunteers in Knoxville, 34-7.
Yep, another crazy edition of SEC football, and here are the week's power rankings.
WEEK FOUR POWER RANKINGS
1) Alabama: Most thought this was the best team in the conference, but now they have all but proven it. Of course, that can change at any time, but it seems highly unlikely that anyone left on the Tide's schedule can topple them before a potential rematch with Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 19.
2) Georgia: Despite their 17-point loss to Alabama, the Dogs are the clear No.2 in the conference and shouldn't lose again until a possible rematch with the Tide in Atlanta.
3) Texas A&M: Two weeks ago, who would have thought the Aggies could be this high after getting pounded out of Tuscaloosa, but a win over Florida at home and a road victory in Starkville, and here come Jimbo Fisher's boys from Aggie Land.
4) Kentucky: THis might be a bit of fools gold ranking the Cats this high, but with a 2-2 record, Mike Stoops troops are near the top of the East rankings, and since Florida was off last week with COVID issues, we're throwing the Cats a bone for a week.
5) Florida: Idle for COVID; the 2-1 Gators are still in the top half of the league; the question is can they remain there.
6) Arkansas: Holy schnikes Batman, are we crazy or what? The Razorbacks, losers of three years of SEC games in succession are now No.6? At 2-2, Sam Pittman's team should be 3-1 if not for the highway robbery at Auburn.
7) South Carolina: Don't look now, but the Gamecocks are trying to save Will Muschamp's job, and two wins in a row is a good start. Vanderbilt was expected, but few, if any, saw them beating AUburn, even at home last Saturday.
8) Tennessee: Yes, Vol fans, we know your team beat Carolina, but since this is a week to week ranking, the fact that one team as two wins in a row and the other two losses, Carolina slides ahead-for now- of maybe another week because Bama rolls into Knoxville Saturday and will likely extend the losing streak to three this season and 14 in a row against the Tide.
9) Auburn: The Tigers are 2-2, thanks to the officials who prevented a loss to the Hogs, and Gus Malzahn hears and likely feeling the heat. Quarterback Bo Nix is struggling at critical stages of the game, and until they figure that issue out, the Tigers will likely drop more games.
10) Missouri: Don't look now, but another bunch of upstarts Ole MIssis making noise in the SEC. Eli Drinkqitz squad has climbed out of the bottom three and moved ahead of LSU.
11) LSU: The Tigers had the week off because of COVID issues in Florida. The postponement cost them a chance to bounce back and prove what we saw two weeks ago and in their season opener were aberrations and not a new norm, at least this season in Tigerland.
12) Ole Miss: Just about the time we thought the Rebels had something working, quarterback Matt Corral tosses six interceptions to the Hogs, and the boys from Oxford take it on the chin a week after pushing Bama to the brink.
13) Mississippi State: Oh, how the once-mighty, at least in week one, have fallen. At least Miek Leach's team has a home game versus Vanderbilt to try and prove they aren't the worst team in the conference.
14) Vanderbilt: Another COVID victim last week, but it probably wouldn't have mattered.
