Hello everyone, and welcome to a very special time of year. You see, it’s that special time of year that people mark on their calendars and get those warm fuzzy feelings. You know exactly what I’m talking about here.
It’s Rivalry Week, baby!
That’s right! It’s time for absolute hatred and anger toward that special team that you’re sure would recruit the devil. (Too bad fellas, he’s currently holding down a coaching job).
Rivalry Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Coinciding with Thanksgiving, we get to put ourselves in a food coma, then relax with some football. The best part? Leftovers and Rivalry Saturday. Forget the shopping, folks, there’s football to watch! In the SEC, we have the Iron Bowl this weekend. Out in the rest of the CFB world, there’s Ohio State and Michigan with a trip to the playoffs on the line. You should have a solid day of football to watch while ignoring your loved ones (you could also read this article about the things you didn’t know you should be thankful for. I like Mike Leach and PJ Fleck. You should too).
On to the rankings!
1. Alabama – After turning in a flat performance, the Tide continues their perfect season. The Mocs gave Alabama fits all day, but the Crimson Tide put the game away in the second half. This game should serve as a wake up call to Alabama, so expect a focused Tide this weekend when they welcome Auburn for the Iron Bowl. Alabama sits in the best spot in the country. As long as the Tide wins one of the next two games, they should still make the playoff. Good place to be.
2. Auburn – The Tigers climb back to two after dismantling Alabama A&M this past weekend. Was it impressive? Not particularly, but they didn’t struggle like other teams. With the West lost, Auburn’s main goal is to play spoiler for Alabama on Saturday in the Iron Bowl. Getting Kamryn Pettway back will go a long way toward taking down the mighty Tide.
3. Florida – Arguably the biggest win of the season, Florida walked into Death Valley and took a win from LSU. I’ll be honest, I swore up and down that the Gators wouldn’t score a point and didn’t stand a chance. Oops. Most importantly, Florida clinched the East, so now we know what we’ll see in Atlanta. The Gators head to FSU for the annual in-state rivalry. Could the Gators pull the upset? Yes.
4. LSU – What a rough loss for the Tigers. They didn’t just lose the game, they lost the following: Ed Orgeron’s job, a chance at the Sugar Bowl, and any meaningful game that would make Leonard Fournette suit up again. The Tigers will get a bowl regardless, but a win again Texas A&M on Thanksgiving decides where they land.
5. Tennessee – 100 total points in an SEC game? The UT offense was on fire Saturday, racking up 63 points in a winning effort. The defense, however, allowed a historically high 740 yards. The Vols also lost the East earlier in the day when Florida stole a win. There’s still plenty to play for, namely the Sugar Bowl. That would be a huge step for Butch Jones, assuming they beat Vanderbilt this weekend. And if not, at least they’ll be Champions of Life (that’s a real thing – shoot me).
6. Arkansas – The Razorbacks took down Mississippi State, just like everyone expected. Except for Vegas. Seriously, Vegas had State favored. I still don’t know why. Anyway, Arkansas sits at 6, because they are a slightly above average team this year. A pretty good offense paired with a terrible defense. Mediocre. They head to Missouri, then will wait and see which bowl in Texas they land in.
7. Georgia – Hey guys, listen, Georgia did a black out game…..and actually won! Maybe it was the fact that they picked Louisiana-Monroe, but it’s still a win. They’re currently bowl eligible, and Kirby Smart could get to eight wins if they take down Georgia Tech. An eight win season would be a big boost for Smart’s first year. Combine that with a progressing Jacob Eason, and there’s plenty to talk about this season for the Bulldogs.
8. South Carolina – And just like that, Will Muschamp has the Gamecocks bowl eligible in his first season at the helm. Let’s be honest, that didn’t seem plausible ten weeks ago. With a much tougher fight than anticipated, USC (the SEC edition) is basking in the glory. The bad news? Expect a rough weekend at Clemson.
9. Texas A&M – Is this too low for the Aggies? Maybe, but I refuse to bump them up based on the merit of beating UTSA by 13 points. I mean, I have the integrity of this article to consider. On the plus side, Trevor Knight is expected to return against LSU on Thanksgiving. That should give the Aggies a much needed boost.
10. Kentucky – Look at you, Big Blue Nation! Getting all bowl eligible and such. Sure, it was Austin Peay, but it was an important win that gives Mike Stoops his first post season at Kentucky. Unfortunately, an angry Louisville stands between UK and the…..Liberty Bowl, maybe?
11. Vanderbilt – So if I asked you which team beat Ole Miss by three touchdowns, which team would you guess? I’m assuming your 11th guess would be Vanderbilt, and you’d finally be right! Can you imagine how good they would be if Derek Mason knew that offense exists in football? Now Vanderbilt gears up for an interesting showdown when they welcome Tennessee with bowl eligibility at stake. Could be the best game of the day.
12. Ole Miss – Uninspired? Flat? Overall poor play is what led to a major beating at the hands of Vanderbilt. Shea Patterson looked a lot less special, but he can’t take all of the blame. The entire defense allowed Vandy’s last ranked offense to run all over them. Now the Rebels must win in the Egg Bowl to even be bowl eligible. Who would have guessed that before the season?
13. Mississippi State – The Bulldogs had their bowl dreams stomped on by Arkansas this weekend. The lack of defense all season doomed Dan Mullen from the very beginning. The only bright spot is the idea of spoiling bowl season for Ole Miss too.
14. Missouri – Back in the basement where you belong, Tigers. You don’t even get a Champions of Life trophy
Have a great Thanksgiving folks, Poppa Bear loves ya.
Poppa Bear is the lead SEC contributor for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow on Twitter: @SoBroPoppaBear
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