SEC Power Rankings: Week 2

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Well…….wasn’t that fun? Apparently, nobody told a few FCS teams that this was supposed to be an easy weekend. Since I was sidelined all weekend, it was nice to see a few smaller schools keep the big kids on their toes. How does a little competition shake up the rankings? Let’s ask Bill!

1. Alabama (Last Week: 1, Peak: 1) – Alabama beat a pretty talented Western Kentucky team by 28 points. According to Nick Saban, it was the most embarrassing win of his career. Umm…..alright. If you can’t tell, Saban won’t tolerate anything but perfection. We’ll see how a tough week of practice gets the Tide ready for the revenge game at Ole Miss. Also, best line of the weekend: “That wasn’t an argument. That’s called an ass chewing.

2. Texas A&M (Last Week: 3, Peak: 2) – Yeah, it was Prairie View A&M (most Texas name ever), but the Aggies are rolling right now. I’m still cautious of a collapse after week four, but we’ll learn a lot this weekend. A&M heads to the Plains to take on Auburn. If they win, the West will officially be on notice.

3. Arkansas (Last Week: 8, Peak: 3) – Speaking of putting the West on notices, the Razorbacks made a lot of noise this weekend. Is this an overreaction? Maybe. The win over TCU is the most meaningful win of the weekend, with Arkansas looking good in a tough fight. The Hogs will only get better, and could be a force by November. They host Texas State this week for an easy win.

4. Ole Miss (Last Week: 6, Peak: 4) – They struggled more than I anticipated with Wofford, but they took care of business. Lack of a solid running game might keep the Rebels too one dimensional for the SEC. To keep playoff hopes alive, they’ll need a solid win this weekend by leaning on Chad Kelly. Ole Miss hosts Alabama looking to make it three years in a row.

5. Tennessee (Last Week: 4, Peak: 4) – In one of the greatest spectacles in the history of college football, the Vols took care of the Hokies in Bristol. Tennessee looked much more in sync, and rallied back from a 14-point deficit. Virginia Tech did their part by handing the ball back to the Vols repeatedly. There are still plenty of questions surrounding Josh Dobbs, but they’ll have the chance to iron out some wrinkles against Ohio this weekend.

6. Florida (Last Week: 5, Peak: 5) – The Gators put a beating on a pitiful Kentucky crew. Florida looked solid on offense, but it’s difficult to gauge how impressive. Hosting North Texas this week won’t answer too many questions. Luckily, in two weeks, there’s a team in Knoxville that’s ready to challenge the Gators.

7. Georgia (Last Week: 2, Peak: 2) – Come on Georgia. Last week, I bragged about you to all of my readers. I talked about what a quality win you had against North Carolina. I told everyone that Nick Chubb hasn’t lost a step. How do you repay me? You almost blow it against Nicholls State! I don’t even know where Nicholls State is located! Get it together, Bulldogs.

8. LSU (Last Week: 7, Peak: 7) – Even with Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette on the bench, the Tigers notched another win. The big story out of this game? Coach Les Miles benching Brandon Harris after another poor performance. Backup Danny Etling made an immediate impact and made his case to be the starter. Time will tell if Etling becomes a permanent fixture. LSU hosts Mississippi State this weekend.

9. Auburn (Last Week: 9, Peak: 9) – Remember last week when I said that Auburn’s offense needs to stick with one quarterback? Apparently Gus Malzhan reads my power rankings. With Sean White at quarterback, the Tigers racked up over 700 yards of offense against Arkansas State. That’s the Malzhan offense we’re used to seeing. Auburn will get another big test this weekend when they host Texas A&M.

10. Vanderbilt (Last Week: 11, Peak: 10) – You are reading this correctly. The Vanderbilt Commodores are in my top ten. Vandy is a team that’s hard to predict. Example: blowing a lead against South Carolina, then putting up 47 points on MTSU. We may never see the Commodores score that many points again, so enjoy the moment. Vanderbilt travels to Georgia Tech this weekend for an interesting match up. Side note: I’ll be traveling to Tech to watch this game live.

11. Mississippi State (Last Week: 14, Peak: 11) – Congratulations Bulldogs, you’re out of the basement. It’s amazing what happens when a coach picks a quarterback and sticks with him. Nick Fitzgerald put up over 300 yards against South Carolina. The win puts the Bulldogs back on track after the embarrassing loss to Southern Alabama. They’ll need the momentum heading into Death Valley this weekend.

12. Missouri (Last Week: 13, Peak: 12) – In the most shocking news of the weekend, it seems like Missouri can actually score points. Was it against Eastern Michigan? Yes. Is Eastern Michigan terrible? Absolutely. Still, the Tigers need the confidence builder before conference play kicks off. Missouri welcomes Georgia on Saturday in a game that might not go well for the Tigers.

13. South Carolina (Last Week: 10, Peak: 10) – I’m sorry South Carolina. The only reason you’re not last is because you share a conference with Kentucky. The Gamecocks looked lost amid a quarterback battle where there’s no clear winner. South Carolina will continue to struggle with a lackluster offense. They desperately need to beat East Carolina this weekend.

14. Kentucky (Last Week: 12, Peak: 12) – I was once told if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Have a good weekend, folks!

Bill Griffin is the lead SEC contributor for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow him on Twitter @Winter_Griffin

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