And then there was one.
It has finally happened. The SEC managed to whittle itself down to one undefeated team. Other teams are beginning to emerge as challengers for Alabama’s crown: Auburn and LSU. We had three ranked SEC games this weekend, and none of them were close. Honestly, this might be the toughest Power Rankings so far. After #6, it’s pretty much a toss up (except for the last two).
On a separate note, let’s take a moment to appreciate Ohio State losing this weekend.
That was nice, wasn’t it? On to the rankings!
1. Alabama – Goodness gracious, that’s a scary defense. The Crimson Tide showcased a brutally physical team that kept an explosive Texas A&M in check. A superman tackle and a few head hunting collisions put the country on notice. It wasn’t all positive though; the Tide lost field general Eddie Jackson for the season. Alabama heads into a bye week.
2. Texas A&M – Sure, they lost. But they lost to a dominant Alabama squad in Tuscaloosa. The Aggies are far from out of the hunt for Atlanta, and they still have the pieces to make a lot of noise. 11-1 isn’t out of the question, and could land them in a New Year’s bowl. They welcome New Mexico State this weekend.
3. Auburn – Hey, so, listen. Auburn just beat a team by 53 points. “Who did they play?” you might ask. Arkansas. Yes, that Arkansas. The 17th ranked team in the country. The Tigers absolutely demolished the Razorback defense with a punishing run game. Gus Malzhan is hitting his stride and cooling that seat. Auburn carries a ton of momentum into Ole Miss this weekend. (Happy now, Jake?)
4. LSU – Well, Leonard Fournette is back. And man, does he look healthy – and a little angry. Another fierce run game in the SEC, the Tigers are gaining momentum each week. With a convincing win over Ole Miss, LSU looks to be a solid contender to unseat the Tide. Coach O takes his team into a bye week to prepare for Alabama.
5. Tennessee – The Vols just finished a bye week. Hopefully they managed to get healthy and prepare for the final push for Atlanta. They head to South Carolina.
6. Florida – Another team that just came off of a bye week. The Gators head into the World’s Largest Cocktail Party in what should be a win.
7. Arkansas – I JUST finished bragging about you last week. An impressive win against Ole Miss didn’t quite carry over. A 53 point beating? I’d drop them farther, but the rest of the SEC is a mess too. Arkansas mercifully heads into a bye week to get back on track.
8. Ole Miss – Another team that lost, but I’m not sure what to do with them. Are they better than 8? Maybe. Are they worse than 8? Also maybe. Ole Miss was the latest victim of a rolling LSU team. Unfortunately for the Rebels, it doesn’t get easier. They welcome a rolling Auburn this weekend.
9. Kentucky – Hey guys, Kentucky won again. They’re 4-2 and are in great shape to get to a bowl game. It was a close game for the Cats, but they managed to get the win this weekend. Now they head to a reeling Missouri, which could be a huge step for that bowl eligibility.
10. Vanderbilt – I’m pretty sure Derek Mason read my power rankings last week. How do I know? “Grind out the run, stifle them with the defense.” That is a direct quote from last week and from Mason’s playbook. The Dores played a solid second half and took home the win against TSU. Bye week time for Vandy.
11. Georgia – Coming off of a bye week, the Bulldogs head to the Cocktail Party. It’s a big match up for Coach Smart with a tough uphill battle.
12. South Carolina – Yes it was UMass. Yes they almost blew it. But the Gamecocks won and managed to find a new QB in Jake Bentley (solid QB name there. Almost sounds fake). Maybe a spark for South Carolina? We’ll see as they welcome the Vols this weekend.
13. /14. – Does it really matter? Missouri and Mississippi State are both playing some terrible football and neither has a shot to be bowl eligible. Woof.
Happy Halloween folks. Poppa Bear loves you. (And Poppa Bear turns 30 on Saturday. Ouch).
Have a good weekend folks. Poppa Bear loves you.
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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