Anarchy in the SEC! The two lords of the conference, controlling the SEC championship berths with an iron grip, were nearly both thrown down in a chaotic Week 12. Alabama was defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners,
and Texas A&M needed a 27-point 2nd half comeback to beat South Carolina at home. The Tide’s loss cracks the door open for wild tiebreaker scenarios Georgia and Ole Miss can use to crash the party, but those are still unlikely—unless more anarchy happens in the final two weeks.
It’s all coming down to the grand finale. Let’s get into this week’s SEC power rankings:
1. Texas A&M (7-0, 10-0)
Previous Rank: 1.
Texas A&M’s “playoff lock” status almost blew up in confetti at home vs South Carolina, but they pulled out of their nosedive just in time to stay unbeaten. Two weeks till the ultimate Texas showdown.
2. Georgia (7-1, 9-1)
Previous Rank: 3.
The Bulldogs have quietly finished their entire SEC slate with just one close loss to Alabama. For all the close calls and comebacks, they beat everybody else just like all the Georgias of old. Now they hope they can sneak into the SEC title game with a tiebreaker going their way.
3. Ole Miss (6-1, 10-1)
Previous Rank: 4.
The Rebels were pushed hard by Florida, but they took care of business and find themselves now just one win away from essentially locking up a playoff spot. Even if they lose the Egg Bowl, they might still get in. Having just one loss is a big advantage in the SEC.
4. Oklahoma (4-2, 8-2)
Previous Rank: 6.
Well, look what we have here! OU was on the road in a playoff elimination game against Tennessee just two weeks ago, and they didn’t get eliminated. This week OU was on the road in a playoff elimination game against Alabama, and they once again didn’t get eliminated! They have two losses, but are refusing to take on more while stacking up some of the most impressive wins in the nation! Now, if they can just take care of Mizzou and LSU at home, they’ll find themselves and their 10-2 record firmly in the field.
5. Alabama (6-1, 8-2)
Previous Rank: 2.
Alabama’s biggest problem now is having a second loss. Getting to 10-2 shouldn’t be difficult, but they’ll probably still find themselves in the SEC championship game, which could ding them to 10-3 if it doesn’t go well. If that ends up happening, their Florida State loss will look really ugly.
6. Vanderbilt (4-2, 8-2)
Previous Rank: 7.
The Dores were off in Week 12, preparing for Kentucky. The Wildcats will need prepping for, because they are on fire with three straight wins and are just one more away from a bowl.
7. Texas (4-2, 7-3)
Previous Rank: 5.
The Longhorns finally took that third loss, which Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt all tried to give them, until at last Georgia broke the news to them that they will not be making the College Football Playoff.
8. Tennessee (3-3, 7-3)
Previous Rank: 8.
New Mexico State got its tour of Knoxville, and now it’s Florida and Vandy to finish the year. Winning a bowl game, too, would get them a 10-win season.
9. Missouri (3-3, 7-3)
Previous Rank: 9.
The Tigers scored 49 points in the rout of Mississippi State, and now can hope to play spoiler at Oklahoma. Wouldn’t get Mizzou in playoff talk, but would get the Sooners out of it.
10. Kentucky (2-5, 5-5)
Previous Rank: 10.
Kentucky is suddenly a team nobody wants to play, and it has more momentum than they have in a long time. After sitting in an 0-5 conference and 2-5 overall mark mess, they’ve rattled off three straight victories to get one win away from a bowl with just two road trips to go. They’ll be underdogs in both, but were underdogs against Auburn and Florida, and look how those went. Vandy better watch out for the Cats.
11. LSU (3-4, 6-4)
Previous Rank: 11.
LSU is limping to the finish line in its sullen disappointment over not being playoff-caliber. If they can’t go 11-1 or 10-2, they’d rather go 0-12. But will shrug their shoulders and cash in at 7-5.
12. Mississippi State (1-6, 5-6)
Previous Rank: 12.
The Bulldogs have one chance left to get six wins: beat their archrivals in the Egg Bowl, which they’re hosting. They will have a week off to prepare for it, but so will the Rebels. A lot is at stake in this edition of the rivalry.
13. Auburn (1-6, 4-6)
Previous Rank: 14.
The Tigers played Bye Week State and failed to cover the spread. And failed to hit the over. Next week, they’ll host Mercer. Mercer might win if it can score 14 points.
14. Florida (2-5, 3-7)
Previous Rank: 15.
The Gators thought it’d be really fun if they squashed Ole Miss’s playoff dreams, and I agreed with them. As hard as they tried, they couldn’t quite do it on the road and eliminated themselves from bowl eligibility. Still two home games left with Tennessee and Florida State, though.
15. South Carolina (1-7, 3-7)
Previous Rank: 13.
Welp, they blew it. It was the greatest win of any team this season, and the win to save their bowl eligibility, but they blew it. Nobody thought it’d be possible for them to be up 30-3 in College Station at halftime, and stared at the score in disbelief. Then two hours later, no one thought it’d be possible for them to be trailing by one as the clock hit triple zeroes, and stared at the score in disbelief. Would’ve been better to have just lost 42-10 or something. That one’s going to hurt for a long time.
16. Arkansas (0-6, 2-8)
Previous Rank: 16.
Arkansas is the unluckiest team in America. Six of their eight losses have been in one-score games, and the latest one came in Death Valley, where the Tigers were the dead team in the valley and handed the Hogs a perfect opportunity to win the game with a field goal, only for Arkansas to miss it and let LSU run out the clock and take a knee. Everybody’s getting a piece of Arkansas this season.
