Almost half the league was off Saturday, so not as big of a week down South as last week.
The non-con portion of the schedule is mostly over, though, so at least eight of the teams that were in action were playing
each other. Only four teams are still undefeated overall, and every team’s played at least one SEC game now. The biggest results of the weekend were the ones that made Alabama once again look like a championship contender and made Texas look anything but.
Lot more shuffling in the rankings as the contenders start to separate themselves from the pretenders. Let’s dive into it:
1. Ole Miss (3-0, 5-0)
Previous Rank: 1.
The Rebels had the week off to prepare to host Washington State. They also get to host The Citadel from the FCS in November since they played league games early. Smart of them to schedule easy non-con opponents, because 4-0 non-con records get playoff berths, 3-1 records don’t, even if the opponents are of higher quality.
2. Texas A&M (2-0, 5-0)
Previous Rank: 2.
The Aggies continued a rare 3-game SEC homestand with a blowout victory over Mississippi State on Saturday. Capping the homestand is a game with Florida next weekend. They are real threats to make both the SEC Championship game and the CFP.
3. Oklahoma (1-0, 5-0)
Previous Rank: 5.
The Sooners rolled past Kent State in anticipation of the Red River Rivalry. The way Texas has been playing lately, a loss might be a bit damaging to their resume.
4. Alabama (2-0, 4-1)
Previous Rank: 7.
Alabama was tested by Vanderbilt but passed the test. They are a much stronger force on the field than the team that lost to Florida State in Week 1. Next up is a trip to Missouri.
5. LSU (1-1, 4-1)
Previous Rank: 4.
LSU had the week off. When they return to action, it’ll be in a take-care-of-business game at home vs South Carolina.
6. Vanderbilt (1-1, 5-1)
Previous Rank: 3.
The Commodores fought the Tide very hard and very well, but winning in Bryant-Denny Stadium was just a bit too much to ask for. They get a bye next week before hosting LSU.
7. Tennessee (1-1, 4-1)
Previous Rank: 6.
The Vols had the week off to prep for a home game with Arkansas. That sounds like a pretty favorable matchup for Tennessee. I bet a lot of other teams will be jealous of them next weekend.
8. Missouri (1-0, 5-0)
Previous Rank: 8.
Missouri also had the week off. When they return to action next weekend, Faurot Field will be packed to the brim because Alabama is coming to town. It’ll be the Tigers’ big chance to make a run at the league crown and the CFP.
9. Georgia (2-1, 4-1)
Previous Rank: 9.
Georgia lost at home for the first time in six years last week when it hosted Alabama. A week later, Kentucky walked in, and things weren’t quite as difficult. Now they head to Auburn for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
10. Florida (1-1, 2-3)
Previous Rank: 14.
This was a huge one for Billy Napier and the Gators. After going from 1-0 to 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3, Florida stopped their slide and picked up a top-10 win at home as they capitalized on Texas’s rust from not playing any league games yet and got a W. How many more of those W’s there’ll be remains to be seen, but you gotta get ‘em wherever you can.
11. Mississippi State (0-2, 4-2)
Previous Rank: 10.
The SEC losing streak continues. The Bulldogs are off next week, and go to The Swamp to try to break it the week after.
12. Texas (0-1, 3-2)
Previous Rank: 11.
The Longhorns are 0-1 in the league with seven more to go. Ouch. Their non-conference scheduling hasn’t done them any favors. Winning the Red River Rivalry now is critical if they want to make the CFP.
13. South Carolina (1-2, 3-2)
Previous Rank: 12.
The Gamecocks had the week off. Next week, they go to LSU, where they will be underdogs, but teams like them have to have the mentality that every game is winnable because they’ll almost always be underdogs.
14. Auburn (0-2, 3-2)
Previous Rank: 13.
The Tigers had the week off. Next week, they are hosting Georgia in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, and also pushing the limit on how many SEC games they can lose in a row before a coaching change is forced on The Plains.
15. Arkansas (0-1, 2-3)
Previous Rank: 16.
Arkansas had a week off following the Notre Dame disaster. Next up is a trip to Tennessee, and then after that it’s a home game with Texas A&M. Maybe they’ll do that thing where they fire the coach and then immediately start winning.
16. Kentucky (0-3, 2-3)
Previous Rank: 15.
Kentucky is a victim of scheduling cruelty. Every loss they take puts more pressure on them to win, but then the next game they play is a nearly impossible one, like Saturday’s trip to Sanford Stadium right after Georgia lost there to Alabama. They have next week off, and then host Texas. Again, they will be underdogs in that, but like Florida, that has to not matter. They have to win anyway lest the sheer quantity of losses sink the entire season.
