In this SEC Power Poll, Daily Mississippian Sports Editor Dylan Rubino ranks the 14 Southeastern Conference Teams. The Ole Miss Rebels will play Arkansas Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 P.M.
1. Mississippi State- Nine straight wins, a 9-0 record, and the number one ranking in the country is something Mississippi State fans could not have imagined when the season started. These last three games will show a lot about the Bulldogs and if they’re true championship contenders or not. The big showdown comes Saturday in Tuscaloosa against Alabama. After that is Vanderbilt at home, then a trip to Ole Miss for the Egg Bowl.
2. Alabama- The last two trips to Death Valley at night for head coach Nick Saban and Alabama have both resulted in wins. Saturday, the Crimson Tide took LSU to overtime and won a great game 20-13. Senior quarterback Blake Sims struggled throughout most of the game, but came through when the team needed him most with big throws near the end of regulation and in overtime. The Crimson Tide won’t have to leave Tuscaloosa for the rest of the season with home games against Mississippi State, Western Carolina and Auburn.
3. Ole Miss- The Rebels found their ground game Saturday in a big way by rushing for more than 400 yards in their win over Presbyterian 48-0. Sophomore running back Mark Dodson ran for 128 yards on three carries and two of those carries went for touchdowns. Redshirt freshman running back Jordan Wilkins rushed for 171 yards on ten carries for one score. With the blowout coming early, many of the backups got valuable playing time and the starters gained rest for the bye week. After the bye week for Ole Miss is a trip to Arkansas.
4. Auburn- One week earlier, the ball bounced the right way for Auburn in their victory at Ole Miss. It didn’t against Texas A&M, where two unforced fumbles cost Auburn at the end. Texas A&M defeated the Tigers 41-38. The loss at home most likely puts an end of the Tigers’ hopes of repeating and making the playoff. Auburn travels to Georgia this weekend, where revenge is on the mind of the Bulldogs.
5. LSU- LSU nearly ended another contenders dream of competing for a national title. The Tigers were one stop and overtime period away from upsetting Alabama at home, but lost 20-13 in overtime. Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings struggled passing, going 8-26 for 76 yards with one touchdown and interception. The Tigers are on the road the rest of the season, going to Arkansas and Texas A&M.
6. Georgia- The Georgia offense exploded against Kentucky, scoring 63 points and a career-high four touchdown passes from senior quarterback Hutson Mason in a 63-31 win over Kentucky. Once again freshman running back Nick Chubb dominated on the ground, rushing 170 yards on 13 carries and one touchdown. A lot needed to be shown by Georgia, coming off an embarrassing loss to rival Florida. Georgia has revenge on their minds this Saturday as Auburn comes to Athens.
7. Texas A&M- It was Texas A&M that pulled off the late game magic this time and not Auburn. Freshman quarterback Kyle Allen went 19-29 through the air for four touchdowns and one interception. His four touchdown passes all came in the first half. Auburn almost came back in the second half, but the Aggies held it together for the upset. A&M’s last two games come at home against Missouri and LSU.
8. Missouri- With a 4-1 record in SEC East play, Missouri remains in first place and controls their destiny for a spot in the SEC championship game. The Tigers have shown resilience lately, winning their last three games after being blown out at home against Georgia. The bye week was a great time to get players healthy as Missouri goes on the road against rival Texas A&M Saturday, then Tennessee.
9. Florida- Have the Gators found their answer at quarterback? Freshman Treon Harris may be the guy to the Gators offensive woes. Harris went 13-21 passing for 215 yards which kept the offense moving in their 34-10 win at Vanderbilt Saturday. The defense played up to their expectations at the beginning of the season, holding the Vanderbilt offense to just 308 total yards and forcing four turnovers. Florida gets South Carolina at home Saturday afternoon.
10. Arkansas- Head coach Bret Bielema is still without an SEC win in his coaching career at Arkansas, but the Razorbacks have been competitive ever since his arrival. The near upset at Mississippi State last week proves Arkansas can compete with anyone they are faced with. It’s only a matter of time when Bielema recruits more great players and Arkansas becomes a power in the conference. Arkansas gets LSU at home Saturday.
11. Kentucky- Four straight losses for the Wildcats after starting 5-1 hurts. Kentucky went from a contender in the SEC East to an afterthought. The defense got steamrolled against Georgia, giving up 63 points and 559 total yards of offense. Kentucky ends the season with two winnable games on the road at Tennessee and rival Louisville.
12. Tennessee- Tennessee has a lot to play for in their last three games. With a 4-5 overall record, two more wins secures a spot in a bowl game for head coach Butch Jones, which would be his first bowl appearance as head coach of the Volunteers. Four of Tennessee’s five losses came against teams ranked in the top 15. Tennessee gets Kentucky and Missouri at home next.
13. South Carolina- South Carolina is in danger of not making a bowl game for the first time in seven years under head coach Steve Spurrier. They need to win two of their last three games to make a bowl. The popular pick to win the SEC East at the beginning of the season has taken a deep tumble. The bye week came at the right time, as the Gamecocks have lost four out of their last five games and the defense has struggled immensely. South Carolina travels to Florida Saturday.
14. Vanderbilt- Two more opportunities await for Vanderbilt to pick up their first SEC win of the season, but it won’t be easy. The Commodores have a bye week before they travel to Mississippi State and then get Tennessee at home in their final game.
