The Daily Mississippian sports editor Dylan Rubino ranks the 14 Southeastern Conference teams in week six. The Ole Miss Rebels return home this Saturday to face New Mexico State. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network.
1. LSU- Quarterback Brandon Harris only completed four passes, but running back Leonard Fournette carried the offense once again in a 44-22 win over Eastern Michigan Saturday at Death Valley. Fournette finished with 22 carries for 233 yards and three scores, and continues to be the best player in college football. The Tigers hit the road to face South Carolina Saturday afternoon.
2. Alabama- Don’t ever count the Crimson Tide out. Alabama’s loss to Ole Miss is starting look like a fluke, as they routed Georgia in Athens 38-10 Saturday afternoon. The rainy conditions did not stop the Crimson Tide and they scored touchdowns four different ways. Georgia tried to pick a fight with the Crimson Tide before the game and they paid the price for it. Alabama returns home Saturday to face Arkansas.
3. Florida- The Gators’ defeat of Ole Miss at home didn’t surprise anyone as much as how they beat them. The Gators built an insurmountable lead with four touchdowns from quarterback Will Grier and took advantage of the overly aggressive Rebel defense. Florida looks like the top team in the SEC East, but the Gators won’t play in the Swamp again until November 7. Florida is on the road at Missouri this Saturday.
4. Texas A&M- The Aggies looked strong at home against Mississippi State in their 30-17 win at Kyle Field. The offense was unstoppable, totaling 516 yards of offense led by quarterback Kyle Allen, who finished with 25-41 passing for 322 yards and two scores. Texas A&M is off this week, but they host Alabama at home October 17 in what looks to be their biggest game of the season.
5. Ole Miss- The Rebels could not fight back after trailing by 25 points in the second half in their 38-10 loss at Florida last Saturday. Injuries are starting to pile up for Ole Miss and more importantly on the offensive line, where the line crumbled under the constant pressure of the Florida front seven. The good news is, the Rebels control their own destiny in the SEC West and all of their toughest games are at home, but injuries could halt production.
6. Georgia- The Bulldogs kept on barking at Alabama, and they got bit in the end. The offense stalled in the pouring rain and could never catch up at home. Running back Nick Chubb continued to play well with 20 carries for 146 yards and one score, making it 13-straight games with over 100 rushing yards. There may be a quarterback controversy with Greyson Lamber splitting time with Brice Ramsey.
7. Kentucky- It was a little bit of a scare at home for the Wildcats as they beat Eastern Kentucky 34-27 in overtime. Kentucky rallied from down 14 in the 4th to complete the comeback. Quarterback Patrick Towles had to rally the offense in order to come out with the win. Towels finished 29-42 passing for 329 yards with three touchdowns and two picks.
8. Mississippi State- Quarterback Dak Prescott had 306 of the team’s 406 yards of total offense in their 30-17 loss at Texas A&M. Prescott seems to make up the entire production of the offense and he may not be enough to make up ground in the SEC West. The Bulldogs return home Saturday to face Troy.
9. Missouri- The Tigers got a much-needed win at home against South Carolina last Saturday 24-10. Starting quarterback Maty Mauk is suspended indefinitely by the team, so true freshman Drew Lock took his place and led the offense. Lock played an efficient game Saturday, but they’ll need more from him home against Florida this Saturday.
10. Arkansas- After three straight losses, the Razorbacks may have turned their season around in their 24-20 win on the road at Tennessee. The Razorbacks pounded the rock and collected 275 yards on the ground to tire out the Tennessee defense and the offense almost reached 500 yards of total offense. Arkansas hits the road to face Alabama this Saturday.
11. Tennessee- A once-promising season has quickly turned into a free-fall in Knoxville. Tied at halftime, the Volunteers got tired and could not stop the Arkansas running game. The hype was there for Tennessee and the weight may all be crashing now. Tennessee has a tall task to rebound at home against Georgia Saturday.
12. Auburn- The 35-21 win for Auburn over San Jose State last Saturday is way in the rear view window. The team has suspended star wide receiver Duke Williams over off-field issues. Head coach Gus Malzahn took the proper stand and disciplined the troubled player, but it’ll be a lot to overcome.
13. South Carolina- The Gamecocks turned the ball over three times in their road loss at Missouri last Saturday. The clock may be ticking on legendary head coach Steve Spurrier, as he seems to be losing his grip on the team and the coaching dominance he once had. It may be time for a new era in Columbia.
14. Vanderbilt- Trailing 10 in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt scored 14 points in the final 6:14 of the game and defeated Middle Tennessee on the road 17-13. The Commodores have shown signs of improvement all season, but they can’t stall against teams they’re expected to beat, even if they were underdogs in Vegas.
