In this SEC Power Poll, The Daily Mississippian’s Sports Editor Dylan Rubino ranks the 14 Southeastern Conference teams. The Ole Miss Rebels will play Tennessee Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m.
1. Mississippi State- Three straight wins against top 10 teams ranked in the AP Poll is not only enough to be number one in my power poll but good enough to be number one in the nation, dethroning Florida State. Junior quarterback Dak Prescott looked shaky at times in the win over Auburn, but his ability to run freezes defenses at times and adds another dimension to the offense. Prescott is the Heisman front-runner so far, and the front seven on defense will take the Bulldogs to new heights.
2. Ole Miss- What hangover? The Rebels were not threatened by the 110,000-plus crowd at Kyle Field and won handily against Texas A&M on Saturday 35-20. The hangover from the Alabama win was just a rumor, and the Rebels showed the poise and confidence of a team that can win the SEC. The schedule gets a little easier with Tennessee coming to Oxford Saturday. The Rebels will go as far as the defense will take them.
3. Auburn- Head coach Gus Malzahn is a great offensive mind and play-caller, but he didn’t look like one in their loss to Mississippi State. Many risky calls and blunders cost the Tigers a crucial win on their schedule. Senior quarterback Nick Marshall proved to be ineffective as a passer, and that could hold the defending conference champs back at a chance of repeating.
4. Alabama- A win is a win, but the 14-13 win over Arkansas is not something head coach Nick Saban or Alabama fans should be proud of. The offense looked inconsistent, and the play of the special teams continues to be a disaster. The Crimson Tide offense was outgained by the Arkansas offense by more than 100 yards. It doesn’t get easier for Alabama, as Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon.
5. Georgia- No Todd Gurley, no problem. True freshman running back Nick Chubb ran for 143 yards and one touchdown in the Bulldogs’ beat down of Missouri 34-0. Senior quarterback Hutson Mason was an efficient 22 for 28 passing and the defense forced five turnovers and gave up zero points. It’s tough to beat Georgia when they play like that. The SEC East is theirs to lose.
6. Texas A&M- The state of Mississippi has not treated Texas A&M well. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but any time a loss occurs on the schedule, it hurts. The offense hit a wall against the swarming Ole Miss defense and will look to get back on track against another great defense in Alabama.
7. LSU- It came down to the wire, but LSU got a crucial win at Florida Saturday 30-27, thanks to a game-winning field goal as time expired. The Tigers dominated time of possession to get the victory, which may be the key to survival for the rest of the season. LSU returns home this weekend to face an improving Kentucky team.
8. Kentucky- The 5-1 Kentucky Wildcats, that’s right, the 5-1 Kentucky Wildcats, are in second place in the SEC East behind Georgia. Who would’ve thought that at the beginning of the season? The Wildcats handled business at home against UL Monroe Saturday 48-14. We’ll find out a lot about this team in the next two weeks as they travel to LSU this weekend and then host Mississippi State.
9. Arkansas- The past two games may have resulted in losses, but the Razorbacks put up strong fights against both Alabama and Texas A&M, losing both games by a combined eight points. Arkansas is 0-3 in SEC play, but there is enough talent on the Razorback roster to compete the rest of the season. Georgia travels to Fayetteville this weekend.
10. Florida- Fortune was not in favor of the Gators Saturday against LSU, where they lost by a field goal as time expired. The Gators were fortunate the week before to squeak past Tennessee. Now, we will find out where the Gators stand in a mess that is the SEC East. Missouri and Georgia are the next two opponents on the schedule.
11. Missouri- Missouri looked like deer in headlights as they ran into a brick wall that was the Georgia defense Saturday. The offense was a no-show, literally, putting up zero points and turning the ball over five times. This team looks more like the team that lost to Indiana at home than the one that beat South Carolina on the road.
12. South Carolina- The bye week came at the perfect time for South Carolina. Head coach Steve Spurrier and his squad needed to regroup after losing two straight games to SEC East opponents. South Carolina gets Furman at home for homecoming, then travel to Auburn.
13. Tennessee- Losing by a combined four points to Georgia and Florida shows that this Tennessee team can compete with the big boys of the SEC. A 35-point win over Chattanooga helps build confidence going into their showdown at Ole Miss.
14. Vanderbilt- Another week, another last place finish in my SEC power poll. The Commodores got outgained by almost 100 yards as they squeaked by Charleston Southern 21-20. Vanderbilt has a bye week before traveling to Missouri with an opportunity to pick up their first SEC win of the season.
