1. Auburn- The Tigers had a bye week in the third week of the season. They face their first real test when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas, to play 20th ranked Kansas State. Wildcat head coach Bill Snyder will have something up his sleeve against Auburn.
2. Alabama- No problems last week for the Crimson Tide where they defeated Southern Miss 52-12. The Florida Gators come to Tuscaloosa this weekend for Alabama’s first SEC game of the season. They may need to worry about the Florida offense more than the defense.
3. Texas A&M- Averaging 54.3 points per game so far this season, the Aggie offense proves to be one of the best in the country led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Kenny Hill. With almost 1,100 passing yards so far this season, Hill shows no signs of slowing down.
4. Ole Miss- The bye week comes at the right time for the Rebels as they try to get players healthy and regroup for two straight weeks with games at home. Memphis comes next week then the showdown with Alabama.
5. LSU- The defense proves to be the strong point once again in Baton Rogue, giving up only eight points per game so far. Inconsistencies at quarterback seem to be the one thing holding back the offense. Sophomore Anthony Jennings needs to be a more prolific passer in order for the Tigers to make a big leap.
6. South Carolina- A big win for the Gamecocks against Georgia puts them right back in SEC East contention. As of right now, it seems as if Steve Spurrier’s squad is the front runner in the division.
7. Georgia- In their toughest stretch of the season, the Bulldogs went 1-1; defeating Clemson in week one and losing in heartbreaking fashion to South Carolina 38-35. Running back Todd Gurley is very much a Heisman candidate, but the offense will need more than him in order to win games.
8. Missouri- People seem to be overlooking the defending champs of the East. Missouri is on another perfect start and show no signs of slowing down. The Tigers get Indiana at home this weekend then travel to South Carolina and get Georgia at home the week after. We’ll know more then.
9. Florida- The Gators survived a nail-biter Saturday in triple overtime against Kentucky 36-30. The offense seems to be much improved from a season ago, but the defense has some concerns. They need to fix that for Alabama.
10. Mississippi State- Quarterback Dak Prescott leads a much improved offense, as Prescott has totaled almost 1,000 yards in total offense. The Bulldogs travel to Baton Rogue to play LSU Saturday.
11. Arkansas- The Razorbacks may have the best rushing attack in the country. Bret Bielema’s squad ran for over 400 yards and seven total touchdowns. 3-0 Northern Illinois comes to Fayetteville this weekend in what could be a trap game.
12. Tennessee- There is no shame in losing to 4th ranked Oklahoma on the road. The defense put up a fight the whole game, but it wasn’t enough surrendering 34 points. This Volunteer is much improved from a year before.
13. Kentucky- The Wildcats gave all they had Saturday against Florida. This isn’t your grandfathers’ Kentucky football team. They are no longer the bottom feeders of the conference. This program will make leaps in the next few years.
14. Vanderbilt- The Commodores had to come back against Massachusetts down 31-20 in the second half to pick up their first win of the season. The struggles should continue as they travel to South Carolina this weekend.
