SEC Power Rankings: Week Six

A huge week in the SEC, with both Alabama and Florida going down, and South Carolina and Kentucky getting tuneups before their showdown this weekend. How do the teams stack up? Let’s check it out.

1. LSU – The Tigers struggled with Tulane early, but worse things have happened. It was kind of mystifying watching the Tigers offense limp around against the Green Wave just a couple weeks after they’d rolled VA Tech, but they’ll have to lay an egg against an SEC opponent before I attribute their struggles to any more than a let down. The D is still tops in almost every major category, and giving up just 6 points a game. Can SEC squads learn from Tulane’s game plan?
2. South Carolina – OK, Gamecock fans. You were right. I was wrong. This USC squad is much better than I thought, with freshman Chris Smelley looking full of potential, tossing 19 of 37 for 279 yards. The MSU defense is a lot better than folks outside the SEC will realize, so this was a big-time win and performance from the freshman signal caller. Mike Davis and Cory Boyd are shaping up like a dynamite thunder & lighting in the backfield, and someone’s going to have to beat this SC team to bounce them from #2 on my list.
3. Florida – Nothing stuns me that much in the SEC, where every team is capable of playing amazing on any day. But this Florida loss was as stunning as it gets, with the defending national champs gagging at home to the one team they had a chance to get revenge on from last year, an Auburn squad that had struggled mightily at home. The defense gave up on big run after another to Tate and Fannin and, even though the final yardage totals were impressive, they just couldn’t get a big stop when they needed one. And the offense really needs to get more people than Tim Tebow involved; the kid is great, but he’s not good enough that they can afford to only have him handoff 9 times a game like he did against the Tigers.
4. Kentucky – Here we go, in to the biggest three game stretch in recent Wildcat football history. Thursday night brings a tough roadie in Columbia, then home dates against LSU and Florida. If the Wildcats can somehow, some way get wins in two of those three games, they’ve got a great shot to win the SEC East, depending on how it all shakes out. I’m pretty sure Andre Woodson is going to complete some passes against SC, but can the defense get enough big stops to shut down Chris Smelley and the Gamecock attack? That Thursday night crowd ain’t gonna be friendly.
5. Georgia – The ‘Dawgs really didn’t do anything wrong to drop a few notches, I just earned a little more respect for SC and Kentucky. The passing game is going to need a little more deep threat to run through the schedule, but the running attack was great Saturday with Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno combining for 270 yards against Ole Miss. UGA out-toughed the Rebs significantly, and pounded out five ground touchdowns. We didn’t learn much about the Bulldogs this weekend; we will next Saturday at a rested Tennessee.
6. Auburn – War Eagle! The Tigers put up a performance for the ages, going in to a game they had every reason to lose and gutting out a big-time, big-program win that is one of the best of the Tommy Tuberville era. Big ups to Tuberville for staying aggressive even with an early lead, and Brandon Cox can probably walk straight now that a huge Gator-shaped monkey is off his back. That loss to USF is looking like less and less of a disaster, and the Tigers get a layup against Vandy before facing Arkansas at home. 8 or even 9 wins isn’t out of the question, and that total would be remarkable considering where and how this squad started the year.
7. Mississippi State – The rushing offense is capable, with about 160 ypg against a fairly tough early schedule that has included LSU, Auburn and So Car. But the passing attack just has to get better, with Riddell and Carroll combining for 118 yards and just 4.4 yards a pass against the ‘Cocks. But MSU lost because they had no prayer of threatening deep through the air. After South Carolina took the lead late in the third, the Bulldogs were 6-18 passing for just 40 yards and an INT. That’s not going to cut it.
8. Arkansas – Yeah, so Darren McFadden is the best player in the country. Yep, Felix Jones is a gamebreaker at 2 or 3 positions. This team has not shown me it can defend, and that October 13^th home date against Auburn just got a whole lot scarier. I’ve given up hoping that Casey Dick will suddenly spearhead a dangerous passing attack (97^th nationally), but I haven’t lost hope in the defense. There are athletes on this unit, including sophomore DL Malcolm Sheppard (11^th in TFL).
9. Alabama – The Saban publicity machine really got humming after Bama pulled out the squeaker against the Hogs, but since it’s been two tough losses against Georgia and Florida State. Terry Grant has been a revelation in the backfield (30^th nationally, 103 ypg), but John Parker Wilson has never looked like a big-time SEC quarterback to me, and he probably never will.
10. Tennessee – The Vols are a wounded animal right now, lying in wait for the Bulldogs after an opening four games that were far less than impressive. The Vols gave up 104 to Cal and Florida, and looked far less than dominant against Southern Miss and Arkansas State. UT is an astounding 110^th nationally in scoring D, and getting little to no pressure on opposing QBs (85^th in sacks, 109^th in TFL). And still, it’s a dangerous squad facing Georgia after an off week, with Phillip Fulmer and senior QB Erik Ainge looking to erase a legacy of recent disappointments.
11. Vanderbilt – Vandy might be playing like a 12^th best team right now, but gets the nod at 11 thanks to a win over Ole Miss early in the year. 4 picks against Eastern Michigan? Come on….At least the D looked sharp, limited the Eagles to less than 200 yards of total offense, and generating 4 picks in their own right. The D has actually been pretty stout, with DJ Moore at 3 INT and the whole squad at 17^th in the nation in points allowed.
12. Ole Miss – Let’s talk about Greg Hardy. The sophomore DL has been a bright spot in another cloudy season, with 7 TFL already, 3 sacks and two receiving TDs in five games this year. As we said last week, the individual pieces are there at individual skill positions, but this team won’t compete until the lines get much, much better.