SEC Power Rankings: Week Nine

The plot thickened like molasses this weekend with LSU and Florida reasserting themselves at the top while South Carolina and Tennessee positioned themselves for a nose dive. You know the drill: neutral field, tomorrow, who would win? Let’s give it a shot:

1. LSU – The Tigers are looking at having a great shot still, or at least as good as anyone, to crack the national championship game. Even though Alabama and Arkansas are good SEC squads, the toughest part of the schedule is now over, and the Tigers *should* be able to make it to the title game unscathed. Still, the defense is really showing weaknesses and Les Miles’ big “gutsy” play call late again Auburn: not gutsy, just reckless.
2. Auburn – Auburn. Beats Florida on the road. Beats Arkansas on the road. Within a hair of beating the nation’s most talented team on their home turf. And still – not even the best Tigers in their own division. Auburn is easily the best three loss team in the country right now, and would have had to be the SEC favorite with a win at LSU. If one Auburn DB moves his arm just a hair, batting the ball in the air, or wasting another second somehow, the Tigers get it. As is, the only big challenge on the rest of the ledger should be Georgia at Sanford. If the Tigers win out and get help, they could still grab the West.
3. Florida – With two weeks to prepare, the Gators rolled out a great game plan at Kentucky Saturday, ending the ‘Cats national title hopes and officially rendering the East FUBAR. Everybody’s got two losses now, but the Gators are still the team to beat; the offensive line isn’t getting enough credit for only allowing it’s sophomore QB to be sacked 5 times in 7 games against some scary D-lines, and Tebow is probably the man to beat for the Heisman right now. I still think to really be a top-5 team nationally, the offensive game plan has to start including more options other than just the star signal caller.
4. Kentucky – The Wildcats never gave up and got a great performance from Andre Woodson, but didn’t have quite the manpower to man up to the Gators. Both Dicky Lyons and Steve Johnson had great games catching the ball, but the pass defense was a big let down, letting Tebow complete 18 of 26 passes and convert 7 of 11 third downs. When you’re already trotting out the league’s 11^th best run D, the pass prevent has to do better.
5. South Carolina – Spurrier 1 million, Vandy 1. For the first time ever, a Commodore squad got the best of Steve Spurrier in an inexplicable 17-6 beat down in Columbia. How did this happen? Both quarterbacks stunk up the joint, so who knows what guy starts and how soon he gets benched in Knoxville this coming Saturday. SC was remarkably awful on third down, getting just 1 of 12. Would it surprise you at all if this team finished anywhere between 6 and 10 wins?
6. Georgia – It’s go time for Mark Richt’s Bulldogs, heading to the Cocktail Party with two weeks prep time and the SEC East lead in the balance. If Georgia wins, there’ll be three teams, max, with only two losses, and there are only two more SEC games, both at home. What’s stopping the ‘Dawgs from grabbing the crown? Georgia has to get pressure on Tebow Saturday. It’ll be tough with the nation’s 82^nd ranked pass rush against the Gators’ 2^nd ranked pass protection. 2 or less sacks: Florida wins. 3 or more – I like the ‘Dawgs’ chances.
7. Alabama – The Tide kept movin’, movin’, movin’ the ball against Tennessee, and then they moved it some more. 27 first downs, 363 passing yards, double digit points in 3 of 4 quarters – Crimson fans got the first real glimpse of what they’re paying Nick Saban a billion dollars to do. One interesting stat: of Alabama’s 62 tackles, 30 (48%) were assisted. Of Tennessee’s 80, only 26 (32%) were assisted. That means the Tide D swarmed to the ball far better than their counterparts. With two weeks prep, can they outswarm LSU as well?
8. Tennessee – Welcome back to the hot seat, Phil, we kept it warm for ya. Did we see it coming? Just two weeks after what was painted some kind of ‘watershed’ victory over Georgia, the Vols got clobbered, no, obliterated by an Alabama team that, to date, really had been just OK. UT is just 1-3 on the road this year; luckily, they don’t leave Knoxville again until November 24^th. Until then, would anyone do me the favor of getting in to an opponent’s backfield? 117^th in the nation in TFL: Wow.
9. Arkansas – Show me all the Darren McFadden highlights you want, but no matter what happens this weekend against Florida International, when November comes, Ole Miss will be the only BCS squad the Hogs have beaten. The four wins to date have come against Troy, North Texas, Chattanooga and the Rebels. With a victory over FIU this Saturday, Arkansas should wrap up its spot in the Sun Belt Championship Game.
10. Vanderbilt – Congratulations to the Commodores, who got the Ol’ Ball Monkey off their back Saturday in a big way, trouncing South Carolina in their place, 17-6. With a win over Miami (Ohio) this weekend, Vandy will be just one victory short of bowl eligibility. The stretch run is killer, with games at Florida and Tennessee mixed with home dates against Kentucky and Wake Forest. The offense really stinks, but the D has shown flashes of brilliance, holding SC to just 6 points and frustrating Georgia.
11. Mississippi State – Hope you’re geared up for the Egg Bowl, where the Bulldogs will be about 7 point favorites to beat Ole Miss in the “battle” for SEC worst. Everyone who has ever been an MSU football fan better circle November 10^th on your calendar: sandwiched in between automatic losses against Kentucky and Arkansas is a home date with Alabama. If the Bulldogs win, and they can, if Anthony Dixon gets blocking, MSU will likely be bowl eligible at season’s end.
12. Ole Miss – Think the Rebs stink? Get a load of this: Ole Miss beat Memphis, who beat Rice, who beat Southern Miss, who beat East Carolina, who beat North Carolina, who beat Miami, who beat Florida State, who beat Alabama, who beat Tennessee, who beat Mississippi State, who beat Auburn, who beat Florida, who beat Kentucky, who beat LSU. Ole Miss: your 2007 SEC champs!!