November 17, 2015
SEC Power Poll: League set for cupcake Saturday
Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
Enjoy Cupcake Saturday, the SEC's annual weekend for (some) teams to get a breather while simultaneously infuriating fans from other conferences. For those fans, I'd suggest a nice carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese icing. Or, if you are a Big 12 fan, I'd suggest buying three dozen and eating them all since no one in that league can stop you - or anybody else.
There are a couple of conference games on the slate as well, none of which will mean nearly as much as they looked like they would mean a month ago. That includes LSU-Ole Miss, which has gone from a potential title match to an undercard battle of fighters who may still be woozy from getting knocked out in their last fight.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
1
Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 9-1, 6-1
The good news for Mississippi State last Saturday? The Bulldogs surprised Alabama's offense with some defensive changes in the game. The bad news? Derrick Henry doesn't like surprises.
2
Florida Gators
Record: 9-1, 7-1
The Gators are the quietest SEC division champion in years. At least when Missouri won the division the past two years, people spoke up (mainly to ask "what the heck?" but still ...). There is no mystery to Florida's success: good defense and good coaching. But they made need to beat Florida State just to get any attention.
3
Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 7-3, 4-2
The only team that can disrupt an Alabama-Florida SEC Championship Game (with a lot of help from Auburn), but the Rebel defense appears to be hanging on its last thread. Maybe an off week (or LSU's offense) will help.
4
LSU Tigers
Record: 7-2, 4-2
What's the difference in Les Miles and Ronda Rousey? Ronda's only taken one beating this month.
5
Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 6-4, 3-3
UT fans were upset by a lackluster effort against North Texas last Saturday. That's probably a sign of progress for a program that was looking for any win it could get a couple of years ago.
6
Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 6-4, 4-2
Someone let Arkansas hang around like a stray puppy early in the year, and all of a sudden, they've turned into a St. Bernard that can wreck everything in your house - including the carpets - if you aren't careful.
7
Miss State Bulldogs
Record: 7-3, 3-3
There are three games left in Dak Prescott's MSU career, including a bowl. Just don't think about 2016.
8
Georgia Bulldogs
Record:7-3, 5-3
When your head coach tweets out a picture of himself having breakfast with a five-star quarterback on Sunday morning, one word leaps to mind: "desperate." Richt might as well coach the last two Bulldog games in a "Don't Fire Me" sweatshirt. Wait. Richt's a nice guy. Make that a "Please Don't Fire Me" sweatshirt.
9
Auburn Tigers
Record: 5-5, 2-5
The Tigers gave themselves a chance against Georgia, then handed it back with two critical fourth-quarter fumbles. The quarterback situation still hasn't resolved itself and at this point, there is no reason to think it will.
10
Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 6-3, 4-3
The Aggies should beat Vanderbilt at home, but who knows? A team that was some people's dark horse playoff contender in October is as irrelevant as an Adam Sandler Movie Marathon today. (Sorry, "Happy Gilmore" fans.)
11
Missouri Tigers
Record: 5-5, 1-5
Missouri came up with an impressive, emotional win over BYU after an insanely intense week capped by Gary Pinkel's retirement. Whether they can get another win, or just some peace and quiet, remains to be seen.
12
Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 4-6, 2-4
Derek Mason, who at SEC Media Days 2014 was voted "Least Likely To Be At SEC Media Days 2015" has actually done a good job of keeping Vanderbilt competitive, especially considering that he has no offense to speak of.
13
South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 3-7, 1-7
The Gamecocks are probably ready for this season to be over. Not after playing Clemson in two weeks. Now.
14
Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 4-5, 1-5
I hate to keep harping about the Wildcats, but they are a mystery that nags like a boot blister. For a month, they seemed to be making the sort of modest progress that gives hope for the future. But they've fallen apart spectacularly. They look lethargic and poorly coached. They just lost their last real hope of bowl eligibility by failing to beat Vanderbilt. If this was a combined SEC/MAC/Sun Belt power poll, they might still be in the basement.
- See more at: SEC Power Poll: League set for cupcake Saturday
SEC Power Poll: League set for cupcake Saturday
Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
Enjoy Cupcake Saturday, the SEC's annual weekend for (some) teams to get a breather while simultaneously infuriating fans from other conferences. For those fans, I'd suggest a nice carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese icing. Or, if you are a Big 12 fan, I'd suggest buying three dozen and eating them all since no one in that league can stop you - or anybody else.
There are a couple of conference games on the slate as well, none of which will mean nearly as much as they looked like they would mean a month ago. That includes LSU-Ole Miss, which has gone from a potential title match to an undercard battle of fighters who may still be woozy from getting knocked out in their last fight.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
1
Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 9-1, 6-1
The good news for Mississippi State last Saturday? The Bulldogs surprised Alabama's offense with some defensive changes in the game. The bad news? Derrick Henry doesn't like surprises.
2
Florida Gators
Record: 9-1, 7-1
The Gators are the quietest SEC division champion in years. At least when Missouri won the division the past two years, people spoke up (mainly to ask "what the heck?" but still ...). There is no mystery to Florida's success: good defense and good coaching. But they made need to beat Florida State just to get any attention.
3
Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 7-3, 4-2
The only team that can disrupt an Alabama-Florida SEC Championship Game (with a lot of help from Auburn), but the Rebel defense appears to be hanging on its last thread. Maybe an off week (or LSU's offense) will help.
4
LSU Tigers
Record: 7-2, 4-2
What's the difference in Les Miles and Ronda Rousey? Ronda's only taken one beating this month.
5
Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 6-4, 3-3
UT fans were upset by a lackluster effort against North Texas last Saturday. That's probably a sign of progress for a program that was looking for any win it could get a couple of years ago.
6
Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 6-4, 4-2
Someone let Arkansas hang around like a stray puppy early in the year, and all of a sudden, they've turned into a St. Bernard that can wreck everything in your house - including the carpets - if you aren't careful.
7
Miss State Bulldogs
Record: 7-3, 3-3
There are three games left in Dak Prescott's MSU career, including a bowl. Just don't think about 2016.
8
Georgia Bulldogs
Record:7-3, 5-3
When your head coach tweets out a picture of himself having breakfast with a five-star quarterback on Sunday morning, one word leaps to mind: "desperate." Richt might as well coach the last two Bulldog games in a "Don't Fire Me" sweatshirt. Wait. Richt's a nice guy. Make that a "Please Don't Fire Me" sweatshirt.
9
Auburn Tigers
Record: 5-5, 2-5
The Tigers gave themselves a chance against Georgia, then handed it back with two critical fourth-quarter fumbles. The quarterback situation still hasn't resolved itself and at this point, there is no reason to think it will.
10
Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 6-3, 4-3
The Aggies should beat Vanderbilt at home, but who knows? A team that was some people's dark horse playoff contender in October is as irrelevant as an Adam Sandler Movie Marathon today. (Sorry, "Happy Gilmore" fans.)
11
Missouri Tigers
Record: 5-5, 1-5
Missouri came up with an impressive, emotional win over BYU after an insanely intense week capped by Gary Pinkel's retirement. Whether they can get another win, or just some peace and quiet, remains to be seen.
12
Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 4-6, 2-4
Derek Mason, who at SEC Media Days 2014 was voted "Least Likely To Be At SEC Media Days 2015" has actually done a good job of keeping Vanderbilt competitive, especially considering that he has no offense to speak of.
13
South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 3-7, 1-7
The Gamecocks are probably ready for this season to be over. Not after playing Clemson in two weeks. Now.
14
Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 4-5, 1-5
I hate to keep harping about the Wildcats, but they are a mystery that nags like a boot blister. For a month, they seemed to be making the sort of modest progress that gives hope for the future. But they've fallen apart spectacularly. They look lethargic and poorly coached. They just lost their last real hope of bowl eligibility by failing to beat Vanderbilt. If this was a combined SEC/MAC/Sun Belt power poll, they might still be in the basement.
- See more at: SEC Power Poll: League set for cupcake Saturday
