Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist
For the past three weeks, the Power Poll has had the entire SEC West Division ranked ahead of the SEC East. It's a logical move except when you have to decide whether Arkansas, which hasn't won an SEC game for what seems like ages (although John L. Smith actually coached Arkansas to a win over Auburn) is better than Georgia. The Bulldogs are more talented but continue to embrace mediocrity as though it were a child's beloved stuffed animal. History teaches us that Georgia rises above the excuses when it has a great running back, which it has this year in Todd Gurley. He is just good enough to keep Average Mark Richt coaching the Bulldogs until 2027, at least. But we will keep the West intact, at least for one more week.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
RANKLWTEAM
1
2
Texas A&M Aggies
Record: 5-0 (2-0)
One could say that the Aggies deserve to slip a little after an overtime win against Arkansas. Or, one could say the Aggies showed championship character by winning a game that looked like a loss after three quarters. We will go with the latter, at least for this week.
2
2
Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
Can Bo Wallace boldly go where only Eli Manning has gone in the last decade? Or will he suffer the same fate as all those non-Mannings against Alabama?
3
3
Auburn Tigers
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
The AU-version Tigers seek to break the curse of Les Miles. If anyone has the mojo to do it, they are the team.
4
4
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
The Bulldogs catch Texas A&M at the right time and the right place, plus they can steal the spotlight from Ole Miss.
5
5
Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
Game Day goes to Oxford, so maybe we will get to see Lee Corso eat roast squab off fine china. But I don't think we will see him don the Rebel Black Bear head, whatever that may be.
6
6
LSU Tigers
Record: 4-1 (0-1)
A second divisional loss might not kill the Tigers, but Les Miles would give his last grass smoothie not to find out.
7
7[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/524108.gif" >Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 3-1 (0-1)
Since Arkansas is idle and has been discussed above, this slot seems like a good place to discuss what I like to call the Danny Kanell challenge. (He is @dannykanell on Twitter.) Pick the second best team in the ACC, your choice -- Georgia Tech, Duke, Clemson, whoever. Could you honestly rank them higher than this? If they were in the SEC West, could they win a single Division game? Very, very doubtful.
8
8
Georgia Bulldogs
Record: 3-1 (1-1)
Todd Gurley will probably gain 350 yards on Saturday in a rousing 34-31 victory over Vanderbilt.
9
10
Tennessee Volunteers
Record: 2-2 (0-0)
I got confused last week and made a joke about the Tennessee-Florida game. Good joke, wrong week.
10
13[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/1285141.jpg" >Missouri Tigers
Record: 4-1 (1-0)
The Tigers aren't out of the East race, which says something about the division, but I am not sure what.
11
11
Florida Gators
Record: 2-1 (1-1)
Florida continues to stay in the same place. Now that is a joke I can recycle.
12
13
Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 3-1 (1-1)
The Wildcats are looking to win consecutive SEC games for the first time since 1866. (Actually, it's 2009, but you believed it for a second.)
13
9
South Carolina Gamecocks
Record: 3-2 (2-2)
The Gamecocks have to be the front-runner for America's Most Disappointing Team. They can wrap that up against Kentucky.
14
14[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/524120.gif" >Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 1-4 (0-3)
At least Missouri gave Vandy the opportunity to chant "We Didn't Lose To Indiana!!" It isn't much but it's something.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content
TideSports.com Columnist
For the past three weeks, the Power Poll has had the entire SEC West Division ranked ahead of the SEC East. It's a logical move except when you have to decide whether Arkansas, which hasn't won an SEC game for what seems like ages (although John L. Smith actually coached Arkansas to a win over Auburn) is better than Georgia. The Bulldogs are more talented but continue to embrace mediocrity as though it were a child's beloved stuffed animal. History teaches us that Georgia rises above the excuses when it has a great running back, which it has this year in Todd Gurley. He is just good enough to keep Average Mark Richt coaching the Bulldogs until 2027, at least. But we will keep the West intact, at least for one more week.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS
RANKLWTEAM
1
2
Record: 5-0 (2-0)
One could say that the Aggies deserve to slip a little after an overtime win against Arkansas. Or, one could say the Aggies showed championship character by winning a game that looked like a loss after three quarters. We will go with the latter, at least for this week.
2
2
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
Can Bo Wallace boldly go where only Eli Manning has gone in the last decade? Or will he suffer the same fate as all those non-Mannings against Alabama?
3
3
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
The AU-version Tigers seek to break the curse of Les Miles. If anyone has the mojo to do it, they are the team.
4
4
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
The Bulldogs catch Texas A&M at the right time and the right place, plus they can steal the spotlight from Ole Miss.
5
5
Record: 4-0 (1-0)
Game Day goes to Oxford, so maybe we will get to see Lee Corso eat roast squab off fine china. But I don't think we will see him don the Rebel Black Bear head, whatever that may be.
6
6
Record: 4-1 (0-1)
A second divisional loss might not kill the Tigers, but Les Miles would give his last grass smoothie not to find out.
7
7[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/524108.gif" >Arkansas Razorbacks
Record: 3-1 (0-1)
Since Arkansas is idle and has been discussed above, this slot seems like a good place to discuss what I like to call the Danny Kanell challenge. (He is @dannykanell on Twitter.) Pick the second best team in the ACC, your choice -- Georgia Tech, Duke, Clemson, whoever. Could you honestly rank them higher than this? If they were in the SEC West, could they win a single Division game? Very, very doubtful.
8
8
Record: 3-1 (1-1)
Todd Gurley will probably gain 350 yards on Saturday in a rousing 34-31 victory over Vanderbilt.
9
10
Record: 2-2 (0-0)
I got confused last week and made a joke about the Tennessee-Florida game. Good joke, wrong week.
10
13[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/1285141.jpg" >Missouri Tigers
Record: 4-1 (1-0)
The Tigers aren't out of the East race, which says something about the division, but I am not sure what.
11
11
Record: 2-1 (1-1)
Florida continues to stay in the same place. Now that is a joke I can recycle.
12
13
Record: 3-1 (1-1)
The Wildcats are looking to win consecutive SEC games for the first time since 1866. (Actually, it's 2009, but you believed it for a second.)
13
9
Record: 3-2 (2-2)
The Gamecocks have to be the front-runner for America's Most Disappointing Team. They can wrap that up against Kentucky.
14
14[img alt="" src="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/885/524120.gif" >Vanderbilt Commodores
Record: 1-4 (0-3)
At least Missouri gave Vandy the opportunity to chant "We Didn't Lose To Indiana!!" It isn't much but it's something.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content
