Power Ranking the SEC After Ole Miss and Georgia Losses
We've reached the homestretch, and the first football weekend of November created more turmoil in the SEC.
No. 11 Georgia was throttled by Florida, 38-20, in Jacksonville in a game in which the Gators ran just six passing plays, while No. 3 Auburn won a thriller in Oxford over No. 4 Ole Miss, 35-31, to stay in the hunt for the SEC West title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
After a wild Week 10, how does the SEC shake out?
Fresh power rankings are in this slideshow.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores
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Remember when Vanderbilt was at best competitive and at worst a nuisance?
My, how things have changed in Nashville.
The Commodores improved to 3-6 on Saturday with a 42-28 win over Old Dominion, but that's likely as good as it's going to get. Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee are all likely losses for the Commodores, who have had problems with consistency all season long.
Quarterback Johnny McCrary provided a spark Saturday with five touchdown passes and helped head coach Derek Mason's crew rack up 524 yards against the Monarchs. That's great, but it needs to happen more. Unfortunately for Vandy, it's too late in the season to build any semblance of momentum.
Vandy is building for the future, and that future involves McCrary. That's a good thing.
13. Texas A&M Aggies
2 of 14Instead of progressing, Texas A&M has regressed...in the worst possible ways.
The defense has been a disaster under defensive coordinator Mark Snyder, but instead of progressing as youth has gained experience, it has regressed this season after looking halfway decent early in the year.
On top of that, the offense has taken a gigantic leap backward. Head coach Kevin Sumlin was shut out for the first time in his head coaching career against Alabama two weeks ago, 59-0, in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated, and he followed it up with a 21-16 win over ULM on Saturday in which the Aggies gained just 243 total yards.
Offensive prowess wasn't the first thing on Sumlin's mind against the Warhawks, according to TexAgs.com:
"Sumlin: We all understand that we have work to do but certainly the attitude is a lot better than it has been the last two weeks.
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) November 1, 2014"
A bad defense with a stagnant offense is a terrible recipe and one that will send Texas A&M to a lower-tier bowl if Sumlin's crew doesn't turn things around in a hurry.
12. Kentucky Wildcats
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Kentucky has improved tremendously from a year ago, but it is still navigating through rocky waters as second-year head coach Mark Stoops continues to build that program.
After a 5-1 start, it has lost three straight and managed just 260 yards in Saturday's 20-10 loss at Missouri.
"We need to do a better job," Stoops said in quotes emailed by Kentucky. "We need to find a way to move the football. Start faster. We need to find a way to get off the field on critical third downs, whether it be execution or them beating us. I think that's the bottom line and the message with today is that they beat us. They beat us in every one-on-one matchup, they outcoached us, they outplayed us and it wasn't a good enough effort. I'm very disappointed in the way we came in here and played."
Quarterback Patrick Towles has potential and has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but the offense has become too Towles-centric over the last two games. Defensively, there are some studs on that roster, including defensive linemen Alvin "Bud" Dupree and Za'Darius Smith, as well as safety A.J. Stamps, but those guys can't do it alone.
It will take some time and Kentucky is building, but it's going to be a slow process.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. South Carolina Gamecocks
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Remember when South Carolina had a defense?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
That seems like ages ago, as this year's defense has struggled against the run and pass and has forced the offense to be perfect, even against lesser competition. Against Tennessee on Saturday night, the Gamecocks—who came in with the second-worst defense in the SEC (437.5 YPG)—gave up 645 yards at home in a 45-42 loss in overtime.
After the game, head coach Steve Spurrier was virtually speechless, according to Josh Kendall of The State:
"Steve Spurrier gives 42-second postgame press conference and walks out. "I don't need to take any questions."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshatTheState) November 2, 2014"
With five losses already in the bag and Florida and Clemson still on the schedule, there's a real possibility the Gamecocks miss a bowl game.
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
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It has to be brutally painful to be an Arkansas fan.
With the team seemingly on the brink of breaking through that glass ceiling and getting the first SEC win since the middle of the 2012 season, the Hogs produced one of their best efforts Saturday night against No. 1 Mississippi State, leading the Bulldogs for the majority of the game and then driving down with a chance to tie late.
It didn't happen.
It never happens for Arkansas.
Will Redmond picked off Brandon Allen's pass with 15 seconds left to send the Hogs to a 17-10 loss in Starkville.
"At this point it’s almost numbing to be so close and not be able to come out on top with one of these opportunities," head coach Bret Bielema said in quotes emailed by Arkansas.
The team has a punishing rushing attack with Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, a quarterback who can manage the game in Brandon Allen and a defense that held the potent Mississippi State offense in check in its place.
At some point, though, that has to translate to at least one SEC win.
9. Tennessee Volunteers
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Joshua Dobbs, meet the future. Future, meet Joshua Dobbs.
You two get acquainted with each other, because you're going to be mentioned together quite a bit moving forward.
The sophomore quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers was brilliant in Tennessee's comeback 45-42 win in overtime Saturday night at South Carolina. Filling in for an injured Justin Worley, Dobbs threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns for the Vols, setting the Tennessee record for most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback.
Head coach Butch Jones was proud of how Dobbs responded in his first start of the season:
"JONES: Josh Dobbs has great competitive character. He's not emotional, he wanted the ball.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 2, 2014"
Tennessee has played 23 true freshmen this season and is littered with youth on that roster. Dobbs is the guy moving forward, and with Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt on the schedule, he will likely lead the Vols to at least two more wins.
Those bowl practices are critical to this team's development.
8. Georgia Bulldogs
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There's no other way to describe Georgia's 38-20 loss to Florida on Saturday afternoon other than it being a total embarrassment.
With Florida starting quarterback Treon Harris and being one-dimensional by necessity, you'd think that Georgia's veteran-laden front seven would be able to stop Florida on the ground.
Nope.
Kelvin Taylor rushed for 197 yards, Matt Jones rushed for 192 and Harris threw only six passes as Florida rushed for a total of 418 yards against the Bulldogs. Sure, it's only Georgia's second loss of the season, but it was an inexcusable one.
On top of the defensive struggles, quarterback Huston Mason looked reluctant to pull the trigger on anything over 15 yards, and early offensive momentum went out the window after the first quarter, as offensive coordinator Mike Bobo abandoned the run.
This Georgia team isn't a championship-caliber team. Not a national championship, SEC championship or division championship.
7. Florida Gators
8 of 14Finally, Florida established an offensive identity. Was it a predictable, one-dimensional identity? Yes, but even that is tremendous progress from where this Gator offense has been.
Behind Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones, Florida racked up 418 rushing yards on the ground against the previously No. 11 Bulldogs in the 38-20 win in Jacksonville, cooling the seat—at least temporarily—of head coach Will Muschamp.
It was the first win over Georgia in four tries for Muschamp—a former Bulldog safety.
"First thing Muschamp says: "Lemme pull something off my back (giant monkey vs. UGA). One less thing for y'all to write about."
— Jeff Barlis (@JeffBarlisESPN) November 1, 2014"
There's still work to do. At 4-3 and with Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and Florida State remaining, there's still a chance for the Gators to get hot and earn Muschamp another year in Gainesville. That's an improvement from where the program has been lately and gives Gator fans hope that, even it is just the immediate future, there's something to be excited about.
6. Missouri Tigers
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Missouri doesn't win pretty. In fact, a lot of times, it wins in the ugliest possible way (see: the Florida game). But luckily, in the SEC East race, style points don't matter.
The Tigers outlasted Kentucky on Saturday, 20-10, improving their record to 7-2 and taking control of the division. In true Missouri fashion, it wasn't pretty. The Tigers—who came in with the second-worst offense in the conference (331.4 YPG)—managed just 320 yards against the Wildcats.
"I'm not getting used to it," head coach Gary Pinkel said in quotes emailed by Missouri. "I don't want to get used to it. We won a lot of games, a few years back, scoring in the 40s. We're calling the game a little different. We're relying on the run more, but we want to get the ball downfield."
At this point, it doesn't matter how you win. Just win. After a midseason hiccup to Georgia, that's what Missouri is doing.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
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Ole Miss' dream season has come screeching to a halt, after losing on the road at LSU two weeks ago and at home to No. 3 Auburn on Saturday night.
The problems we've been talking about all season long for Ole Miss still exist—specifically the Rebels' inability to find much room on the ground. They came in to the game vs. Auburn with the third-worst rushing offense in the conference (149.5 YPG) and barely hit their average against the Tigers with 151 yards.
That won't cut it.
Quarterback Bo Wallace has been good and certainly more consistent than he has been in his previous two seasons. But you can't put the game all on his shoulders.
The defense is great, the offense is explosive and the weapons outside are plentiful. But the weapons inside are nonexistent, which is why the Rebels will miss out on a trip to Atlanta in early December.
4. LSU Tigers
11 of 14LSU has become all the rage after lighting up Ole Miss' defense two weeks ago in Death Valley, but I'm not as sold on LSU as other folks quite yet.
Sure, the running game is tremendous with the three-headed monster of Leonard Fournette, Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard. And yes, the defense has taken a turn for the better ever since Kendell Beckwith moved into the starting spot at middle linebacker.
The quarterback position, however, is still an issue.
Anthony Jennings has completed just 50 percent of his passes (72-of-144) for 1,190 yards, eight touchdowns and five picks. That won't cut it long-term, and it could come back to haunt the Tigers this week when the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide come rolling into town.
Despite the uncertainty, though, this is still a good LSU team. Even in rebuilding years—which is what this is—LSU will compete with the SEC West big boys.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
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There's not much to dislike about this Alabama football team.
The running backs are plentiful, the quarterback—senior Blake Sims—is efficient and multidimensional, wide receiver Amari Cooper has made the case for being the best player in the game, the front seven is stout and the secondary has improved.
So why No. 3?
The loss to Ole Miss haunts the Crimson Tide, the biggest win on their resume is a 10-point win over West Virginia and the offensive line hasn't been steady.
When it comes to the top of the SEC, you have to nitpick.
Head coach Nick Saban's crew is on the bubble of a College Football Playoff spot, has a big game with LSU this week and has a visit from No. 1 Mississippi State coming around the corner.
Win, and you're in.
2. Auburn Tigers
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Auburn survived 145 yards in penalty yards on the road and still managed to beat the No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night, 35-31, in a thrilling back-and-forth contest in Oxford.
How did the Tigers do it? With a bruising rushing attack that racked up 253 yards and some timely deep passing from quarterback Nick Marshall, who finished the day with 254 passing yards and two touchdowns.
"On offense we made some plays in the passing games," head coach Gus Malzahn said in quotes released by Ole Miss. "At times we were able to run the ball consistently against one of the better defenses in the country. The negative would be the penalties. This is fairly uncharacteristic of our team. We have to do better in the future. Our guys overcame it. They found a way to win a close game at the end."
Is the defense going to give up yards at times? Yes. But the offense, when cooking, is nearly unstoppable.
It's been cooking these last two weeks after Malzahn made a concerted effort to get back to the same style that led the Tigers to the 2013 SEC title.
1. Mississippi State Bulldogs
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It wasn't Mississippi State's best effort Saturday in a 17-10 win over Arkansas in Starkville. In fact, at times, it was downright scary.
The Bulldogs needed a Will Redmond interception with 15 seconds to play to avoid overtime with upstart Arkansas, which controlled the majority of the game with its bruising rushing attack and a surprisingly relentless defense.
Good teams find ways to win with their C-game, which is what head coach Dan Mullen's crew did on Saturday night.
“What a football game," Mullen said in quotes released by Mississippi State. "Great battle against two very good football teams. As coaches, we all know how hard it is to win in this league. That was a huge win for our team tonight against an excellent Arkansas football team."
The Bulldogs still have a deep front seven, a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Dak Prescott and a bruising running back in Josh Robinson. Until the Bulldogs lose, though, it's impossible for them to be anywhere but the top spot.
That matchup Nov. 15 at Alabama should be phenomenal.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
