Updated SEC Football Power Rankings Post Week 7
Week 7 of the college football season is in the books, and with it brought a little bit of clarity on just how the SEC shakes out.
Alabama handed Texas A&M its first loss of the season on Saturday, while LSU topped Florida in a battle of unbeaten powers in Baton Rouge.
How does the SEC rank after "Separation Saturday?" Our power rankings, based on record, head-to-head results and trajectory, are in this slideshow.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (2-4, 0-3 SEC)
1 of 14
The good news for Vanderbilt is that head coach Derek Mason clearly made the right decision naming himself the Commodores defensive coordinator before the season. The 'Dores rank sixth in the SEC after having given up 338 yards per game.
The bad news, though, is that the offense is still a mess.
They rank 13th in the conference in yards per play (5.07), quarterback Johnny McCrary has thrown 10 picks and only six touchdowns and, aside from sophomore Trent Sherfield, a downfield threat hasn't emerged for first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.
Vandy has improved from last year's debacle, but not enough to climb out of the SEC cellar.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4, 1-4 SEC)
2 of 14
To say that it's been a tumultuous season in Columbia, South Carolina, would be an understatement.
It's been a mess.
From quarterback injuries that have bitten both starter Connor Mitch and dual-threat freshman Lorenzo Nunez, to an offensive line that's been a sieve to a defense that hasn't been fixed; the 2015 season has been an extension of the 2014 campaign that saw the Gamecocks go 7-6 after being picked to win the division at media days.
Oh, and head coach Steve Spurrier also resigned midseason, in case you've been living under a rock for the last week.
Interim head coach Shawn Elliott got the Gamecocks back on track last week against Vanderbilt, but the combination of injuries, a deterioration of top-end talent and coaching turmoil has dominated headlines in Columbia this fall and has relegated the Gamecocks to an afterthought in the SEC East.
12. Missouri Tigers (4-3, 1-3 SEC)
3 of 14
Linebacker Kentrell Brothers has been an absolute monster for the Missouri Tigers this year. The 6'1", 235-pounder leads the nation with 91 tackles—14 more than Evan McKelvey of Marshall, who's second with 77. Brothers has established himself as the unquestioned leader of a Tigers defense that currently ranks eighth in the nation at 279 yards per game, despite dealing with massive roster turnover from a year ago.
Unfortunately for head coach Gary Pinkel, that's about the only positive thing you can say about Missouri.
The offense struggled under quarterback Maty Mauk, and it has remained inconsistent once Mauk was suspended and replaced by true freshman Drew Lock. The Tigers rank 126th out of 128 FBS teams in total offense with 290.4 yards per game, and simply don't have an identity.
"Your depressing Sunday morning stat: #Mizzou offense has 3 TDs in 3 weeks (all in one game). Bama defense had 3 TD in 55 minutes yesterday
— Gabe DeArmond (@GabeDeArmond) October 18, 2015"
Simply put, it's a rebuilding year in Columbia in 2015.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 1-2 SEC)
4 of 14
Arkansas hasn't lived up to the preseason hype that found them in contention for the SEC West, but the win over Tennessee in Week 5 broke a three-game losing streak, gave head coach Bret Bielema his first SEC road win and at least generated some momentum for a program that dropped games to Toledo, Texas Tech and Texas A&M early in the season.
Running back Alex Collins is averaging 113.67 yards per game on the ground, quarterback Brandon Allen is averaging 256 yards per game through the air and has tossed 10 touchdowns and the offense has found a nice little sweet spot after being decidedly run-heavy over the last couple of years.
The defense, though, has struggled.
The Razorbacks are giving up 5.92 yards per play and have allowed 14 plays of 30 or more yards—the second-worst mark in the conference in both categories.
10. Kentucky Wildcats (4-2, 2-2 SEC)
5 of 14
Don't look now, but Kentucky is playing some pretty decent football.
Patrick Towles has been effective at quarterback, running back "Boom" Williams is one of the most electric players in the entire country and the defense has been awesome thanks to the accolades of freak defensive lineman Cory Johnson and linebacker Josh Forrest.
Head coach Mark Stoops has his team competitive in a wild and inconsistent SEC East, has played both Florida and Kentucky tough, established dominance over South Carolina and is headed straight toward bowl eligibility for the first time since the 2010 season.
9. Auburn Tigers (4-2, 1-2 SEC)
6 of 14
After sputtering to a slow start in the season, Auburn has a little bit of momentum after going on the road and topping Kentucky 30-27 last weekend.
The Tigers seem to have found a quarterback after redshirt freshman Sean White went 17-of-27 for 255 yards and converted eight third downs with his arm on the first two drives in the win over the Wildcats. Running back Peyton Barber emerged as a weapon this year, and the offensive line was awesome even against pressure last week.
"We’ve been doing some things really good," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Sunday, according to Tom Green of the Opelika-Auburn News. "I just think they are making a slow, steady progression as we are."
Defensively, there are still issues.
New coordinator Will Muschamp and his crew rank last in the SEC at 426.2 yards per game, third-down defense at 45.68 percent and 12th in red-zone touchdown percentage at 61.54 percent.
8. Georgia Bulldogs (5-2, 3-2 SEC)
7 of 14
After a hot start, the Georgia Bulldogs have cooled off quite a bit.
They got run out of their own building by Alabama, lost a stunner at Tennessee and survived an offensively challenged slug-fest with Missouri since the calendar turned to October.
They're 12th in the SEC in red-zone scoring offense (80.77 percent), 10th in red-zone touchdown percentage (50 percent) and 12th in third-down offense (33.33 percent).
Luckily for head coach Mark Richt and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheiemer, the defense is giving up just 307.9 yards per game, 19.4 points per game and gives Georgia a chance virtually every week.
As Ed Aschoff of ESPN noted on Twitter, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party should mean a lot.
"So now Georgia still has a chance to win the East with a showdown with Florida in two weeks. Gonna be fun #Gators #UGA
— Edward Aschoff (@AschoffESPN) October 18, 2015"
Georgia had better get some offense going in the bye week, though, because that Florida defense will come to play.
7. Tennessee Volunteers (3-3, 1-2 SEC)
8 of 14
Tennessee hasn't lived up to the hype this preseason when I picked them to win the SEC East, but the Vols did get back on the winning track in their last outing when they overcame a 21-point deficit and stunned Georgia two weeks ago.
That gave head coach Butch Jones' crew a puncher's chance in the SEC East.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara constitute one of the scariest multidimensional rushing attacks in the country. However, Jones was reluctant to let Dobbs loose in the passing game until they got into that hole vs. Georgia.
Will that continue for the rest of the season? That remains to be seen.
Defensively, the Vols are riddled with injuries, but Jalen Reeves-Maybin has proven to be one of the best linebackers in the conference.
6. Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 2-1 SEC)
9 of 14
Ole Miss has had an up-and-down season, to say the least.
After shocking Alabama in Tuscaloosa in Week 3, the Rebels got run out of the Swamp by Florida and then was stunned at Memphis last weekend.
They've been without star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil for the entire season, lost safety Tony Conner and linebacker C.J. Johnson during the year and have been unable to get anything going on the ground.
"Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss had depth issues entering season and all 3 have been hit hard w/ injuries. Could have 9 combined Ls by Wk 7.
— Braden Gall (@BradenGall) October 17, 2015"
Quarterback Chad Kelly, though, has become a star, the wide receiving corps is loaded and the Rebels still have a glimmer of hope in the SEC West if they can get back on track this week vs. Texas A&M.
5. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2, 1-2 SEC)
10 of 14
Don't look now, but Mississippi State has quietly gone about its business and remained competitive in the SEC West despite massive roster turnover from a year ago.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is averaging 242.9 yards per game, has tossed 11 touchdowns passes, hasn't thrown a pick and has picked up 254 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The wide receiving corps is more than just De'Runnya Wilson, as Fred Ross has 422 yards and a score and Fred Brown has added 250 to take some pressure off of "Bear Force One."
The defense is giving up just 4.90 yards per play and Richie Brown has become a star at linebacker.
Will Mississippi State win the SEC West? With losses to LSU and Texas A&M already on the resume, probably not. But don't be surprised if it does have a big say on which team actually does make it to Atlanta, because these Bulldogs are absolutely capable of springing an upset along the way.
4. Texas A&M Aggies (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
11 of 14
It's been an odd season for Texas A&M. True freshman wide receiver Christian Kirk has emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the country, which has helped Kevin Sumlin's offense.
But the quarterback situation is unstable at best. Kyle Allen has been awesome when he's "on," but his lows are far too low, which has caused Sumlin to swap Allen out for true freshman dual-threat Kyler Murray at times this season, including in the 41-23 loss to Alabama.
In that loss, the Aggies had a whopping 15 tackles for loss—which is becoming a trend for the new-look defense under first-year coordinator John Chavis.
If you gave Aggies fans a choice on which would be more of a problem, the offense or the defense, the answer would almost certainly be 100 percent the offense. After all, Sumlin's track record of figuring things out on that side of the ball is stellar.
As I wrote on Saturday after the loss to the Crimson Tide, the Aggies are down but not out.
3. Florida Gators (6-1, 4-1 SEC)
12 of 14
Jim McElwain's first season as head coach of the Florida Gators? Yep, that's going quite well.
The offense established an identity when Will Grier was taking the snaps, developing playmakers outside with Demarcus Robinson, Brandon Powell and Antonio Callaway all stepping up. That trio didn't miss a beat last week when Treon Harris was forced into action in place of the suspended Grier in the loss to LSU.
The defense, as usual, is salty.
Led by defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, the Gators are giving up just 116.57 rushing yards per game, Vernon Hargreaves III and his mates in the secondary are giving up 197.9 yards per game through the air, and new coordinator Geoff Collins has picked up right where former coordinator D.J. Durkin left off.
The Gators will have a showdown with Georgia in two weeks in Jacksonville, with the winner likely heading to Atlanta as SEC East champs.
"Florida can clinch the SEC East with a win in Jacksonville if Mizzou beats Vandy, MSU beats Kentucky and Alabama beats Tennessee this week.
— Matt Smith (@MattSmithCFB) October 19, 2015"
Not bad in Year 1 for McElwain's debut.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1, 3-1 SEC)
13 of 14
Alabama has gone old school this year, with running back Derrick Henry emerging as a force in his first season as the every-down back, quarterback Jake Coker taking control of the quarterback position and true freshman Clavin Ridley stepping up as the go-to guy outside in place of Amari Cooper.
Defensively, the front seven is the best in the nation. They're giving up just 70.86 yards per game on the ground, and the secondary has gone from liability to a force under first-year defensive backs coach Mel Tucker.
"Texas A&M offense: 16 points, 300 yards. Alabama secondary: 21 points, 207 return yards.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 17, 2015"
The loss to Ole Miss hurts, but Alabama has been here before. They're hitting their stride at the right time, seem to have solved its pressing issues and have a showdown with LSU looming early next month.
1. LSU Tigers (6-0, 4-0 SEC)
14 of 14
What will LSU running back Leonard Fournette do for an encore in his sophomore season in Baton Rouge? Oh, you know, just rush for 1,202 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games, establish himself as the unquestioned Heisman Trophy front-runner and lead LSU to an unblemished record.
"Leonard Fournette = 💪https://t.co/OvxNcIW4Nb
— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 19, 2015"
Quarterback Brandon Harris has taken care of the ball. He topped the 200-yard mark for the second straight game against the stout Florida Gators defense last weekend, and new coordinator Kevin Steele's defense has been solid.
The Tigers are for real, and they are headed full steam ahead toward the showdown with Alabama on Nov. 7 in a game that might decide the SEC West champion.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
