SEC Power Rankings, Week Eight: Alabama, Florida Struggle But Stay On Top

Both Florida and Alabama survived scares from first-year coaches Saturday and cement their status at the top of the SEC. LSU bounced back to remain firmly in third. Tennessee showed a lot of fight and determination to break into my top five with a showdown looming against South Carolina this week.

Auburn continues its slide and Arkansas suffered a hangover from last week that traveled all the way to Oxford with them. It was pretty good week picking games, going 6-0 SU, but 0-1 ATS. How does the SEC stack up after Week Eight?

1. University of Terrance Cody's Forearm (Alabama)

Forget Ingram for Heisman, how about Terrance Cody for Heisman? He would have no problem with that dinner circuit. But seriously, Alabama has to find a passing game to win the national title.

2. Florida

I was going to put Florida No. 1 if they looked good against Miss State, but they did not. The offensive line is having issues on the interior, and a downfield threat has to yet to emerge.

3. LSU

The hat got back on the right track by beating up on Auburn. A new Saturday night winning streak begins.

4. South Carolina

What is it with South Carolina and Vanderbilt? The Gamecocks just cannot ever put these guys away.

5. Tennessee

The laughing at Lane Kiffin has gotten a lot quieter with Tennessee's performances against Alabama and Florida. But the anger is still pretty high in Gainesville, with Kiffin calling Alabama the No. 1 team in the nation by far. It's these kind of remarks that make the rivalries in the SEC the best.

6. Georgia

The Bulldogs have about the best situation they could hope for heading in to Jacksonville: Decided underdogs against a team who has struggled their last two weeks. And UGA played pretty well in the second half vs. Vandy and had a bye week to prep.

7. Ole Miss

Jevan Snead, is that you? We have been looking for you in Dallas since last January.

8. Kentucky

This team is getting better as the season goes on, and could be in line for their fourth bowl bid in a row.

9. Arkansas

I bet Bobby Petrino wishes the SEC would have not made such a big deal about the refs, because I think it distracted his players this week.

10. Auburn

Dennis Green is still standing at that podium.

11. Miss State

A valiant effort by Miss State against Florida, but they proved once again you cannot win in big time college football without a QB no matter what kind of offense you are running.

12. Vanderbilt

If you watched the Vandy-South Carolina game, it was a microcosm of Commodore football over the last 20 years—close counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not SEC football.


Here is how I would rank the teams by groupings.

Tier I

Florida, Alabama

Tier II

LSU

Tier III

Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky

Tier IV

Arkansas, Auburn, Miss State

Tier V

Vanderbilt


Top Storylines for Week Nine

1. World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
The last time Georgia beat Florida in 2007, the Bulldogs were coming off a bye week and had gotten blown out by Tennessee a few weeks earlier. I am not sayin', I'm just saying.

2. Lane Kiffin vs Steve Spurrier
The new big mouth in town meets the old big mouth as South Carolina travels to Knoxville for an important SEC East game. Kiffin has not been a favorite in the Palmetto State after telling prized recruit Alshon Jeffery if he went to South Carolina he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life.

3. Auburn In A Slide
The Tigers started out 5-0 but have come back to Earth with a three game losing streak. Can they get it going against Ole Miss who looks they are after some early season stumbles?

After eight weeks of action, here is my Southern top 10 from the ACC and SEC.

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. LSU
4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia Tech
6. South Carolina
7. Clemson
8. Miami
9. Tennessee
10. Georgia

My National Top 10

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Cincinnati
6. TCU
7. Iowa
8. Boise State
9. LSU
10. Georgia Tech