Post Week-4 SEC Power Rankings

Week four of the college football season has come and gone and with conference games in full swing we’re finally starting to see some clarity as it pertains to the SEC.

The mighty are distancing themselves from the meek, with Arkansas and Florida putting beatings on A&M and Tennessee respectively. This week’s slate of games is about as exciting as the SEC’s had in quite some time and I can’t wait to see who will remain at the top of this—very arbitrary—list and who tumbles.

1 Alabama

Last week: beat Southern Miss 63-14; this week: vs. Ole Miss

After getting a scare from Florida in the Swamp Bama returned home and did what teams like Bama are supposed to do against hapless teams like Southern Miss. Now the fun begins as the Tide welcome in Ole Miss.

2 Georgia

Last week: beat Vanderbilt 62-0; this week: vs. Arkansas

Georgia’s defense is disgusting and the Dawgs nearly had as many points (62) as yards allowed to Vanderbilt (77). Now Georgia gets a real test as they host the No. 8 Razorbacks in what may be the most anticipated 11 A.M. game in history.

3 Ole Miss

Last week: bye; this week: @ Alabama

Lane Kiffin and the Rebels got two whole weeks to cook up something special for Alabama. I’m not yet sure if anyone is going to beat Alabama this year, but if anyone’s going to do it—in the regular season at least—it’ll be Ole Miss.

4 Arkansas

Last week: beat Texas A&M 20-10; this week: @ Georgia

While the score doesn’t really reflect it, Arkansas sure did put a beating on A&M. They beat a top-10 opponent on a neutral field, can they beat another one, Georgia, in a true road environment?

5 Florida

Last week: beat Tennessee 38-14; this week: @ Kentucky

Florida shook off a tough loss against Alabama the prior Saturday and pretty easily dispatched of Tennessee. Now the Gators take their show on the road for its first game outside the state of Florida this season and take on Kentucky.

6 Texas A&M

Last week: Lost to Arkansas 20-10; this week: vs. Mississippi State

A&M’s loss to Arkansas pretty much put a damper on its outlook for the 2021 season. Between this loss and struggling mightily against Colorado, the shine is starting to come off the Aggies and we haven’t even gotten to the hard part of their schedule.

7 LSU

Last week: beat Mississippi State 28-25; this week: vs. Auburn

I think LSU is ever so slightly better than Auburn, by how much I don’t know but enough for me to pick them to win Saturday. But unless we see either marked improvement from LSU (likely!) or a massive drop off from the other five West teams I can’t put them much higher than seventh.

8 Auburn

Last week: beat Georgia Southern 34-24; this week: @ LSU

Auburn’s trending in the wrong direction at a most inopportune time. The other Tigers lost a close one at Penn State, needed TJ Finley to bail them out against Georgia Southern, and now has this stretch coming up: @ LSU, vs. Georgia, @ Arkansas and then a bye before going to Ole Miss. I feel like at best Auburn goes 1-3 in October.

9 Kentucky

Last week: beat South Carolina 16-10; this week: vs. Florida

Kentucky didn’t look all that great against South Carolina, but still going on the road and defeating a conference opponent is something worth celebrating. LSU will travel to Lexington next Saturday in a game I’m still not so sure LSU wins.

10 Mississippi State

Last week: lost to LSU 28-25; this week: @ Texas A&M

I said last week that it felt like the loser of the LSU-Mississippi State game would finish last in the West. So apologies in advance to the Bulldogs on your last place finish this year.

11 Missouri

Last week: lost to Boston College 41-34 (OT); this week: vs. Tennessee

I’ll give Missouri a slight edge over Carolina this week. While Mizzou and Carolina both lost, Missouri lost in overtime to a Boston College team that is TIED FOR FIRST IN THE ACC WITH WAKE FOREST AT 4-0 HELL YEAH LET’S GET NUTS

12 South Carolina

Last week: lost to Kentucky 16-10; this week: vs. Troy

Sure would be really embarrassing if an SEC team lost at home to Troy

13 Tennessee

Last week: lost to Florida 38-14; this week: @ Missouri

Tennessee looked okay against Florida!...for a bit. But ultimately Florida’s got way more firepower than Tennessee does at the moment.

14 Vanderbilt

Last week: lost to Georgia 62-0; this week: vs. UConn

At what point does Vanderbilt just drop football?