Hey kids!
I hope all of you had a solid second week of the college football season. We actually started SEC conference play this week and learned a few things. There were some phenomenal games where teams showcased some impressive skill (looking at you, Texas A&M). We even saw a losing streak come to an end that’s been around longer than I have!
With a few teams actually getting into some competition, the SEC is starting to take an early shape. What did we learn from all of that? Let’s have a look, shall we? On to the rankings!
2018 SEC Power Rankings: Week 2
1. Alabama – The Crimson Tide rolled to an easy victory over Arkansas State. Tua Tagovailoa was still as advertised, while Jalen Hurts racked up some solid minutes and two touchdowns. A transfer is still likely, so at least his resumé will look better. The defense didn’t struggle containing Arkansas State, but that might be a different story against Ole Miss and the nWo this weekend.
2. Georgia – The Bulldogs notched an impressive win against the Gamecocks in Columbia. Georgia is almost a carbon copy of Alabama right now: they can run, they can pass, and they have a nasty defense. As it stands right now, Georgia is the best team in the East and it isn’t really close. They host MTSU this Saturday.
3. Auburn – After an opening weekend test, the Tigers had an easy home opener where they demolished Alabama State. It was classic Gus Malzahn from start to finish: take the lead early and make sure the second and third string get valuable reps. Man, this Auburn/LSU game is going to be awesome.
4. LSU – Speaking of LSU, the Tigers also cruised to victory over a vastly inferior opponent. The offense is capable of scoring points, but that isn’t where Ed Orgeron and company are going to beat you. That defense is going to wear down opponents. As stated above, LSU heads to Auburn for one hell of a game.
5. Mississippi State – The Bulldogs are a legitimate contender in the West after handling Kansas State in the Little Apple. Mississippi State is boasting a high powered offense that has actually centered on the run game in the last two weeks. The defense is also showing signs of being a formidable threat. They host ULL Saturday night.
6. Texas A&M – Even with a loss, the Aggies earned a top six ranking and could honestly make a case for the top five. They took Clemson down to the wire and could have easily gotten the win. If not for a fumble that may or may not have been out of bounds, A&M could be sitting in the top 3. (Also, the rule that a fumble through the endzone results in a touchback might be stupid, but I think everyone is missing an important note: DON’T. FUMBLE. WITH. THE. GAME. ON. THE. LINE.) Either way, the Aggies will be the real deal very soon.
7. Kentucky – REJOICE WILDCATS! YOUR SUFFERING IS AT AN END! Well, your suffering at the hands of Florida anyway. After blowing the win last year, the Wildcats finally exorcised the demon that was the Gators and a 31-year losing streak. With Benny Snell being the work horse of the offense, Kentucky is able to score points. The defense is more than capable to help keep them at #2 in the East. The gap between Kentucky and Georgia is incredibly wide though.
8. Missouri – The Tigers land at #8 after stringing together two blowout wins against inferior competition. It’s tough to tell what Missouri brings to the table without any real tests so far. Best educated guess? A pretty potent offense without much defense. Sound familiar? (I’m talking about Ole Miss, but we’ll get to that.) We won’t learn much against a struggling Purdue this weekend either.
9. Ole Miss – I said we’d get to Ole Miss and there’s no time like the present. The Rebels escaped with a win against Southern Illinois, which is not a sentence you want to read if you’re an Ole Miss fan. Hanging up 76points against anyone is impressive, but allowing Southern Illinois to put up 41 and keep it close for most of the game is cringe worthy. The Rebels have the tools on offense to make noise in the SEC, but the total lack of defense could make for a long season. They head to Alabama this weekend.
10. Vanderbilt – I almost ranked them higher, but there are too many question marks around the Commodores. To nobody’s surprise, the defense is the cornerstone this season. Kyle Shurmur is a talented quarterback that doesn’t have a ton of weapons around him. The lack of competition so far has made it tough to gauge what he’s capable of, but that won’t be the case much longer. They head to Notre Dame this weekend (if they pull the upset, someone needs to check on Herbie Brooks).
11. South Carolina – I’ll be the first to admit it: I bought into the hype around the Gamecocks. Did I really expect a win? Not really. But to be blown out at home by Georgia showed exactly how far the Gamecocks have to go to compete for the East. Sure, Georgia is that good, but South Carolina wants to be a contender and can’t get manhandled like that. They’ll get back on track against Marshall.
12. Tennessee – Is blowing out a team you’re expected to blow out considered progress? In this case, yes. Jeremy Pruitt earns his first win against an outmatched ETSU while still trying to find an identity. The defense seems to have several holes and allowed quite a few rushing yards this week. The offense was slow to start, but really took off once they got rolling. The Vols need to keep collecting wins, because it’s going to be a tough road in a few weeks.
13. Florida – Blowing a 31-year old win streak will land you here at #13.
14. Arkansas – Blowing an 18-point lead in the 4th quarter to Colorado State will land you dead last.
Poppa Bear is the Lead SEC Analyst for the SoBros Network, and serves as our resident expert on the human anatomy, fixin’ stuff, and tomatoes. Follow on Twitter:@SoBroPoppaBear
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