Well Cupcake Weekend was pretty much as advertised. With blowouts all over the conference, we didn’t have a major shakeup in the rankings this week. We had to wade through some lopsided games, but the payoff is worth it.
Its Rivalry Week folks.
But, before we get into that, let’s have a look at where everyone stands. On to the rankings!
1. Alabama – After a REALLY slow start against Citadel, the Tide rolled in the second half. You just know that Nick Saban loved having a reason to scream at his team. That poor first half performance should serve as a wake up call for the Tide. Hopefully Damien Harris and Quinnen Williams won’t be out long, and can bounce back this weekend. Alabama hosts Auburn this weekend. It’s Iron Bowl time.
2. Georgia – The Bulldogs were able to put away UMASS without much effort. For most of the game, we were treated to a view of Georgia’s reserve players. Justin Fields had a career day while notching over 100 yards on the ground and in the air. If Jake Fromm struggles against Alabama in Atlanta, we might see Fields sooner than we expect. But first, they have to deal with Georgia Tech and the triple option.
3. LSU – The Tigers are another team that benefited from an inferior opponent. LSU beat up on Rice while hanging up more than 40 points (which is shocking, no matter who they are playing.) Ed Orgeron is one game away from finishing the regular season with 10 wins, which seemed unlikely 13 weeks ago. They’ll have to earn it when they head to College Station.
4. Florida – Dan Mullen has the Gators sitting at eight wins, and could be one of the most improved teams in the SEC. You’ll still never convince me that Feleipe Franks is a good QB, but Mullen has done a great job of fitting the offense to him. Now they head to FSU for a chance at nine wins.
5. Mississippi State – The Bulldogs managed to have a cupcake game while still playing a conference game. That’s the beauty of Arkansas. Hanging up over 50 points on the Razorbacks highlights the peak of Mississippi State. If they could find that rhythm all season, the Bulldogs could have finished the season with more wins. Now, they’ll be looking for win #8 in the Egg Bowl.
6. Missouri – Could Mizzou be ranked higher here? Of course. The case could be made for Drew Lock and company to be a top four team. The offense has really been clicking thanks to the genius of Derek Dooley (I really loved typing that sentence.) This team was two close losses away from being a 10-win team. They’ll get their 8th win against Arkansas this week.
7. Kentucky – This Wildcat team has racked up eight wins so far, but hasn’t really looked impressive in the last few weeks. After losing to Georgia, they’ve been playing some really uninspired football. Mark Stoops has done a fantastic job this season, but his team was out gained by MTSU. They can finish strong and end up in a great bowl if they can take down Louisville.
8. Texas A&M – The Aggies notched a win against UAB, which is fairly impressive since UAB is a nine win team. Currently sitting at seven wins, it’s been a middle of the road first season for Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies have played some great football, even in a losing effort to Clemson. If they can reach win #8 while upsetting LSU, it should be a nice send off into bowl season.
9. Auburn – The Tigers handled business against an inferior Liberty team. Blowing out an inferior team might be a confidence builder that Auburn needed. Gus Malzahn’s squad has definitely under-performed this season, leading many to question the stability of his job. Now sitting at seven wins, the Tigers would need to shock the world to gain that 8th win. They would love nothing more than to play spoiler to Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
10. South Carolina – Another team that beat up on an inferior opponent, South Carolina reached bowl eligibility. The Gamecocks have not exactly met expectations this season, but have managed to keep the wheels on the road. Jake Bentley has proven to be a mediocre QB, without much support from the defense. They won’t reach their 7th win against Clemson, but will against Akron on December first.
11. Vanderbilt – The Commodores actually had a conference opponent in Ole Miss. Putting aside that mind boggling overturned touchdown, Vanderbilt played pretty well. The Dores played a lot of great teams in close games, but should have turned a few of those into wins. With the win over Ole Miss, Derek Mason has his team playing for a bowl bid this weekend. It’ll be doubly sweet if they can beat Tennessee and gain bowl eligibility.
12. Tennessee – After a solid showing against Kentucky, the Vols fell flat against Missouri. All the fire from the Kentucky win was gone, and Tennessee was back to form.
13. Ole Miss – Make it four conference losses in a row (even if it was because of the most insane overturned play in college football history).
14. Arkansas – Is this the worst Arkansas team ever? Probably.
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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