Despite plenty of hemming and hawing but we’ve all but guaranteed a Georgia/Alabama matchup in the SEC Championship Game. We also now have 7 SEC teams Bowl eligible already with 6 teams still fighting for that 6th win (Vandy the lone program who is eliminated). Lets get in to the rankings and see where we stand.
1. Georgia 9-0 (6-0)
Georgia knocked off 12th ranked Missouri at home to 30-21. The win all but guaranteed that Georgia will be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. The game was pretty even but the difference was Georgia having one or two more playmakers. Nazir Stackhouse and Javon Bullard both picked off Brady Cook in the 4th quarter to help Georgia close it out.
Georgia has another top 15 matchup this week with 10th ranked Ole Miss coming to Athens (how are they getting all these games at home?). It’s a 7pm kick on ESPN.
2. Alabama 8-1 (6-0)
The 8th ranked Tide rode Jalen Milroe to a 42-28 home win over 14th ranked LSU. Milroe threw for 219 yards and rushed for 155 yards and 4 TD. Alabama actually trailed 28-21 in the 3rd quarter but a 21-0 run gave them complete control of the SEC West.
Alabama now heads to Lexington to take on Kentucky. It’s a noon kick off on ESPN.
3. Ole Miss 8-1 (5-1)
The 10th ranked Rebels held off a frisky Texas A&M for a 38-35 at home. Jaxson Dart passed for 387 yards and 2 TD while RB Quinshon Judkins rushed for 102 yards and 3 TD against a pretty Aggie defense. Ole Miss had a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter but still needed a late TD to and a blocked FG as time expired to hold on. The
Ole Miss now heads to Athens. Lane Kiffin has taken some criticism for failing to win a big game (though we’re kind of selective what we count as a big game, because he did beat LSU this year). A win here probably vaults them into the playoff conversation. Rarified air for Ole Miss.
4. LSU 6-3 (4-2)
I couldn’t drop LSU for losing just because that head-to-head win over Missouri matters to me. The Tigers once again needed video game numbers from Jayden Daniels, and he again delivered. 219 passing yards with 2 TD and 163 rushing yards with another rushing TD. Unfortunately, the LSU defense is shambolic, and the dam broke in the 2nd half.
LSU will now welcome a very meh Florida to Baton Rouge this weekend. The game kicks off at 7:30pm ET on SECN.
5. Missouri 7-2 (3-2)
12th ranked Missouri went into Athens and gave the Bulldogs all they could handle for 3 and a half quarters. The moment was probably a little too big for Brady Cook who went 14/30 and threw two back-breaking INT in the 4th quarter. No shame in losing to Georgia on the road but that is two close losses this season that Missouri probably will want back.
Up next the Tigers will host 17th ranked Tennessee. The game kicks off at 3:30pm ET and will be on CBS.
6. Tennessee 7-2 (3-2)
The 17th ranked Volunteers dominated a hapless UConn team at home. There isn’t much you can take from a 59-3 win over a completely overmatched opponent but anytime you win by 56 it can’t hurt. Especially right before a huge road game. Tennessee still has hopes of making a NY6 Bowl but they’ll likely need to win out.
7. Texas A&M 5-4 (3-3)
The Aggies went on the road and battled 10th ranked Ole Miss to the final minute. Taking a top 10 team to the wire on the road with your back-up QB would normally be somethign to be proud of but nothing about Texas A&M is normal. Aggie fans believe they should be competing for national championships (they shouldn’t) and are growing impatient with Jimbo and his very large salary. This is an ok A&M team, and the program will benefit greatly with divisions going away but their boosters might burn the program to the ground before that.
Texas A&M will hose Mississippi State this weekend. The game kicks off at 7:30pm ET on ESPN2.
8. Kentucky 6-3 (3-3)
Kentucky got an important 24-3 road win over Mississippi State this weekend. The final stats won’t reflect it, but this was an ass-kicking for three quarters. Kentucky was able to rest most of its starters in the 4th quarter as they completely controlled the game. Leary took some concerning shots in the 2nd half but does appear to be good to go this weekend.
Up next Kentucky welcomes Alabama to Kroger Field.
9. Arkansas 3-6 (1-5)
Got to be honest I felt a little vindicated watching Arkansas hold on to beat Florida 39-36 in Gainesville. I’ve been higher on the Razorbacks than most but was starting to look foolish but not so much anymore. KJ Jefferson continues to be a very good SEC QB and made some huge plays in the 4th quarter and OT to get a season saving win. That loss to Mississippi State a few weeks ago makes getting into a bowl game difficult but I still think it’s possible.
Arkansas now hosts Auburn this weekend it will is a huge game for both programs. The game kicks off at 4pm ET on SECN.
10. Florida 5-4 (3-3)
Just two weeks ago things were looking up for Billy Napier sitting at 5-2 with a top 5 recruiting class. He seemed to be on schedule and ready to break through. A blow-out loss to Georgia last week and now an OT loss at home to Arkansas this week and suddenly things are look shaky again. Florida has some talent but none of that talent seems to show up in winning time.
Florida now faces an uphill battle to get to 6 wins as they have three straight top 15 teams to close out the season. Up next is a trip to Baton Rouge.
11. Auburn 5-4 (2-4)
No team in the conference has benefitted from a favorable schedule and personnel luck more than Auburn (especially when you contrast it with what has happened to Arkansas). They got a 31-15 road win over Vanderbilt this past weekend. Payton Thorne has had kind of a resurgence the last two weeks (playing against the two worst teams in the conference helps) as he threw for 194 yards and 2 TD. The real story is RB Jarquez Hunter going off for 183 yards and 2 TD.
Auburn will likely get to 6 wins since they still have a non-conference game with New Mexico State but they have a chance to improve their bowl destination with a road win over Arkansas.
12. South Carolina 3-6 (1-5)
South Carolina tried really hard to lose but ultimately, they held on to beat a surprisingly frisky Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks needed a 10-point 4th quarter to secure a 38-28 win. Spencer Rattler got his stats (which is probably all he cares about) as the threw for 399 yards and 2 TD. The OL continues to disappoint though giving up 3 sacks to a CUSA team.
South Carolina hosts Vanderbilt this weekend at noon ET on the SECN.
13. Mississippi State 4-5 (1-5)
For the 2nd consecutive week, the Bulldogs fell into a big hole and were unable to fight their way out. Their offense was missing big pieces in Woody Marks and Will Rodgers but only being able to muster 3 points at home against an average Kentucky team is brutal.
State will now head on the road to College Station to take on Texas A&M.
14. Vanderbilt 2-8 (0-6)
Vanderbilt continues to not be good at football as they fell into a 31-7 hole to a bad Auburn team. They were able to briefly give the dozens of Vandy fans in attendance some hope by cutting it to two possessions. Vandy has one winnable game left and it’s this weekend on the road against South Carolina. Last year they were able to find some late season magic to inject some optimism into the program so maybe they can do it again. Probably not though.
