We’re back with our Week 6 rankings (you can see our Week 5 rankings here). We’re in the meat of the SEC schedule and we’re starting to see who is for real and who is a fraud. Lets get into it and as always let us know where you think we screwed up.
1. Georgia 5-0 (2-0)
Georgia remains in the top spot but at this point it’s based on past performance and not anything to do with this season. The Dawgs went on the road and made a bad Auburn team look competent before finally winning 27-20. Georgia kind of struggled to run the ball and while Beck did throw for over 300 yards, 157 of it was to Brock Bowers who Auburn just kind of let run wild in their secondary. 5 games in and the only obvious advantage Georgia has over any good team is Brock Bowers, he might be the best player in the country and that will probably be enough for Georgia to get through this soft schedule unscathed.
It’s also important to remember Georgia kind of did this last year with a medicore showing against Kent State before needing a big come-back on the road against Missouri. They were 5-0 but nobody was really impressed and most of the national media were ready to annoint Tennessee. The next 10 games Georgia won by an average of 26 points with only one of them being within one possession (Peach Bowl against Ohio State). I don’t think this Georgia team can become that level of juggernaut but I do believe they are better than what we’ve seen.
Up next for Georgia is a home game against 20th ranked Kentucky. The game kicks off at 7pm ET on ESPN.
2. Alabama 4-1 (2-0)
The 11th ranked Crimson Tide went to Starkville and left with a 40-17 win over Mississippi State. Alabama started slow (and we got a Nick Saban rant) but took control with Jalen Milroe an efficient 10/12 for 164 yards while adding another 69 on the ground and 2 TD. In many ways it was an old-school Nick Saban performance for Alabama as they never really looked dominant but at no point did it feel like they were in danger of losing.
Another road test looms as Alabama heads to College Station to take on Texas A&M. The game kicks off at 3:30pm ET on CBS.
3. Missouri 5-0 (1-0)
21st ranked Missouri traveled to Nashville and beat Vanderbilt 38-21. Brady Cook threw for almost 400 yards with two WR going over 100 yards (Luther Burden III is a star). Defensively they completely shut down the run and while Vandy made some plays in the passing game never really threatened to win the game.
This week Missouri welcomes 23rd ranked LSU to Columbia this Saturday for a noon ET kickoff. The game airs on ESPN.
4. Ole Miss 4-1 (1-1)
Lane Kiffin got his first big win at Ole Miss with a 55-49 win over LSU. The Rebels put up over 700 yards of offense with Jaxson Dart throwing for 389 yards and 4 TD while also adding another 50 yards on the ground. He was named the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Most encouraging was Ole Miss was finally able to get their running game going with Quinshon Judkins rushing for 177 yards. Defensively things were less impressive, but the most important thing was getting the win.
Up next for Ole Miss is a home game with Arkansas. The game kicks off at 7:30pm ET on the SECN.
5. Texas A&M 4-1 (2-0)
The Aggies defeated picked up a big 34-22 win over their old SWC rival Arkansas. The game wasn’t that close but Texas A&M floundered in the redzone and missed two FG that kept Arkansas in the game. The A&M defense is legitimately good as they held the dynamic KJ Jefferson to 132 passing yards and sacked him 7 times, they also returned an INT for a TD that broke the game open.
Up next for Texas A&M is a home game with Alabama. The SEC West feels kind of wide open and this is a big chance for A&M to throw their hat in the ring.
6. LSU 3-2 (2-1)
Despite generating 637 yards of offense LSU lost 55-49. Jayden Daniels did all he could do, accounting for 513 yards of total offense and 5 total TD. The LSU secondary is just a total dumpster fire, allowing Ole Miss WR to seemingly run routes on air. For a program that has taken pride in being “DBU” it is shocking to see how bad they are in the secondary, but they aren’t that much better in another position on defense.
Up next for LSU is a trip to Missouri where blossoming WR Luther Burden III is probably salivating.
7. Kentucky 5-0 (2-0)
The Wildcats bullied Florida winning 33-14. Kentucky dominated both lines of scrimmages as they ran for 329 yards on what was the highest ranked run defense in the SEC and only allowed Florida to rush for 69 yards. Ray Davis was the standout as he rushed for 280 yards and 3 TD (he also added a receiving TD) to earn SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. The passing game still leaves a lot to be desired, but Kentucky’s defense is legit with high-level playmakers at all levels.
This week 21st ranked Wildcats heads to Athens to take on Georgia. Kentucky has not won in Athens since 2009.
8. Tennessee 4-1 (1-1)
Tennessee knocked off South Carolina 41-20 at home. The Vols were in a close game until returning an INT for a TD right before half and then scoring on the first possession in the 3rd quarter. A 7-point game became a 21-point lead that put the Gamecocks away for good. Joe Milton was still kind of shaky as he threw two picks, but the ground game helped take some of the pressure off of him.
The Vols are off this upcoming week.
9. Florida 3-2 (1-1)
The Gators had seemingly found an identity after the Tennessee win with efficient QB play, a good running game, and stopping the run. 2 of those 3 were obliterated this past Saturday as the Gators were punked 33-14 by Kentucky. The high-level run defense gave up 329 yards and neither Trevor Etienne or Montrell Johnson could get going. QB Graham Mertz did his best to steady Florida and made a few plays that kept hope alive but after the first quarter the result was never really in doubt.
Luckily for Florida they have Vanderbilt coming to The Swamp this Saturday. The game kicks off at 4pm ET on the SECN.
10. South Carolina 2-3 (1-2)
The Gamecocks competed for a half in Knoxville but then Spencer Rattler happened. Down 7 Rattler sailed a throw on what should have been an easy short completion right before HT and it was returned for a TD. The next time South Carolina got the ball for a full possession they were down 21. South Carolina OC Dowell Loggains has done a good job of scheming around his bad OL and bad QB with short throws but the margin for error is thin and it’s probably only going to get harder to thread that needle.
South Carolina is on a bye this upcoming week.
11. Arkansas 2-3 (0-2)
Things are only getting worse in Fayetteville. After two close losses the Hogs were dominated by A&M but were fortunate that the Aggies made some critical mistakes to keep them in the game. Defensively they allowed the Aggies to run for 200 yards and offensively they were completely stifled, only mustering 174 yards of offense. It feels like things are unraveling for Sam Pittman after two straight bowl appearances.
Unfortunately, things don’t get easier for the Razorbacks as they head to Oxford to take on 16th ranked Ole Miss.
12. Auburn 2-3 (0-2)
Auburn was surprisingly competitive but that probably says more about Georgia than it does the Tigers as most of their points came from taking advantage of Georgia goofs. Despite sacrificing their integrity to hire an offensive guru Auburn still can’t throw for 100 yards but they were able to run for 200 yards. The whole game Auburn kind of looked confused that Georgia was keeping them in the game and genuinely seemed in awe of Brock Bowers as he took over in the 4th quarter.
Auburn is on bye this coming week.
13. Mississppi State 2-3 (0-2)
After a brief return to the Air Raid last week against South Carolina (probably says how bad the Gamecocks are), Mississippi State reverted to form and lost 40-17 to Alabama. Will Rogers only threw for 107 yards and 3 INT. State was able to rush for 154 yards but most of it felt like pity yards as the result was basically decided in the 2nd quarter. It sucks that things have unraveled for State like this, they were forced into an unexpected transition and Zach Arnett is a good football coach. Hopefully he is able to get his footing this season.
Mississippi State will get to lick their wounds and get some positive momentum going as they welcome Western Michigan to Starkville this weekend. The game is a noon ET kick that airs on the SECN.
14. Vanderbilt 2-4 (0-2)
Once again Vanderbilt can hold its head up high as they competed for a full 60 minutes against another top 25 team. They ultimately lost to Missouri 38-21 but if Vandy doesn’t celebrate moral victories they probably won’t get to celebrate much. This week they did it with a back-up QB but with no running game there was on way they could expect to outscore Missouri.
Up next for the Commodores is a trip to The Swamp to take on a reeling Florida program.
