This past week appears to have begun the sifting of teams, at least as far as our ballots are concerned. A lot of movement and fewer ties.
1. Florida (Last Week: 1)
2. Alabama (2)
3. LSU (3t)
4. Ole Miss (3t)
5t. Arkansas (6t)
5t. Georgia (5)
7. Auburn (8t)
8. South Carolina (6t)
9. Kentucky (10)
10. Vanderbilt (11)
11. Tennessee (8t)
12. Mississippi State (12)
Year2's ballot here.
cocknfire's ballot:
1. Florida (Last week: 1)
Here until there's a reason for them not to be.
2. Alabama (2)
No Tulane letdown.
3. LSU (3)
One week the offense shows up and the defense doesn't. The next week the defense shows up and the offense doesn't. They've become South Carolina with more talent.
4. Georgia (5)
If Joe Cox can play like that every week, they're a lock for second in the SEC East and a bowl game. Beating Florida? Well, let's keep things in perspective.
5. Ole Miss (4)
They didn't play this week, but they still managed to look worse than the other top-tier competitors by comparison.
6. Arkansas (6)
This weekend's game against Georgia will tell us if the Hogs will live up to the preseason hype.
7. Auburn (7)
7. South Carolina (8)
South Carolina had a slightly worse offensive performance against a far better team. And I'm not sold that Auburn's defense could hold any of the best teams in the league to 41 after they gave up 24 to Mississippi State. But the Gamecocks have to do it for more than one game to be convincing.
9. Kentucky (10)
Didn't play, and it wouldn't have told us much if they did; Kentucky never plays a real opponent before October anyway.
10. Vanderbilt (11)
If you've really changed, you'll defeat the Western Division Bulldogs convincingly this weekend. If not, who knows what will happen?
11. Tennessee (9)
If that Jonathan Crompton is back, it's going to be a long autumn in Knoxville.
12. Mississippi State (12)
Saw that coming.