SEC Power Poll, Final Results: Auburn Is No. 2 in the Nation, But No. 1 in Our Hearts

SEC POWER POLL, FINAL RESULTS

1. Auburn Tigers, 154 points (11 first-place votes)
2. Missouri Tigers, 135
3. Alabama Crimson Tide, 132
4. South Carolina Gamecocks, 127
5. LSU Tigers, 107
6. Texas A&M Aggies, 102
7. Vanderbilt Commodores, 86
8. Georgia Bulldogs, 75
9. Mississippi Rebels, 70
10. Mississippi St. Bulldogs, 57
11. Tennessee Volunteers, 39
12. Florida Gators, 38
13. Arkansas Razorbacks, 22
14. Kentucky Wildcats, 11

Despite the loss to Florida State, Auburn clinches a unanimous No. 1 vote. (It's worth pointing out that our last poll, which had Missouri picking up a few of those votes, was published before the SEC Championship Game.) Arkansas and Kentucky take the bottom two spots, and in that order, without objection. And everything else is a bit of a mess.

There's no change in the top six spots, though South Carolina made a run at passing Alabama, which itself just missed out on the No. 2 spot against Missouri. LSU and Texas A&M are a ways back in the rankings after the top four teams, but also pretty far ahead of the rest of the pack. Vanderbilt and Georgia essentially swap places, Ole Miss breaks the post-Egg Bowl tie with Mississippi State, and Tennessee just barely manages to stay ahead of Florida. (Pauses for everyone to finish laughing at Florida.)

Voters?

ALABAMA

Nick Saban's black magic seems to be a little out of adjustment.--A Sea of Blue

A really unimpressive Sugar Bowl performance had knowledgeable observers heralding the end of the Bama Dynasty. I think that's a little premature. But I also think the Tide's preparation for this game showed a degree of immaturity we're not used to seeing from the SabanBot 3000. The beatings will continue until the Process improves.--Dawg Sports

I'm sure a lot of folks would argue that, had they won the Iron Bowl, Alabama would be national champs. They're probably right.--Red Cup Rebellion

ARKANSAS

I've run out of whatever the opposite of superlatives is to describe this team.--Get the Picture

Managed to be borderline competent by the end of the season. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of that border.--And the Valley Shook

Gus Malzahn gets to take out his BCS frustrations against his biggest philosophical adversary in Week 1 next year. Think he'll try to run up the score.--College and Magnolia

AUBURN

Possibly the greatest turnaround in college football history, and arguably a dropped pass away from BCS champions.--A Sea of Blue

Yeah, they broke the streak, but if you think Malzahn isn't a very good coach, consider Auburn's season featured six one score wins, yet gave a very well coached and seasoned team all they could handle in Pasadena.--Georgia Sports Blog

Everyone can (and should) gush over Tre Mason's performance this season, but the real feat in Gus Malzhan's first year was turning Nick Marshall into a capable SEC quarterback.--Red Cup Rebellion

FLORIDA

Get ready for a lot of "if Auburn could turn it around" talk in the offseason.--Get the Picture

The Gators better hope their basketball team delivers something, or it's going to be a long, cold winter in Gainesville no matter what the temperatures are.--A Sea of Blue

Kurt Roper is either going to save Will Muschamp's job or get the head coach run out of town. No pressure on the first-year Florida OC.--College and Magnolia

GEORGIA

Injury bug turned them into the undead - good enough to threaten, but not good enough to win.--A Sea of Blue

Lost to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game that no one wanted to be at, in weather no one wanted to play in. Appropriately, several key contributors suffered from a stomach bug in the lead up to the game, which allowed them to check off "intestinal distress" on the Bulldog Injury Bingo card. Stay down, champ. It's just not your ... year.--Dawg Sports

Everything that could go wrong, did. And they still went to a New Year's Day bowl.--And the Valley Shook

KENTUCKY

Finished last in the conference the old-fashioned way -- they earned it.--Get the Picture

Has the most upside of any team in the conference, which isn't hard to conceive considering how bad they were.--Georgia Sports Blog

They've got the talent to go all the way, but they're probably an Elite Eight team at best until they get their act together.--Red Cup Rebellion

LSU

Based on the bowl game, I would think this whole "having a competent offense" thing is just a one-year deal.--And the Valley Shook

Thanks for the Bloomin' Onion, Tigers.--Arkansas Fight

LSU will lose a lot of players to the Draft, and will still win 9, 10, or 11 games next season. That's just how it goes.--Red Cup Rebellion

MISSISSIPPI

Bookend wins in Nashville to start and end the season. Is it really progress that they had to come back in August and withstand a comeback in December?--Georgia Sports Blog

They will remember this season for the Texas and LSU wins and not, well, the rest of the season.--And the Valley Shook

One bad game aside, the Rebs showed improvement from year one to year two under Hugh Freeze. Improvement in year three might be tougher to come by.--Red Cup Rebellion

MISSISSIPPI STATE

It isn't a stretch to say that Dan Mullen is among the top head coaches with a square head in football.--Georgia Sports Blog

Dan Mullen has the most thankless job in football. People are disappointed that he "only" won 7 games in Starkville? Have you ever been to Starkville? I think the only way he can effectively recruit is by kidnapping.--And the Valley Shook

Dan Mullen ends 2013 with a win over Ole Miss and a bowl victory. This man knows how to do just enough to avoid the chopping block.--College and Magnolia

MISSOURI

It's a shame this team will be remembered for getting shredded defensively in the SECCG, because Mizzou turned in a solid 12-win season.--Get the Picture

I think the Tigers are going to be more dangerous with Mauk. The question mark will be their defense.--Georgia Sports Blog

A&M has gotten the press clippings, but it's the other new guys who made it to Atlanta.--And the Valley Shook

SOUTH CAROLINA

Congratulations on the greatest 11-win season in conference history not involving a SECCG or BCS bowl game, 'Cocks.--Get the Picture

Connor Shaw is the college quarterback you will watch in an SEC Replay show in 10 years and say to yourself, "I forgot about him, but he was pretty good."--Arkansas Fight

Another double-digit win season under Steve Spurrier really does raise the "best SEC coach ever" question, and legitimately so.--Red Cup Rebellion

TENNESSEE

Won two SEC games in a rebuilding year, but the Volunteer fans won't settle for that very long.--A Sea of Blue

If you need to know anything about the Dooley era at Tennessee, you need to think about just how important it is for them to sign 30+ guys next month on signing day.--Georgia Sports Blog

Showed a lot of progress this year. Of course, progress included losing to Bama by 35, Mizzou by 28, and Auburn by 32 in a three week stretch near the end of the season.--And the Valley Shook

TEXAS A&M

Johnny F . . . our points better than Duke!--Dawg Sports

Closed the season in a way that perfectly encapsulated the season: a super exciting comeback win making people forget they allowed 48 points to Duke.--And the Valley Shook

With one of the best offensive players we've ever seen, the Ags went 20-6 and didn't make a BCS bowl in two seasons. Unless that defense improves, mediocrity is coming.--College and Magnolia

VANDERBILT

Good coaching plus plenty of cupcakes is how you fashion nine wins out of a team that barely gained more than it gave up over the course of the season.--Get the Picture

The only way James Franklin does not bolt for a bigger job for a lot more money is if he is actually being blackmailed by the school.--And the Valley Shook

Everybody brings up James Franklin as a potential hire for seemingly every job opening. Could it be possible, though, that he wants to stay in Nashville for a while?--Red Cup Rebellion