SEC POWER POLL, WEEK 13
1. Alabama Crimson Tide, 140 points (10 first-place votes)
2. Mississippi St. Bulldogs 129
3. Georgia Bulldogs, 115
3. Ole Miss Rebels, 115
5. Auburn Tigers, 99
6. Missouri Tigers, 86
7. LSU Tigers, 77
8. Arkansas Razorbacks, 66
9. Texas A&M Aggies, 64
10. Tennessee Volunteers, 54
11. South Carolina Gamecocks, 39
12. Florida Gators, 33
13. Kentucky Wildcats, 23
14. Vanderbilt Commodores, 10
This wild, wacky and magical SEC season has finally given us -- Alabama as the unanimous No. 1 in the SEC Power Poll. Hooray? (Really, Nick, you can turn up the difficult level on the game now.)
Your only other consensus team is Vanderbilt at No. 14, but Mississippi State and South Carolina are off just one spot a piece from clinching every vote at their respective places. There's a tie between the up-and-down Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss for the third spot in the rankings. There are some other tight races as well. Arkansas just edged Texas A&M by a couple of points, and South Carolina isn't terribly far ahead of Florida. (Don't worry, they'll score some more points later in the season, then move ahead for good after the bowl.)
To get into the tie, Georgia moved up three spots after its win against Auburn, which also allowed Ole Miss to tick up one spot. Auburn goes from No. 3 to No. 5. LSU tumbled two places afters the loss to Arkansas, which advances one place but still ends up below the team that it just beat. Missouri moved up two places and continues to quietly chug toward a division title no one seems to notice that it's winning.
Texas A&M drops a couple of places after the loss to Missouri. The loss to South Carolina knocks Florida down two places and Kentucky falls one, allowing Tennessee to advance one spot and South Carolina to jump from No. 13 to No. 11. And everyone say hello to Vanderbilt at No. 14.
Voters?
ALABAMA
The Tide continue to do what they do. If they continue doing it, they will find themselves nestled atop the Final Four. The defense is coming together as solidly as any Saban has had at Bama, while Blake Sims improves weekly. Going into the weekend: Bama's home sched: FAU, S. Miss, A&M (.45 win %) Away games: WVU, Miss, Ark, UT, LSU (.70%) That's why Blake Sims is better at home.--Arkansas Fight
There aren't many teams who can reasonably say "all we need to score is 21," and Bama is one of them at this point.--Red Cup Rebellion
That loss in Oxford sure feels like a long, long time ago.--Georgia Sports Blog
ARKANSAS
Bert gets off the schneid. Karma?--Get the Picture
We've been saying it all along: the Razorbacks were going to get somebody. Thanks for taking the grenade Les, you are a good man.--Roll Bama Roll
BERT ain't never shaving again.--Rock M Nation
Jasen Vinlove -- USA TODAY Sports
AUBURN
No rabbit's foot + toughest schedule in the SEC = three losses.--Get the Picture
The Gus Bus needs a tune-up and some Auburn fans seem ready to throw Ellis Johnson out the back.--Dawg Sports
The Tigers are in the classic fall-short-of-expectations-and-mail-it-in spot right now. Georgia's ceiling is very high, no doubt, but Auburn's offense just didn't look right on Saturday. The defense continues to play poorly as well, which certainly doesn't help.--Roll Bama Roll
FLORIDA
There's a certain former SEC head football coach in a CBS studio somewhere who would really look good in orange and blue. BONUS: He just LOVES alligators. Calls 'em "big ol' bumpy salamanders!"--Red Cup Rebellion
On the bright side, Will Muschamp made it two weeks further than we expected.--Dawg Sports
This has been fun for the non-UF fans. It'll get REAL serious when they hire a proven HC, tho.--Rock M Nation
GEORGIA
When this team is on, it's pretty d----d awesome. It's just that when it's not, it's really not.--Get the Picture
While Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb have grabbed the headlines, the season-long maturation of the Georgia defense has been just as important to the Bulldogs' success.--Dawg Sports
I've been saying this for weeks so I will continue to beat the drum here: the Dawgs are the biggest wild card in college football. They are capable of drubbing Auburn in Athens or losing horribly to a mediocre Florida team. Pull hard for Missouri if you want to guarantee that the SEC has a representative in the Playoff, because Georgia is a scary team in Atlanta.--Roll Bama Roll
Jason Getz -- USA TODAY Sports
KENTUCKY
The season's best case for why you don't need to rush to give a head coach a raise and extension mid-year.--Get the Picture
Mike Stoops' team cost him a lot of money with this losing streak.--Georgia Sports Blog
I know the basketball team is good, but did you have to send the football team to watch them play DURING a football game!?--Rock M Nation
LSU
The Tigers are paying Cam Cameron $1.3 million this season to coach the conference's 11th-ranked offense. They could have hired one of Florida's former offensive coordinators for a lot less.--Get the Picture
This was about as ugly a loss as the Bayou Bengals have suffered under Les Miles. The Game of the Century II might have been worse only because the national title was on the line, but this ranks up there. Sad LSU fans always make us happy.--Arkansas Fight
Let Alabama beat them twice.--Dawg Sports
MISSISSIPPI STATE
"Except for being undefeated, every other goal is still ahead of us." Yeah, well, minor detail.--Get the Picture
The Bulldogs are a very good football team, but the inexperience in games of a grandeur scale was on display on Saturday. Alabama just made more plays when it mattered. This is still an amazing season for Bulldog fans, and they aren't out of the running for a SEC or National Title yet.--Roll Bama Roll
'Preciate the Dak-door cover, fellas.--Rock M Nation
Marvin Gentry -- USA TODAY Sports
MISSOURI
Quick, how many games has Missouri lost this year. "Uh, four or five, I guess?" -Typical, unobservant SEC fans--Red Cup Rebellion
Like 2007 Tennessee the Tigers are wobbling toward the Georgia Dome with four bald tires and a busted radiator and it's all Georgia's fault. Sorry, y'all.--Dawg Sports
I'll give Missouri credit, they keep winning games they should win, which is something Georgia can't say.--Georgia Sports Blog
OLE MISS
Another week gone and the Rebels still have a shot at winning the West (with some help). Win the Egg Bowl and hope for an Auburn win over Bama.--Arkansas Fight
The Rebels continue to take advantage of other team's struggles, and now they find themselves in a decent position. The Rebs clearly have the best 2-loss resume in the country, and the Playoffs aren't totally out of the question. There would have to be some 2007-like results for that to happen, but it's in play.--Roll Bama Roll
Been a whiles since we've seen a prime time Dr. Bo performance, which means he'll have been pregaming HARD for the Arkansas game. Brace yourselves, Hogs. You too, Rebels.--Rock M Nation
SOUTH CAROLINA
Don't tell me the OBC wasn't thinking about Jeremy Foley as he walked out of the Swamp Saturday. And smirking.--Get the Picture
As if Florida fans needed another reason to deify the Head Ball Coach...--Dawg Sports
How fitting is it that the Ole Ball Coach got to hand Muschamp the pink-slip? It has been a season of major slip-ups late in games, but the Gamecocks finally made all the clutch plays down the stretch for a change.--Roll Bama Roll
Kim Klement -- USA TODAY Sports
TENNESSEE
Joshua Dobbs is living the good life in Knoxville after putting up nearly 350 yards and accounting for four TDs against Kentucky. One more win and the Vols are in a bowl game. What I would like to see is a Tennessee vs. Arkansas game for said bowl berth. What I did get to see is astronaut Dobbs leading the band in what one can only assume is the 564th playing of Rocky Top on Saturday.--Arkansas Fight
Tennessee is patient zero in the SEC East's crazy season.--Georgia Sports Blog
Dobbs has been excellent the past few games. Imagine how good he'd be if he didn't have to run for his life every third play.--Rock M Nation
TEXAS A&M
You had your chances, A&M. With the pressure at its peak, Kevin Sumlin calls this beauty of a play... a screen to the tight end.--Arkansas Fight
Nothing cures one's ails quite like playing against A&M's defense. The Aggies are going to have to address that side of the ball eventually, but hey, at least the offense is back to playing solid football.--Roll Bama Roll
As a Mizzou fan, I'm REAL glad the Tigers don't have to play the Aggies again until 2021. This young team is going to be monstrous for the next few years. Luckily, that isn't quite the case just yet.--Rock M Nation
VANDERBILT
I bet the 'Dores would love another crack at Kentucky now.--Get the Picture
Another bye week and another week without a loss. Now the Commodores get to take their SEC-worst offense and defense to an angry Mississippi State team.--Arkansas Fight
Vandy bringing up the rear is the foundation of consistency that the rest of the SEC is built upon.--Red Cup Rebellion