SEC Power Poll, Week 15: Alabama Still on Top; Ole Miss on the Rise

SEC POWER POLL, WEEK 15

1. Alabama Crimson Tide, 154 (11 first-place votes)
2. Mississippi St. Bulldogs, 133
3. Ole Miss Rebels, 125
4. Missouri Tigers, 121
5. Auburn Tigers, 112
6. Georgia Bulldogs, 110
7. LSU Tigers, 88
8. Arkansas Razorbacks, 79
9. Texas A&M Aggies, 62
10. Tennessee Volunteers, 48
11. South Carolina Gamecocks, 46
12. Florida Gators, 43
13. Kentucky Wildcats, 24
14. Vanderbilt Commodores, 11

The Crimson Tide remains on top of the SEC Power Poll after another mildly strange edition of the Iron Bowl. Mississippi State narrowly holds onto No. 2 after getting upset by Ole Miss, but the Rebels zoom up the polls to land at No. 3 -- up four spots from last week. That's your biggest gain this week. Missouri ticks up one place, while Auburn slips one spot and Georgia falls three places after the overtime debacle against Georgia Tech.

LSU also moves up a single position, while Arkansas goes from No. 6 to No. 8 after the loss at Missouri. No. 9 through No. 14 looks essentially the same, though Tennessee pulls back ahead of South Carolina in the basically-tied race for No. 10 (because that's important). Florida is also in that mix.

The other notably tight votes are the race for No. 3 between Ole Miss and Missouri, and the race for No. 5, where Auburn edges Georgia by two points -- more or less a tie.

Alabama and Vanderbilt the only unanimous teams, though Kentucky came within one ballot of being a unanimous No. 13. The most confounding team to our voters might be Missouri, which is the SEC East champion but lost to Indiana and got destroyed by Georgia -- both at home. The Tigers got votes at every position from No. 2 to No. 6 -- and No. 3 was the only position at which they didn't get at least two votes. There's absolutely no agreement on where the other other Tigers should be. (For a counter example: Georgia got votes everywhere from No. 3 to No. 7, but seven of the eleven voters this week put them at No. 4 or No. 5, and the high vote of No. 3 was a clearer outlier.)

Voters?

ALABAMA

Hey, did you hear Lane Kiffin is a genius?  Amari Cooper could make me look like one of the best offensive coordinators in college football.--Get the Picture

Yawn. Right were we thought we would be.--Georgia Sports Blog

So this team seems to be peaking at just the right time. Auburn's pass defense certainly helped the cause. Their date in Atlanta with Mizzou will be closer than many people think if Bama keeps playing defense with the "bend but don't break mentality."--Arkansas Fight

John David Mercer -- USA TODAY Sports

ARKANSAS

Not the SEC's most talented team, but arguably the SEC's toughest.--Red Cup Rebellion

Hogs proved they were the best of the barely eligible SEC teams. Would have been 9-3 or 8-4 coming out of the East.--A Sea of Blue

RIP Arkansas' bowl opponent.--Roll Bama Roll

AUBURN

A new DC might help, but what would help more are new defensive players.--Red Cup Rebellion

The results of the Alabama game just make me sit here and wonder at what could have been if Auburn's defense had been able to put together complete games this season. Unfortunately, the bad moments were so bad they led to things like 28 A&M points in the first 20 minutes, and Bama scoring 55.--College and Magnolia

I mean, did you see anything on Saturday night that argued in favor of keeping Ellis Johnson?--Dawg Sports

FLORIDA

Muschamp era ends with a thud.--A Sea of Blue

I still can't believe the Georgia win was the gateway to them getting bowl eligible.--Georgia Sports Blog

Will Muschamp came close, and had it not been for his complete failure to find an offensive coordinator to help his team score points he might have had a win (and a job).--Arkansas Fight

Tommy Gilligan -- USA TODAY Sports

GEORGIA

Georgia and Ole Miss are both schizophrenic enough to proudly be the best three-loss teams in the country.--Red Cup Rebellion

Run. The. Dang. Ball. Bobo. Is it his QB background (and Richt's passing offense background as an OC) that always lead to things like a fade on 3rd and goal at the 2 when you have one of the best running backs in the nation? I thought maybe they learned from the second half of the Auburn game, but I guess not.--College and Magnolia

Once again a Mark Richt-coached football team couldn't be bothered to prepare mentally for a double-digit underdog, and will probably end up in the Music City Bowl as a result.--Dawg Sports

KENTUCKY

Even in the SEC, it's not easy to start 5-1 and fail to make it to a bowl.  But you did it, 'Cats!--Get the Picture

Kentucky falling from 5-1 to 5-7 wasn't hard to predict. The way it all unfolded was a lot harder to see coming. Stoops Troops have a way to go to compete in the SEC and some glaring problems that need fixin'.--A Sea of Blue

The Wildcats are going to wish they had those extra bowl practices, but this young team will be better next year.--Roll Bama Roll

LSU

The Bayou Bengals dominated A&M in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated. 3-0 against A&M since they joined has got to sting the Aggies.--Roll Bama Roll

Cam Cameron is getting paid a lot of money to basically decide that LSU should throw the ball more, when in fact that is what got him fired at Indiana and Miami and Baltimore.--Georgia Sports Blog

Leonard Fournette will be on the short list for the Heisman next season. For one, if used correctly, he'll get 40 carries a game. Bull. Freaking. Dozer!--Arkansas Fight

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Great year, but the defense turned out to be a little shakier than I expected.--Get the Picture

Regardless of the loss to Ole Miss, the Bulldogs proved over the course of the season that they are one of the best teams in the country. It's tough to lose two of the last three, and State fans will forever play the 'what-if' game for this season, but they have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.--Roll Bama Roll

You had one job: to finish off your rival's dreadful decline to the end of their season. Instead you let them win and in the process lost out on your chance at the playoffs. Have fun sleeping on that all offseasaon.--Arkansas Fight

Spruce Derden -- USA TODAY Sports

MISSOURI

If you weren't sure that Gary Pinkel coached a overachieving team this season, a net yards per game figure that is a mere ninth-best in the conference should erase all doubt.--Get the Picture

Missouri has quietly put together a good season. Well, except for the losing to Indiana and getting blown out at home by Georgia thing. Their defensive front and Alabama's tendencies to not play quite as well in places other than Bryant-Denny make me think this Saturday's SECCG could be much better than many are believing.--College and Magnolia

FSU looks at Missouri's game control and laughs.--Georgia Sports Blog

OLE MISS

The Rebels, who had absolutely nothing going for them for most of the last month, got up off the mat in a big way against State. That showed a lot of pride for this team, and it also showed that this team is one of the best in the SEC, despite the late season slide. Also: this team is peak mayhem this year. Beat teams No. 1 and No. 2 in my rankings, lost to teams No. 4, No. 5, and No. 8.--Roll Bama Roll

Georgia of the West, but manages to win the in state rivalry game.--Georgia Sports Blog

In the history of the College Football playoff, there have been two No. 1s: Mississippi State and Alabama. The Rebels defeated both of these teams.--Arkansas Fight

SOUTH CAROLINA

The win over Georgia looks more incomprehensible with each passing week.--Get the Picture

Just an absolutely disappointing year for the Gamecocks, all the way to the core. Spurrier is a legend, but he's got quite the turn-around in front of him. The young defense never seemed to get any better, and the offense is pretty much all going to be gone next year.--Roll Bama Roll

How did Georgia (or East Carolina, for that matter) lose to them?--Georgia Sports Blog

TENNESSEE

Hard to believe, but Tennessee's seniors will head to their first bowl game this year.--Get the Picture

I have a feeling that Tennessee's gonna wreck somebody in their bowl game. This will be an exercise in catharsis for them.--Red Cup Rebellion

Bowl eligibility has never felt so good for Vols fans.--Roll Bama Roll

Christopher Hanewinckel -- USA TODAY Sports

TEXAS A&M

Even Kevin Sumlin's gonna go 3-5 on occasion in the SEC West.--Red Cup Rebellion

Facing Texas in a bowl game is the least of Sumlin's worries, since the Longhorns have an offense.--Georgia Sports Blog

Kevin Sumlin's position in College Station is not pretty. He has the amenities, access to recruits, and the money yet isn't seeing the wins follow suit. Two years ago no one thought Missouri would be the more successful of the two new SEC programs.--Arkansas Fight

VANDERBILT

I'd say there's always next year, but I'm not sure that's much consolation.--Get the Picture

Your long nightmare is finally over, Commodores! It's okay, you can cry. It will be alright, one day, Vandy, one day.--Roll Bama Roll

You beat Tennessee two years in a row. It was time for the world to spin back on its axis correctly. 1925 and 1926 was the last time Vandy beat the Vols in back-to-back seasons.--Arkansas Fight