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Here are this week’s power rankings! The following SBN blogs contributed this week:
And The Valley Shook
For Whom the Cowbell Tolls
Garnet & Black Attack
Rocky Top Talk
Good Bull Hunting
Alongside these five, 11 TSK contributors cast their votes. Thus, we have 16 pollsters this week. Away we go.
14. South Carolina Gamecocks
(Score: 12.93; Highest Vote: 11; Lowest Vote: 14; Last Week: 13)
“Is a 21-point favorite against UMass, which is strange considering they haven't scored 21 points in a game this season.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Enjoyed the bye week as one week in which they couldn’t lose.” -- ATVS
T-12. Vanderbilt Commodores
(Score: 12.375; Highest Vote: 12; Lowest Vote: 14; Last Week: 14)
“Beat Georgia. Still lost to Kentucky and South Carolina. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯” -- Tom Stephenson
“The Commodores are rewarded with a big road win by still be ranked in the back of the pack, but they've solidified somewhat any doubt they are a better team than South Carolina.” -- Will Marshall
“Gets out of the cellar with a huge win.” -- ATVS
“Vandy gets a win, which means at least one more round of the Sunshine Pump over at Anchor of Gold.” -- Rocky Top Talk
T-12. Kentucky Wildcats
(Score: 12.375; Highest Vote: 9; Lowest Vote: 14; Last Week: 12)
“It's possible they could go to a bowl without beating anyone better than Missouri.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Still a fairly dismal season, but it did not include a loss to Vandy, so that puts them ahead of Georgia.” -- ATVS
11. Mississippi State Bulldogs
(Score: 10.81; Highest Vote: 9; Lowest Vote: 13; Last Week: 11)
“Never go to Provo on a Friday night...not that anyone on eastern time stayed up until the end of that game...” -- Alex Dusza
“If they were in the East, they'd be a bowl team, probably.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Honestly, looked pretty good losing to BYU. We still call those losses.” -- ATVS
10. Missouri Tigers
(Score: 10.56; Highest Vote: 9; Lowest Vote: 14; Last Week: 10)
“So SEC defenses are putting up more of a challenge than Delaware State?” -- Alex Dusza
“Is probably the fourth-best team in the East. Which... says more about the East than it does about Mizzou.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Two tough losses in a row does a lot to wipe out September gains, and calls into question whether the offensive improvements were fool's gold or not.” -- Will Marshall
“They should crawl out of this hole, but they are the only winless team in conference, and just allowed 40 points to a Florida squad that had only scored 55 points in their previous five games combined.” -- ATVS
9. Georgia Bulldogs
(Score: 9.93; Highest Vote: 9; Lowest Vote: 14; Last Week: 9)
“Lose to Vanderbilt at home and you get ranked 14th.” -- Alex Dusza
“The good: you lost by one point on a day when Nick Chubb and Sony Michel were completely absent. The bad: you were playing Vanderbilt.” -- Tom Stephenson
“The 'Dawgs are still a borderline top ten SEC team, but they'll be forced to scheme around their offensive line the rest of the season. It's hard to see them climbing much higher.” -- Will Marshall
“Vandy?! Y’all fired Richt so you could lose to Vandy?!” -- ATVS
“I can't wait for the Mission: Impossible-style twist where Kirby peels off a rubber facemask to reveal... DUN DUN DUN... he's been Derek Dooley all along!” -- Rocky Top Talk
8. LSU Tigers
(Score: 6.68; Highest Vote: 3; Lowest Vote: 8; Last Week: 5)
“Can take a big jump up over the muddled middle of the SEC with a win over Ole Miss.” -- Alex Dusza
“The first half against Southern Miss was a little unnerving.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Since Coach O has taken over, LSU has outscored its opponents 87-17. Now, neither team was very good, but still, that is a pretty impressive debut.” -- ATVS
7. Florida Gators
(Score: 6.5; Highest Vote: 3; Lowest Vote: 8; Last Week: 6)
“I have to rank somebody third, I guess. Now that Del Rio is back they have an offense.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Still could be an illusion of scheduling as they lack a quality win, but they are in the driver’s seat of the East right now.” -- ATVS
6. Auburn Tigers
(Score: 5.93; Highest Vote: 3; Lowest Vote: 8; Last Week: 8)
“They might actually be good at football.” -- Tom Stephenson
“The Tigers are playing much better than most teams and have forced their way into the top five, and lead the pack in the doughy middle section of the conference.” -- Will Marshall
“I’m not really sure what to do with the Plainsmen, but they haven’t affirmatively proven they don’t belong near the top of the poll yet, which puts them ahead of nearly everyone else.” -- ATVS
5. Ole Miss Rebels
(Score: 5.37; Highest Vote: 4; Lowest Vote: 8; Last Week: 4)
“Might be the nation's unluckiest team.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Yes, they’ve lost to three good teams. It’s still three losses, and their one good win doesn’t look so great anymore.” -- ATVS
“There's no shame in losing to Arkansas in Fayetteville at night. Once the sun goes down in Hillbilly Transylvania, it's all wild hogs and the unnerving, high pitched howl of a feral Houston Nutt.” -- Rocky Top Talk
4. Tennessee Volunteers
(Score: 4.25; Highest Vote: 3; Lowest Vote: 8; Last Week: 3)
“It's almost like all of their good fortune from the first six games was repaid in the Alabama game.” -- Tom Stephenson
“I'm keeping the Volunteers at third. Don't @ me.” -- Will Marshall
“Death. Taxes. The Vols getting destroyed by Bama.” -- ATVS
“After playing three tough conference games, last week's bye was the perfect chance for the banged up Vols to get healthy for the back half of the season.” -- Rocky Top Talk
3. Arkansas Razorbacks
(Score: 3.87; Highest Vote: 3; Lowest Vote: 5; Last Week: 7)
“Beat Ole Miss in a wild game, because of course they did.” -- Tom Stephenson
“Moving the Razorbacks up to fourth. If the running game and defense have come along then this team is as dangerous as any in the western division.” -- Will Marshall
“That’s more like it, Hogs! Sure, they have 2 losses, but their Ole Miss win is better than just about anyone ranked behind them.” -- ATVS
2. Texas A&M Aggies
(Score: 2; Second-Place Votes: 16 Last Week: 2)
“Coming off a bye week before the Bama game. GUMP CONSPIRACY ALERT.” -- Tom Stephenson
“It's pretty clear TAMU and 'Bama are the two best teams in the conference so far, and we get to see them duke it out this Saturday.” -- Will Marshall
“They at least have a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Bama, which makes them pretty darn good.” -- ATVS
“3:30 PM on Saturday: "We want Bama! We want Bama!" 6:30 PM on Saturday: "Let's watch reruns of Johnny Football and eat at Raising Cane's instead.” -- Rocky Top Talk
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (16)
(Score: 1; First-Place Votes: 16)
“I have Texas A&M second, and Alabama is a 17-point favorite on Saturday, which tells you how big the gap between them and the rest of the SEC is.” -- Tom Stephenson
“After ranking TAMU first the last two weeks, I'm forced to reconsider my stance after the Tide's impressive win in Knoxville Saturday.” -- Will Marshall
“I think we’re running out of ways to say “Bama is awesome,” but we’ll try: Bama is an 18.5 point favorite over the #6 team in the nation.” -- ATVS