SEC in the CFP: Breaking down each SEC team selected in the top 25

Well, it’s safe to say we know as much as The Committee™ does, and frankly, that’s terrifying. We simply don’t know if head to head matters, see Oregon over Ohio State (head to head matters!) and Michigan over Michigan State (or does it?). But I digress. The SEC is once again well represented in the second week of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Kentucky and Mississippi State dropped out of the top-25 following close losses to Tennessee and Arkansas respectively. For Kentucky, this marks three straight losses following a 6-0 start, but they definitely get to breathe a bit more than Mississippi State the rest of the way as they get lowly Vanderbilt, New Mexico State, and Louisville to finish the season. As for Mississippi State, they now have four losses with Auburn and the Egg Bowl left in their final three games. They may have seen their top-25 chances dashed as quickly as they came.

Now for the newcomer this week. The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-3) find themselves ranked 25th this week, marking their first time in the top-25 in the Playoff era. Coach Sam Pittman has done a fantastic job turning this program around in just his second year.

The teens host a trio of SEC squads: Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Auburn. For A&M (7-2), they climb from 14 to 11 in the rankings, and they’re coming off a massive home win against Auburn, holding the Tigers to just three points in a dominant defensive performance. Many thought this team was done following back to back losses, but they’ve won four in a row since, including impressive wins over Alabama and Auburn. Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels (7-2) leapt from 16 to 15 this week. They boast the SEC’s best offense and have won four of their last five since the loss to Alabama. Lastly, Auburn (6-3) is coming the aforementioned loss to Texas A&M. They didn’t drop too much, however, just 13 to 17, but the Iron Bowl looms large Thanksgiving weekend.

Alabama doesn’t budge from the second spot despite a scare from a mediocre LSU squad. The Tide won 20-14, and the offense looked very bad. Bryce Young and co. will welcome freshly ranked Arkansas to Tuscaloosa in two weeks, and the Iron Bowl matchup against Auburn is certainly no gimme this year.

Lastly, Georgia. They are the constant to all of the madness this year, and rightfully so. They have the best defense in the country, and their offense is more than good enough to win a championship. They’ve allowed 10 or more points just three times and have yet to allow more than 13 all season. They will not move from here unless they slip up against whoever they meet in the SEC Championship.

While the overall rankings are a chaotic mess, this was about what I expected from the SEC though Arkansas was a definite surprise. Georgia is in a class all to its own while spots two through eight appear to be up for grabs. It’ll certainly be an exciting November in the world of college football.