Let’s take a look at the latest SEC power rankings going into the final week of the regular season.
Week 14 Power Rankings
- Georgia
- LSU
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Mississippi State
- Ole Miss
- Arkansas
- South Carolina
- Kentucky
- Florida
- Auburn
- Missouri
- Vanderbilt
- Texas A&M
The Contenders. Barring some massive upset this weekend, the two remaining teams in this category are expected to face each other in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. Georgia is likely in the playoffs regardless of the outcome. But LSU has a special opportunity to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, while also punching its ticket to the CFP. This is exactly why Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for the SEC. There’s no alternate universe available where a 2-loss Notre Dame can still play their way into the playoffs. Yet, in his first year in the SEC, Kelly has a chance to get back there. Take care of a wounded Texas A&M squad this weekend, and you’re one step closer.
The Pretenders. Confession, I haven’t been able to figure this group out all season. Maybe that’s why they’re so appropriately named. On one hand, there’s Alabama who began the season as the top ranked team in college football, will likely miss the CFP for the 2nd time since its inception. Even Tennessee looked like world beaters for much of this season only to have their playoff hopes and dreams dashed last weekend. That brings me to South Carolina, who has played like a cellar dweller all year until they pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the year against the Volunteers. After getting pushed around for much of the season, Arkansas is finally beginning to resemble the team many pundits predicted they’d be this season. And then there’s Ole Miss, who’s gone from contending in the SEC West to now wondering if they’re going to be looking for a new head coach soon. That distraction can’t bode well for a team that’s trying to finish the season on a strong note with a win against their in-state rival.
The SEC cellar dwellers. Vanderbilt is currently riding a 2-game win streak, and needs one more victory to be bowl eligible this season. Let that sink in for a second. And now that Hendon Hooker is out for the rest of the year, beating Tennessee doesn’t seem so farfetched at this point. Regardless of how this weekend plays out, Vanderbilt has a lot to be proud of as they definitely took a step forward in year 2 of the Clark Lea era. Florida, on the other hand, has to be a little disappointed. Sure, they can still finish the season 7-5, by beating Florida State this weekend. But losing to Vandy has to sting a little. It’s year 1 under Billy Napier so patience is key here. In what will likely be his last game as interim head coach, Cadillac Williams has an opportunity to get his team bowl eligible by beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The odds do not favor Auburn, but this is the Iron Bowl. Crazy things tend to happen in this game.
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