SEC Power Rankings After Week 1

Outlets around the nation are releasing their SEC Power Rankings following the games of the first full weekend of football. Some are placing too much stock in meaningless wins, while others are punishing teams like LSU too harshly for their loss (as embarrassing as that was). I’m not one to talk, as I picked LSU first in the West in the preseason. Suddenly, the West appears wide open after LSU’s meltdown in Orlando. Georgia may have the East on lockdown (for now), but Tennessee looked very good in their opener.

Anyways, without further ado let’s take a look at these SEC power rankings after week 1’s games:

1. Georgia 1-0

There isn’t much to say about Kirby Smart’s team after week 1. They took care of business against an inferior UT-Martin squad. Carson Beck needs to get more comfortable.

2. Alabama 1-0

Similarly to Georgia, not much is clear about this team after their beatdown of Middle Tennesee. The defense gets an A+ on the eye test. Jase McClellan is a solid halfback.

3. Tennessee 1-0

Joe Milton III may be the best NFL prospect among the quarterback group in the SEC. While Tennessee’s competition was a Power 5 opponent (Virginia), I am only slightly impressed. I’ll be waiting to see how they perform against Florida on Sept. 16.

4. Ole Miss 1-0

After a brutal bout of score-running against Mercer, Lane Kiffin looks like he has an offense that is full of firepower. The key part of that statement was “against Mercer”. Next week’s game against Tulane will tell us a lot more about this team.

5. Arkansas 1-0

Western Carolina? Not a worthy opponent for the Hogs. I have Arkansas a bit higher than most do in this type of ranking. Convincing wins in the next two weeks will help cement them into the top half of the conference heading into the marquee matchup with LSU in week 4.

6. Texas A&M 1-0

Conner Weigman surprised me. It seems like Bobby Petrino’s offense has resurrected Jimbo Fisher’s chances at finishing his contract in College Station. However, New Mexico isn’t a stout defensive squad. Petrino & company will be hoping to carry this momentum into Miami Gardens next weekend.

7. LSU 0-1

Where do I even start? The final score was closer than the game actually was. Florida State dominated the Tigers. Where was Harold Perkins Jr. all night? Will they pull it together before SEC play?

8. Mississippi State 1-0

Mississippi State looked good…against SE Louisiana. Just like many teams in the conference, we don’t know much about them yet. With this experienced roster, they could surprise some folks. I’m sure Starkville is going to pack the house when LSU comes to town on Sept 16. It’s a shame that game has an 11:00am kickoff time.

9. Kentucky 1-0

As with many in the conference, nothing truly important has been revealed about this team. Devin Leary struggled, but I don’t think Kentucky fans should worry just yet. A 44-14 victory is always a good one.

10. Missouri 1-0

Something about Missouri’s performance against South Dakota caught my attention. Are there legitimate quarterback questions in Columbia? After a bizarre presser from head coach Eli Drinkwitz, fans might want to express some concern (especially those who expect a winning season).

11. Auburn 1-0

While quarterback Payton Thorne didn’t perform incredibly well, Auburn pulled off the convincing W. UMass is a bad team however, so we’ll see how Auburn does next week against Power 5 opponent California (9:30pm central kickoff). Hugh Freeze is a great football coach, so don’t be surprised if Auburn finds a way to shoot up these rankings in a few weeks.

12. South Carolina 0-1

I am disappointed in this team. I had high hopes for South Carolina, but their offensive line is just 3 steps behind where they need to be. Spencer Rattler ran for his life all game long against North Carolina. The Gamecocks need to protect him much better if they want a shot at a winning season in this conference.

13. Vanderbilt 2-0

Vanderbilt is 2-0. AJ Swann has some weapons to throw to. Coaching goes a long way. Who’s to say Vandy couldn’t surprise a couple of teams this year?

14. Florida 0-1

Perhaps the most disappointing of all the SEC teams so far…Billy Napier’s Florida Gators. There is a reason Graham Mertz left Wisconsin. The defensive line was slow to get off the ball. The secondary blew many coverages. This team could very well lose all of their conference games if the coaching staff doesn’t pull this team together.