SEC Résumé Rankings – Week 11

Here are last week’s rankings.

A&M beating Bama, on the road no less, makes this a bit tougher this week. You could make an argument on how each of the top 6 teams could be higher than the other because they’ve all beaten each other up. So I started from scratch and added up all their wins vs. each other, and I used Mississippi State and Vanderbilt as tiebreakers as they are the only other bowl-eligible SEC teams right now.

1. Florida – This seems crazy coming off a near upset to Louisiana-Lafayette, but when you look at it they have had the toughest schedule/biggest wins. They’ve beaten Texas A&M on the road and LSU and South Carolina at home. Their only loss was to Georgia. Looking at the BCS standings, the Gators have lost to #5 (UGA), beaten #7 (LSU), #8 (A&M), #9 (SC) and they still play #10 (FSU).

2. Alabama – As far as a résumé goes, there isn’t that much meat on Bama’s…but they are still a great team, three straight games against tough teams will wear anyone down (and A&M played great). Their big win at LSU and stomping everyone else help a lot here. Beating MSU gets them the nod over Georgia.

3. Georgia – They were able to clinch the East with an easy victory over Auburn. They’ve basically had two tough games this year – one was getting blown out by South Carolina, the second was beating Florida. They did also demolish Vanderbilt which looks a little better now. No reason to fear the rest of the year, they should be 11-1 going into the SEC Championship Game.

4. LSU – This could possibly be viewed as the toughest schedule the SEC this year. They’ve played five 7-win teams thus far.

5. Texas A&M – The Aggies did the unthinkable this week, beating Alabama. Johnny Football proved he could play with the big boys, and Kevin Sumlin is proving he is a really good football coach. As far as a résumé goes, they still have two home losses and just the one real big win, but the W over MSU gives them the edge over USC.

6. South Carolina – The Gamecocks got a little revenge over Arkansas this past week after the last two years of blowout losses. They’re still hanging this season’s hat on the UGA win once again, but the two subsequent L’s that followed that up will ultimately hurt a season that could have been. Still one more big game vs. Clemson in two weeks.

7. Vanderbilt – Who would’ve ever thunk it, but they are already to 4 SEC wins and bowl-eligible in consecutive years for the first time in school history. They have a great shot at going 8-4 this year, but for right now, the only thing allowing them to go to bowls in ’08, ’11 and this year: Ole Miss.

8. Mississippi State – As bad as I hate to move the Bulldogs down, it has to be done because Vandy simply has better wins. State’s SEC victories are over teams with a combined conference record of 0-20…and the non-conference isn’t too great either. Arkansas and Ole Miss present chances to change that, and get back on the winning track.

9. Mississippi – The Rebs have lost 3 in a row to Vandy. They’ve lost 5 of the last 6, and 6 of the last 8. Two weeks ago, at 5-3, going to a bowl seems like a certainty, but right now it looks dim. On the road at LSU and then the Egg Bowl in Oxford. Going into that game with 5 wins just amplified it a few notches.

10. Missouri – After a putrid 1st half offensively, Mizzou came back on Tennessee and eventually won in 4 overtimes. That’s a big win and will likely get the Tigers into a bowl game if they can beat Syracuse next week.

11. Arkansas – As expected, the Hogs weren’t able to win in Columbia. A pretty bad season.

12. Tennessee – Still no SEC wins. There were some excuses you could make for Dooley because of the schedule they had played, but after almost losing to Troy and then losing to Missouri, both at home, he stands no chance.

13. Auburn – 38-0 to UGA is really bad. Great player or not, how in the world do you go from undefeated to complete dumpster fire in two years?

14. Kentucky – The saving grace here was not having to play. Samford comes to Lexington next week, so a chance for win #2.

SEC Standings

WEST

Alabama, 6-1
Texas A&M, 5-2
LSU, 4-2
Mississippi State, 3-3
Mississippi, 2-4
Arkansas, 2-4
Auburn, 0-7

EAST

Georgia, 7-1
Florida, 7-1
South Carolina, 6-2
Vanderbilt, 4-3
Missouri, 2-5
Tennessee, 0-6
Kentucky, 0-7

Likely Bowl Destinations

BCS Game #1 (Title or Sugar) – Alabama/Georgia

BCS Game #2 – (Fiesta, Orange or Sugar) – Alabama/Georgia/Florida

Capitol One – Georgia/Florida/LSU

Cotton – Texas A&M/LSU

Outback – South Carolina/LSU

Chick-Fil-A – LSU/Mississippi State/South Carolina

Gator – Mississippi State/South Carolina

Music City – Vanderbilt

Liberty – Ole Miss (if they can win one more game), if not, Missouri (if they beat Syracuse)

BBVA – Missouri/Tennessee/Ole Miss/nobody

Independence – probably no one from the SEC