SEC Power Rankings Week 12

Sep 6, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; A SEC marker on the field during the second half between the Florida Gators and the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles 65-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Just when I thought I had a pretty good feel for the way the SEC was shaping up, Texas A&M decided to remind people that they aren’t the dregs of the SEC so many of us believed they were. The one thing it does is make the top spots crystal clear. After that, it’s much more of a jumbled mess. With every team having 9 or 10 games in, here is how I stack the SEC from top to bottom. Here is where I had them last week.

1. Mississippi State Bulldogs 9-0 (Last Week 1) The last three games of this season have been all about just getting to November 15 without a loss. Mission accomplished. Time for the most important game in the history of the Mississippi State football program.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide 8-1 (Last Week 3) The Crimson Tide have been thoroughly impressive at times, and they have been completely underwhelming at others. They get a chance to prove they deserve a spot in the top 4 this weekend against the top ranked team.
3. Georgia Bulldogs 8-2 (Last Week 6) Will the real UGA please stand up? The one that looked pathetic against Florida or the one that looked like one of the most dominant teams in the country against Kentucky? The Bulldogs may not belong here, but if they can get someone else to beat Missouri, and win out, including the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs would have the best argument of any two loss team to get to the Playoff.
4. Ole Miss Rebels 8-2 (Last Week 7) The Rebels need some breaks, but they aren’t out of it yet. First thing for the Rebels is to avoid being the team that the Razorbacks finally get over the SEC hump.
5. Auburn Tigers 7-2 (Last Week 2) Many thought they were the best team in the country. Many thought they were the luckiest team in the country. Argue it however you want, all I know is if you make the number of mistakes that the Tigers made in their game against the Aggies, then you probably won’t win. That’s all there is to it.
6. Missouri Tigers 7-2 (Last Week 5) The Tigers took the week off and are just trying to win out to get back to Atlanta.
7. Texas A&M Aggies 7-3 (Last Week 8) The Aggies looked like a team that was headed for 6-6, and then they went on the road and beat the number 3 ranked team with a freshman quarterback. The Aggies continue a trend of winning big on the road since they came to the SEC. They are 5-5 since joining the SEC at home and 8-4 on the road in SEC play. You’d think the Aggies would be at their best in front of their home crowd but they seem to be more comfortable on the road.
8. LSU Tigers 7-3 (Last Week 4) The Tigers aren’t the awful team many thought they were, but you have to have at least decent quarterback play if you are going to win big games in the SEC. The defense is going to keep the Tigers close, but they have to do more on offense. It still wouldn’t surprise me if they end up 9-3 though.
9. Florida Gators 5-3 (Last Week 10) Florida can still win the East. It’s not likely, but despite the dumpster fire that much of their year has been, they still have a chance to have a decent season and keep Muschamp as their coach. Florida fans want to win but they also want a new coach.  They have a dilemma.
10. Tennessee Volunteers 4-5 (Last Week 11) The Vols had the week off to get ready to try to win two of their last three games to get to a bowl.
11. Kentucky Wildcats 5-5 (Last Week 9) Kentucky has made a lot of improvement from year 1 of the Stoops era to year 2. Despite the improvements made, the Wildcats only have two more chances to get a win to make it to a bowl. With their only two games left being at Tennessee and at Louisville, they will have to pull off at least one upset if they are going to get there.
12. Arkansas Razorbacks 4-5 (Last Week 12) The Razorbacks are in a very similar situation as the Wildcats. They have improved drastically from year one under Bielema to year two. Despite those improvements, they haven’t won an SEC game against an SEC opponent since 2012. They have 3 games to get it done. A big game against LSU next Saturday for both teams is the first one to try to get over that hump.
13. South Carolina Gamecocks 4-5 (Last Week 13) The Gamecocks needed a week off. The Gamecocks are trying to avoid going from predicted winner of the SEC East at Media Days to not even making a bowl game.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores 3-7 (Last Week 14) The Commodores became the first team in the SEC to be officially ineligible for a bowl. The only thing the Commodores have to play for is spoiling someone else’s season. It’s been a quick and hard fall for the Commodores.

The two most important games this weekend are easily Auburn at Georgia and Mississippi State at Alabama. Both Georgia and Auburn have what little remains of their Playoff chances on life support. The loser has those chances go flat line. For Mississippi State and Alabama, the winner is in the driver’s seat for the SEC and the Playoff and the loser has to start politicking.