POWER RANKINGS
Breaking down the SEC
1. LSU: It would be impossible to have a better Saturday than the Tigers had last weekend, and if any team is impervious to a hangover, it’s a team from Louisiana.
2. Georgia: It won’t be Alabama vs. LSU in terms of excitement but Georgia vs. Auburn could be the best defensive struggle of the year.
3. Alabama: Should Alabama worry about a million different playoff scenarios? Or just concentrate on fixing a sudden plethora of issues and getting past Mississippi State?
4. Florida: The Gators are probably out of SEC East contention — although it’s not quite 100 percent. A win would also help their chances of a New Year’s Day Bowl.
5. Auburn: Would Auburn actually being doing Alabama a favor by beating Georgia? Probably so. But the Tigers might try to do it anyway.
6. Texas A&M: The Aggies have beaten the teams they should beat and South Carolina ought to fit in that category.
7. Tennessee: UT has climbed all the way from the basement in September to the upper half of the league. The Vols aren’t perfect but they have shown grit.
8. South Carolina: Of all the teams that South Carolina did not need to see on its schedule, Appalachian State was about the worst possible choice. Now you know why.
9. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs’ running game could cause trouble for a team that doesn’t tackle well, for what it’s worth. The MSU defense might have a tougher time.
10. Ole Miss: The Rebels could turn college football upside down with a win in Baton Rouge on Saturday night. Don’t hold your breath.
11. Kentucky: The “wide receiver as quarterback” gimmick has been fun but is about at the end of its effectiveness.
12. Missouri: Not to infer too much from body language and so forth, but it’s easy to wonder about Mizzou’s level of commitment to the remainder of 2019.
13. Vanderbilt: Even with its best quarterback, being Vandy isn’t easy. With a third-stringer at the position, it’s impossible.
14. Arkansas: The jokes are so easy at this point that they aren’t worth making. All that matters now is a coaching search that has to make contact after two swinging strikes.