The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
POWER RANKINGS
1. Alabama ( 4- 0): We will never know if Nick Saban’s return to the sideline made Alabama win against Georgia, but we know it will go down in legend when legends are written.
2. Georgia ( 3- 1): Kirby Smart faces an interesting decision on the proposition of “going as far as Stetson Bennett IV can take us.”
3. Texas A& M ( 3- 1): There is a reasonable chance that Texas A& M will go 9- 1 with its only loss to Alabama. Chaos in the East and there is a slim chance that the Aggies may yet enter the playoff conversation.
4. Florida ( 2- 1): The Gators didn’t play last weekend, but if we handed out publicrelations losses Dan Mullen would have gotten one.
5. Kentucky ( 2- 2): The Wildcats have come a long way in two weeks. That missed- PAT overtime home loss to Ole Miss really stings now.
6. Auburn ( 2- 2): You look at Auburn in the preseason and say “They might win the West Division or they might be playing a must- win in Oxford halfway through.”
7. Arkansas ( 2- 2): Sam Pittman is coaching like a guy who loves coaching more than the big paycheck, and it shows.
8. Tennessee ( 2- 2): UT throws two picksixes and Jeremy Pruitt fires the defensive line coach. If they miss two field goals this week, the popcorn guy is probably out of a job.
9. South Carolina ( 2- 2): You could just as easily put the Gamecocks at No. 5, but it’s hard to have faith that they will be consistent.
10. Missouri ( 1- 2): The SEC Schedule Shuffle has Kentucky coming to Columbia and a brutal run after that, so now is the Tigers’ time.
11. Ole Miss ( 1- 3): The old cliché about not letting one loss turn into two bit Ole Miss, which seemed to have a severe Alabama hangover in Fayetteville.
12. Mississippi State ( 1- 3): It feels like starting over for the Bulldogs, who really need the open week to regroup.
13. LSU ( 1- 2): The Tigers got a break by not having to play at Florida last week, and surely they can start a turnaround against South Carolina. Can’t they?
14. Vanderbilt ( 0- 3): The Commodoes have a regularly- scheduled open date following a COVID- 19 postponement, and a two- week non- losing streak isn’t so bad.