POWER RANKINGS
Breaking down the SEC
1. Auburn (10-2):
The nation’s best team in November? It’s tough to argue with dealing Alabama and Georgia their only losses of the season, regardless of where they happened. (Last week: 2)
2. Alabama (11-1):
The Crimson Tide really want to be the second coming of the 2016 Ohio State, a team that didn’t win its division but earned a playoff berth anyway. Alabama probably needs some help from Ohio State and TCU this Saturday. (LW: 1)
3. Georgia (11-1):
Had no trouble scooting past Georgia Tech, holding the Yellow Jackets to 226 total yards on the final day of the regular season. Now it’s off to the SEC title game and a chance to secure a playoff berth. (LW: 3)
4. Louisiana State (9-3):
It was a stellar regular-season finale for Danny Etling, who torched Texas A&M for 347 yards and three TDs through the air. The Tigers will go for a 10-win season when they play in a bowl game likely to land on New Year’s Day. (LW: 5)
5. Mississippi State (8-4):
Lost QB Nick Fitzgerald to a gruesome injury, committed five turnovers … and still nearly came back to beat Ole Miss. It’s a disappointing end to an otherwise commendable regular season for the Bulldogs. (LW: 4)
6. South Carolina (8-4):
Ran only 54 plays (and mustered 207 yards) in a 34-10 loss to Clemson to close out the regular season. That’s four losses in a row to the Tigers, though the gap between the two isn’t quite the chasm it was last year. (LW: 6)
7. Missouri (7-5):
Maybe the Tigers’ defensive progress was really a reflection of their soft second-half schedule. But the offense is for real, and Drew Lock could be the foundation of a sneaky SEC East contender next year. (LW: 9)
8. Texas A&M (7-5):
The Aggies never could do better than the Johnny Football-fueled success of 2012 under Kevin Sumlin. Ergo, Texas A&M is looking for a new coach to gain traction in the SEC. (LW: 7)
9. Mississippi (6-6):
There’s no postseason awaiting the Rebels, but winning the Egg Bowl is a fine consolation prize. Interim coach Matt Luke did a fine job holding things together under trying circumstances this season and was justly rewarded with the full-time job. (LW: 10)
10. Kentucky (7-5):
Benny Snell’s 211 yards and two TDs weren’t enough to get the Wildcats past Louisville in an in-state clash. Still, a second consecutive bowl bid beckons, and it provides a chance to move past a disappointing November. (LW: 8)
11. Vanderbilt (5-7):
The Commodores aren’t heading back to the postseason, but they did dust off Tennessee in the SEC’s Misery Bowl. That counts for something. (LW: 13) 12. Florida (4-7):
Figuring out a way to lose by double digits despite yielding just 216 total yards to Florida State seems like an appropriate way for this forgettable season to end in the Swamp. New coach Dan Mullen has a major overhaul on offense in front of him. (LW: 11)
13. Arkansas (4-8):
Injuries were a major problem all year, and the Razorbacks could be in for a bounceback season as many of their key pieces get older. Bret Bielema didn’t get the job done, but he left the Hogs in better shape than he found them. (LW: 12)
14. Tennessee (4-8):
Nowhere to go but up in Knoxville after what might have been the most dysfunctional season of any power conference team in 2017. And that was before the whole Greg Schiano fiasco, which only made the Vols seem even more in disarray. (LW: 14)