SEC power rankings, Week 3: Is Georgia underrated, Florida overrated?

Week 3 SEC power rankings see LSU take a step forward after their big win at Texas and Tennessee suffers another heartbreaking loss at home.

The state of the SEC is very much top-heavy through the first two weeks of the season. The good teams have looked good as Alabama, Georgia and LSU have looked like potential College Football Playoff teams. Meanwhile, the bad teams have looked bad with Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Tennessee hurting the conference’s reputation as the top league in the land. And then there’s a giant middle class full of Mississippi State, Missouri, Kentucky and others trying to make a move in a competitive SEC.

Here is how our SEC power rankings shake out entering Week 3.

Arkansas’ defense got torn apart by one of the weaker SEC opponents they will face in 2019. They allowed 246 passing yards, 240 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. Nick Starkel looked better, going 17-24 for 201 yards and one touchdown. Still, this team looks like they are a few years for competing seriously in the SEC West.

Vanderbilt has now been outscored 72-30 in their first two games of the season. Starting off with Georgia and Purdue was never going to be easy, but I was hoping for more out of a team loaded with offensive talent. Their defense does not appear up to the task. They allowed 509 passing yards and five touchdowns to redshirt senior Elijah Sindelar. On offense, their featured back Ke’Shawn Vaughn only mustered 56 rushing yards on 17 attempts. It will only get worse for Vanderbilt as they host No. 6 LSU in Week 3.

Tennessee needed to beat BYU to salvage their young season. The team, overall, look markedly improved, but they did not win. They relied on their young players on both sides of the ball and dominated on the ground. True freshmen Eric Gray flashed for 77 yards on 17 carries. Ty Chandler ran for 154 yards on 26 attempts. Redshirt Junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano looked lost against BYU. He misread the defense consistently, mistimed the majority of his passes, both of his touchdown passes were near interceptions. Playmaker Juan Jennings (four receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns) can only take this offense so far. They need to figure things out quick. After UT-Chattanooga in Week 3, they play at Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, and at Alabama in four straight weeks.

The Rebels climb in the power rankings primarily by default with a win over Arkansas. It is exciting to see Matt Corral and the Ole Miss offense find more success against Arkansas than they could against Memphis. Corral completed 66 percent of his 24 passing attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Scottie Phillips helped create a balanced offensive attack with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. They will face off against FCS Southeastern Louisiana before getting a true temperature gauge in Week 4 against Cal.

You can only learn so much about a team from a 60-point blowout against an FCS opponent. We learned that they have four running backs capable of producing on the ground. Rico Dowdle ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Mon Denson ran for 188 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries. Kevin Harris averaged 24.5 yards on his six carries, totaling 147 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson transfer Tavien Feaster ran the ball six times for 64 yards.

We also learned a little about Ryan Hillinski, who will be the team’s starting quarterback with senior Jake Bentley out for the season. He completed 80 percent of his 30 attempts for 282 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hillinski was getting a lot of positive hype out of spring camp and he showed he may just be the leader the Gamecocks need.

It is back to reality for South Carolina as they host Alabama in Week 3.

Kentucky got a big win in Week 2, but they suffered a much bigger loss. Quarterback and chief playmaker Terry Wilson Jr. exited their victory early with a patella tendon injury that will cause him to miss the rest of his season. Moving forward they will rely on a pair of running backs in Smoke and Rose who combined for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries last week. Kentucky claims we are underrating them again this season. They will get the chance to prove that when they take on a team many consider overrated in Week 3, the Florida Gators.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs looked better in their 38-15 win against Central USA’s Southern Mississippi than they did against the Sun Belt’s Louisiana. They will likely float around the middle of my rankings until they begin SEC play in Week 4. Tommy Stevens and Kylin Hill both had great first halves. Both, however, exited the game and did not return after suffering injuries late in the second quarter. Before the injury, Tommy Stevens was 9-of-10 passing for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Hill had 123 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

Missouri washed away the disappointment of a Week 1 loss to Wyoming with a resounding 38-7 victory over West Virginia. The performance by their defense is encouraging. They allowed just 51 total yards rushing and 141 yards through the air. They also forced three interceptions. Kelly Bryant threw for 150 yards and three touchdowns while completing 68 percent of his 25 passing attempts. Missouri will have time to continue building momentum as they take on FCS Southeast Missouri State in Week 3.

Consider the Aggies’ ranking drop a market correction. I was hoping for a more competitive game against the defending national champion Clemson Tigers. Kellen Mond was kept in check, completing just 57 percent of his 42 attempts for 236 yards, one touchdown and an interception. The Aggies, though, also kept Heisman candidate Trevor Lawrence in check. He threw for 268 yards, one touchdown and an interception. They only totaled 59 rushing yards, which is frustrating, Their defense, though, frustrated Travis Etienne. They held the big-play threat to just 53 yards rushing on 16 attempts (3.3 yards per carry). Look for the Aggies to use lessons from this game in their Week 4 showdown against No. 10 Auburn.

Auburn rides a (green) wave of victory to an early-season top 5 power ranking. It was not the prettiest win, but it is an important one as this young team continues to build confidence. Nix’s inconsistencies continued: he completed just 51 percent of his 37 attempts for 207 yards and a touchdown. Whitlow’s consistency continued. He ran 23 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. Auburn will be a fun offense to track as Malzahn continues to bank his future on the wild but talented arm of true freshmen Bo Nix. Auburn gets Kent State in Week 3 before a big matchup in College Station in Week 4.

The FCS Skyhawks of UT-Martin were overwhelmed in the Swamp, allowing Florida to slide back up into their original spot in these power rankings. The non-FBS opponent allowed the Gators’ offense an opportunity to click. Franks completed 93 percent of his 27 passing attempts for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Three different players (LaMical Perine, back-up quarterback Emory Jones and Malik Davis) found the end zone on the ground. Florida heads into SEC play with two opponents who they should be able to control the gameplay against Kentucky in Week 3 and Tennessee in Week 4.

It is not common to drop in rankings after recording a 46-point win. The SEC though, as we know, is far from common. We got to see both Jake Fromm and backup quarterback Stetson Bennett tear apart the Murray State defense. Fromm went 9-of-10 for 166 yards and a touchdown before Bennett took over. Zamir White and D’Andre Swift took turns dazzling down the field. They combined for 139 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 total carries. The Bulldogs have outscored Vanderbilt and Murray State 93-20 in the first two weeks. Expect more of the same against Arkansas State in Week 3. Their opportunity to leapfrog back to the top will come Week 4 after they host Notre Dame.

LSU proved they are a legitimate SEC and national title contender when they traveled to Texas and beat the Longhorns 45-38 in Week 2. This LSU team is different. The difference is Joe Burrow and Joe Brady. The passing game has experienced a revolution not seen since Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. shared the field.

Burrow threw the ball 39 times, completing 31 passes for 471 yards and four touchdowns. What impresses me is how he did it. He spread the ball around. Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase caught eight balls for 147 yards. Terrace Marshall Jr. pulled in six receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown.

Texas fought hard in this game and were never out of it. This win required LSU to rise to the occasion time and time again in a tough road environment and they did it. Again and again. LSU challenged themselves in Week 2 and won. College football programs that challenge themselves with tough early season out of conference games deserve to be rewarded. The Tigers take the number two spot in my rankings over a talented Georgia team.

Alabama looked like the powerhouse they are in Week 2. It is easy to write this game off as more of the same against a team you may have never heard of. New Mexico State, though, has multiple power 5 teams on their schedule and beating non-power 5 schools is no guarantee, even in the SEC.

Tagovailoa stretched the field and showed off his great touch on the ball while throwing for 227 yards and three touchdowns. Jeudy caught eight passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Henry Ruggs III caught four balls for 66 yards and a touchdown while also recording a 75-yard touchdown run. Safety Xavier McKinney and defensive linemen Raekwon Davis led the team with six total tackles apiece. McKinney also forced a fumble. Alabama will likely continue to roll through opponents until they travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies in Week 6.