College Football Conference Power Rankings: Week 14

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates after scoring the game winning touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines in the second overtime at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime.Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scrambles up the field against the Auburn Tigers during the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defeated the Auburn Tigers 30-12. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

4. SEC

It was not a banner week in the SEC, which lost three out of four non-conference rivalry games to slip all the way to fourth.

The SEC has been the top conference in the country for the past several years due to its depth at the top, which is not the case in 2016. Following a comfortable Iron Bowl win over No. 13 Auburn, it’s Alabama and everybody else in the conference, as no other team in the SEC finished the regular season with fewer than three losses.

Four-loss LSU finished second in the SEC West after blasting Texas A&M, which may ponder the future of Kevin Sumlin after another late-season collapse. Beyond that, it was an ugly week for some of the top programs in the conference.

No. 15 Florida, which clinched the SEC East a week ago, likely lost its chance at a New Year’s Six bowl with a 31-13 loss to Florida State. The ACC picked up two more victories over the SEC, as Clemson overwhelmed South Carolina and Georgia Tech topped Georgia in the dying seconds.

After entering the season with top ten expectations, No. 17 Tennessee will be bitterly disappointed with Saturday’s loss to Vanderbilt, which dropped the Volunteers to 8-4. That shouldn’t take anything away from the 6-6 Commodores, who are coming along under Derek Mason, but such a loss could signal the end of the Butch Jones era.

Along with Vanderbilt, the bright spot of the week in the SEC was Kentucky, which shocked No. 11 Louisville in the biggest upset of the week. The news wasn’t so good for Arkansas or Ole Miss, as both lost to bottom SEC teams in Missouri and Mississippi State.

While Alabama is the heavy favorite to win the national title, it’s been a season to forget for much of the SEC following an ugly showing to close out the regular season.

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