SEC power rankings, Week 1: Alabama and everybody else
By John Buhler
Vanderbilt Commodores (0-0)
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Vanderbilt is almost always overlooked in the SEC football hierarchy as being the lone prestigious private school in a conference full of massive state schools. In year three in Nashville, head coach Derek Mason was able to send his Commodores bowling. He seems to be the right coach, but it won’t be easy for the ‘Dores this year.
They still have an excellent running back in Ralph Webb, but it will come down ultimately to how quarterback Kyle Shurmur plays and how Vanderbilt fares in SEC East play. This is a team that can go 3-5, maybe even 4-4 in the SEC and reach back-to-back bowl games. The Commodores are on the bubble. Can they do it again in 2017?
Mississippi State Bulldogs (0-0)
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The Mississippi State Bulldogs may start out low in these power rankings, but they certainly have the potential to climb up them this season. They can be one of the toughest teams in the SEC West for two reasons: head coach Dan Mullen and quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.
After Nick Saban at Alabama, Mullen might be the next best coach in the SEC. He is great with quarterbacks and gets the most out of three-star players. Mullen is already approaching being the best coach in Mississippi State history. Fitzgerald might be the most talented returning quarterback in the SEC. His dual-threat abilities are incredible, but he’ll have to play better against elite competition for Mississippi State to win more than six or seven games this year.