SEC power rankings, Week 2: Alabama shines, Texas A&M collapses
By John Buhler
Though the SEC went 12-2 this week, this was not the start the Power 5 conference had hoped for in some of these neutral site games. Here are the rankings.
While it was a terrific start to the 2017 college football season throughout much of the Power 5, it could have been better for the SEC. Though it went a combined 12-2 in the 14 games its member institutions played in, two teams lost embarrassing games on a major stage. A third team almost did on Labor Day night.
The Florida Gators were humiliated down in Arlington against the Michigan Wolverines. Though Jim Harbaugh’s team looked like the West Virginian Mountaineers out there on the gridiron, they beat the snot out of Jim McElwain’s bunch.
Kevin Sumlin’s Texas A&M Aggies blew a 44-10 lead at the Rose Bowl to lose to the UCLA Bruins on Sunday night. His seat is getting mighty toasty down in College Station. Then on Monday night, Butch Jones’ Tennessee Volunteers needed Paul Johnson’s Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to botch an overtime two-point conversion to win in Atlanta. It was not a good weekend for these SEC schools.
At least Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide took care of business and dominated Jimbo Fisher’s Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night in Atlanta. Without further ado, here are this week’s SEC power rankings. These are going to change probably every week, so don’t worry if your team got dinged after Week 1.
Missouri Tigers (1-0)
Last week: Win vs. Missouri State, 72-43
Last rank: 14th
Don’t let the 72 points scored fool you. The Missouri Tigers are still the worst team in the SEC by a wide margin. While Drew Lock and company put up all the points in the world on the Missouri State Bears at home on Saturday, the Tigers also surrendered 43 points to a FCS school.
We know that the Tigers love to go as fast as Ricky Bobby offensively, but will Barry Odom’s boys be able to stop anybody. Even though it’s six years since their last Big 12 game, Missouri looks to be team that could fit right in with their former Power 5 conference. If this team can’t play defense, Missouri will miss a bowl for the third straight year.
Ole Miss Rebels (1-0)
Last week: Win vs. South Alabama, 47-27
Last rank: 13th
We know two things about the Ole Miss Rebels heading into 2017: they will not be eligible to play in a bowl game and true sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson is fantastic. Though he and interim head coach Matt Luke could be great motivators for this lost team, it’s up in the air if Ole Miss will win multiple SEC games.
The Rebels did enough at home to beat a good, but not great Group of 5 program in the South Alabama Jaguars in Week 1, 47-27. While the Rebels lost the Egg Bowl to arch rival Mississippi State last year, at least they can beat South Alabama in their own stadium. You have to enjoy the little things in what could be a trying year for the Ole Miss program.