SEC football power rankings: Alabama, Georgia, LSU make case for top spot

The new SEC power rankings see three teams with great cases to be no. 1 from Alabama, Georgia and LSU. Who deserves it most?

The SEC East continues to struggle, highlighted by Florida’s near defeat. SEC West teams, however, are impressing. This is building toward one of the best conference schedules we have seen in years.

Vanderbilt did not play in Week 3. They slide down by default after a successful week by their conference mates who joined them at the bottom of my power rankings last week. The Commodores will get the chance to make a statement in Week 4 if they can put No.4 LSU on upset alert in Nashville.

Arkansas rises out of the basement with their 55-34 win against Colorado State. Nick Starkel got the start for the Razorbacks in Week 3 and put together a performance that should secure his role as the leader of this offense. He completed 20-of-35 passing attempts for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Rakeem Boyd also found the end zone twice while running for 122 yards on 20 attempts. The Razorbacks will be looking to string together another win this week when they host San Jose State.

Tennessee fans, for the first time this season, did not end their Saturday stunned. They defeated UT-Chatanooga 45-0. The Vols, however, will not be rewarded in my power rankings for doing what they should have done all along.

The Volunteers rotated through a lot of players on offense. Both JT Shrout and Brian Maurer took snaps at quarterback, although neither was particularly impressive. Before the younger guys got their chance Guarantano completed 88 percent of his eight passing attempts for 142 yards and three touchdowns.

Jeremy Banks led the defense with two interceptions while Shanon Reid recorded seven total tackles. Tennessee will face their biggest test of the young season in Week 4 when they take on No. 9 Florida in The Swamp.

The Gamecocks were competitive against Alabama in the first quarter and only trailed them 24-10 at the half. The Crimson Tide outlasted them in the second half, though and they ultimately lost 47-23.

Ryan Hillinski threw the ball 57 times in his first full start for South Carolina, He completed 63 percent of those passing attempts for 324 yards and two touchdowns while throwing one interception.

There are no good losses in the SEC, but this was not a bad one for the Gamecocks. They will travel from Columbia, South Carolina to Columbia, Missouri to take on the Tigers in a game that will likely propel them forward or stall their season.

Ole Miss continues their cautious rise in my power rankings. They recorded a 40-29 victory against Southeastern Louisiana in Week 3. It was not without tension, though. Heading into the fourth quarter the Rebels only led 34-29 and failed to ever run away with the game. The bright spot for this squad is that quarterback Matt Corral appears more comfortable with the offense every week. He went 21-30 with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 3. They face a true test this week when they travel cross-country to take on a 3-0 Cal team.

Mississippi State slipped up at home against Kansas State in Week 3, losing 31-24. A combination of Tommy Stevens and Garrett Shrader yielded just 151 yards through the air. Kylin Hill looked impressive again, rushing for 111 yards on 24 carries but failed to find the end zone. The Bulldogs led 21-17 after three quarters but never bounced back from a fourth-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown by Kansas State’s Malik Knowles. They will have a prime opportunity to bounce back this week when they host Kentucky.

Kentucky’s defense nearly led them to an early-season upset against No. 9 Florida.

They led 21-10 heading into the fourth quarter and looked prime for victory after the injury to Florida’s starting quarterback Feleipe Franks. Kentucky was responding to a season-ending injury to their own play-caller under center. Sawyer Smith completed 65 percent of his 35 passing attempts for two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions.

Senior linebacker Kash Daniel led the defense with ten total tackles, nine of which were solo and one was for a loss. Calvin Taylor, DeAndre Square, and Brandin Echols also recorded at least five tackles for the Wildcats.

It is rare for a team to rise in my rankings after a loss but I was impressed with Kentucky’s resolve following the loss of Terry Wilson. They get a chance to prove they deserve to keep climbing when they travel to Starkville to play Mississippi State in Week 4.

Missouri took care of business against Southeast Missouri State in Week 3 with a 50-0 victory. Larry Roundtree III put together his first big game of the season. He ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Tyler Badie found the end zone as well while rushing for 73 yards on seven carries. Kelly Bryant completed 75 percent of his 20 passing attempts for 225 yards and one touchdown. Now the Tigers get their first crack at an SEC opponent. They will host Kelly Bryant’s former rival, South Carolina in Columbia, Missouri in Week 4.

Florida escaped with a win after struggling to stop the Kentucky Wildcats on defense, despite facing an inexperienced quarterback and stagnant running game. The Gators also lost their starting quarterback Feleipe Franks, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season following a knee injury.

Lamical Perine is supposed to be the anchor of their running game but averaged just 1.9 yards on his 14 carries.

Florida has struggled to get out of the gate this season. The injury to Franks and the inability to establish a run game puts even more pressure on their defense to succeed. It appears only a matter of time until their schedule gets the best of them.

They are on upset alert this week when they host their rivals Tennessee. The Vols are hungry for a statement win and they will have their sights set on this Florida team who is struggling to keep their heads above water.

The Aggies dominated FCS Lamar 62-3 behind a balanced offensive attack and lockdown defensive performance. Kellen Mond found the end zone once through their air and another time on the ground while throwing for 317 yards and completing 71 percent of his passes. Isiah Spiller ran the ball 14 times and racked with 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Debione Renfro led Texas A&M’s defense, who did not allow a touchdown, with four tackles, two of which were for a loss. They will showdown with No.8 Auburn in what is sure to be the best game in the SEC in Week 4. This game will show us which team deserves to be considered the best of the rest in the SEC West.

Auburn defeated the MAC’s Kent State Golden Flashes 55-16 in an easy Week 3 matchup.

The Tigers had three players rush for over 100 rushing yards, including Joey Gatewood who scored two touchdowns while rushing for twelve carries. Whitlow ran the ball 17 times for 135 yards and also found the end zone twice. Bo Nix scored with his legs and his arm while completing 75 percent of his passing attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown.

Auburn is one of the hottest teams in the nation as they continue to win following their opening week primetime win against Oregon. This week will prove if they are worth the hype as they travel to College Station to take on No.17 Texas A&M.

Georgia overwhelmed Arkansas State in Athens in Week 3, winning 55-0. Defensive linemen Tyler Clark led the defense with five tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Safety JR Reed and Linebacker Monty Rice also recorded four tackles apiece while shutting out Arkansas State. Jake Fromm continued to be a consistent presence for the Bulldogs. He went 17-22 with 279 yards and three touchdowns. All eyes will be on Athens when the Bulldogs host No.7 Notre Dame in the primetime slot this week. This game will define the early season for Georgia.

LSU beat Northwestern State 65-14 in Week 3. The Tigers, who have been defined by their defense, have now scored 165 points in the first three weeks of the 2019 season. Joe Burrow is the man responsible for much of this culture shift. He completed 88 percent of his 24 attempts for two touchdowns and 373 yards in Week 3. He also ran for 30 yards and a touchdown. LSU will need to stay focused as they travel to take on a desperate Vanderbilt team.

It was not all smooth sailing for the Tide in Week 3 but they won 47-23 against the Gamecocks in Columbia. Tagovailoa put in a strong showing for his Heisman candidacy when he threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns against the first SEC defense he has faced this season. Najee Harris flashed in this game, including a 42-yard touchdown reception which included broken tackles and a hurdle. Safety Xavier McKinney recorded nine tackles and an interception while corner Patrick Surtain II recorded eight tackles. Week 4 should pose little threat to Alabama, they host Southern Mississippi in a game that they will likely dominate.