SEC power rankings, Week 1: Has Georgia and Texas A&M closed gap on Alabama, will LSU rebound?

SEC power rankings for Week 1 of the 2021 NCAA football season. Has Georgia closed the gap on Alabama? Is Texas A&M for real? LSU bouncing back?

As the 2021 college football season gets closer to starting for the SEC, is there anyone in the conference good enough to challenge Alabama for the SEC championship? The answer to that question likely depends on just how good Georgia’s offense has gotten over the offseason.

Kirby Smart’s defenses are always stout and the Bulldogs consistently recruit better than just about everyone not named Alabama, but Georgia hasn’t broken through and been any better than the Crimson Tide since Smart has been there.

Could a stellar offense led by quarterback J.T. Daniels be what the Bulldogs need?

We’ll find out soon enough. Football is here and here’s what the SEC looks like heading into week one of the 2021 college football season:

Week 1 SEC power rankings: Has Georgia closed the gap on Alabama?

The Vanderbilt Commodores weren’t able to get any wins a season ago. This week, the Commodores have a phenomenal chance to surpass last season’s win total. Vandy will face East Tennessee State and this is a game that the Commodores should be able to win with relative ease.

Like Vanderbilt, South Carolina was awful a season ago (though the Gamecocks were able to get a couple of wins in 2020). Also like Vanderbilt, the Gamecocks are starting the 2021 season with a game that should be a clear and easy victory. South Carolina hosts Eastern Illinois in Columbia this week.

The 2021 Tennessee football season is starting with a fairly intriguing contest. Bowling Green will be headed to Knoxville for Josh Heupel’s first game as the Vols’ head coach. Heupel and Tennessee have a lot to prove and it’ll be fun to see just what that offense looks like early in the season.

While playing in the SEC is never easy, Arkansas might truly have the most difficult schedule in the country. Luckily for the Razorbacks, this week’s contest shouldn’t be all that challenging. Arkansas will face the Rice Owls in Fayetteville to start the season. That’s a lot easier of a foe than the Razorbacks’ opponent for the following week, the Texas Longhorns.

We’ve got a battle of Bulldogs in Starkville this weekend. Mike Leach and the Mississippi State Bulldogs are hosting Skip Holtz and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. While it’s often difficult to predict just how Leach’s teams will perform and Louisiana Tech has found ways to make things challenging for MSU in the past, expect State to be able to get a win here.

The Bryan Harsin era has gotten off to an odd start because of some issues with COVID-19, but the Tigers are poised to get a win this week when they face the Akron Zips. Winning puts everyone in a better mood and an early-season win can help the Tigers build momentum.

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats are looking to prove that they are among the best teams in the SEC this season. They’ve got some work to do, but starting the season off with a win certainly would be a step in the right direction for this team. Louisiana-Monroe and Kentucky will play on Saturday.