SEC Power Poll - Week #11

Last weekend proved to be a very normal weekend in SEC. Sure. There was a lot of what we thought there would be, close games and upsets. But really, does this change much in the SEC? We really don’t see Alabama losing more games than they win against Mississippi State. Ditto for Georgia. The real question is where we stand with regard to the top 4 or 5 teams. See below for our pros and cons on each team.

This weekend features something special. Every game looks to be competitive. That is mainly because the Mississippi teams are not playing, but we digress. Not every game will be good or competitive of course, but you have some compelling storylines for nearly every single game. Well, the picks will come later. Right now, it’s rankings time baby!!!!

Power Poll – Week 11

1. Florida (8-1, 6-1) – The Gators have defense and a lot of fortune going for them. That defense is stout, very stout. We are talking French body order stout. The weakness on the Gators seems to be offense, but really the offense has just sputtered since the second half of the Auburn game. Coincidently, that is when the Gators stopped benefiting from a short field. See Urban, a strong running game does help. Well, he knows that he just doesn’t have his guy running the football. Last Game: Beat Vanderbilt 25-19, Up Next: South Carolina.
   
2. LSU (7-2, 3-2) – The pros include a sexy offense that scores 40 on high school teams and a strong defense. The cons are no running game and thus no ability to control the clock and keep opponents’ offenses off the field. We doubt they would have beaten Tennessee with Erik Ainge on the field, but that is the reality right now, so that is what we are going with. Last Game: Beat Tennessee 28-24, Up Next: Alabama.
   
3. Arkansas (8-1, 5-0) – We like the Hogs a lot. In fact, we feel they are a strong team and Darren McFadden is an absolute beast. You pair the strong running game with probably one of the better defenses in the SEC (though not statistically) and you have a strong group with which to dominate opponents. What we don’t like about the Hogs is that they aren’t particularly strong at quarterback. That will lose games to strong defenses (unless said defense decides it doesn’t want to show up for an 11:30 kickoff in October, just saying Will Muschamp). Our question still remains, can the Hogs win from behind? Of course, they generally don’t have to do so. Last Game: Beat South Carolina 26-20, Up Next: Tennessee.
   
4. Auburn (9-1, 5-1) – The early season offense issues seem to have worked themselves out which bodes well for Auburn. We like pretty much every aspect of this team save one. The Tigers just don’t seem to have that moxie or gusto required of a true championship team. Yes, yes, you are saying forget 2004, this team wins. We would argue that the wins have been more a result of schedule. Flip Auburn’s road and home games and we are looking at a 8 or 9 win team instead of a 10 or 11 win team. Now, ask yourself the same question of the 2004 team. Auburn just doesn’t seem to leave it all out there and has not played a perfect game all year long. The pessimist in us sees this as indicative of a 1-1 finish and a solid, but not spectacular bowl performance. The optimist sees two straight wins against rivals and a BCS bowl game (after not having to play in the SEC championship). Last Game: Beat Arkansas State 27-0, Up Next: Georgia.
   
5. Tennessee (7-2, 3-2) – Robert Meachem is a big pro, so too is a stronger than expected defense that has kept on going despite the loss of so many lineman to graduation. The cons are injuries and a slow running game. This is the reason that Tennessee has dropped so much. Jonathan Crompton can’t beat any of the teams above the Vols. Last Game: Lost to Louisiana State 28-24, Up Next: at Arkansas.
   
6. South Carolina (5-4, 3-4) – The Gamecocks are improving, despite the loss to Arkansas, but continue to be an enigma. We like the defense a lot and we, of course, enjoy super stud Sydney Rice. We wonder what is going on with the offense from a consistency standpoint. Plus, like Steve says, the Gamecocks haven’t learned to win. Yet. Last Game: Lost to Arkansas 26-20, Up Next: at Florida.
   
7. Alabama (6-4, 2-4) – Due to the karma of a rivalry, we are big on Alabama despite the current evidence of less than dynamic offense and a surprising lack of focus on defense. We do like the defense and the offense has the potential to be very explosive. The downside of the Tide starts at the top. Mike Shula is clearly in over his head and plays to lose more than to win. He also doesn’t have faith in his team or himself and we don’t know too many successful coaches that fit that profile. Is Alabama overrated in our poll? Let’s just say there is some “irrational exuberance” for us. Whether the bubble pops remains to be seen. Last Game: Lost to Mississippi State 24-16, Up Next: at Louisiana State.
   
8. Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5) – The strong points for Vanderbilt have been the quarterback play and the defense. We are pleasantly surprised by Chris Nickson. He has shown a lot of poise and really thrived while filling some rather huge shoes. What we don’t like is the overall level of talent in the program. Bobby Johnson has done an admirable job and will be patrolling the sidelines for another program soon (Alabama?), but he just doesn’t have the tools necessary. Last Game: Lost to Florida 25-19, Up Next: at Kentucky.
   
9. Kentucky (5-4, 3-3) – This is a nice team that we probably should have ranked a little higher. We like their effort and the offense is spectacular. Rafel Little and Andre Woodson are worth the price of admission. What we don’t like is a defense that is not particularly strong and the fact that Rich Brooks is still the coach. Probably the worst idea that Kentucky could get is to give Brooks a huge extension. Ask yourself what happens when Woodson and Little are gone next year. Last Game: Beat Georgia 24-21, Up Next: Vanderbilt.
   
10. Georgia (6-4, 3-4) – There is talent abound at Georgia, but not where it needs to be. After being a particularly strong team at the line positions, there has been a huge dropoff this year. Yes, Quentin Moses is a force to be reckoned with, but one man can only do so much. We have been very disappointed with the will of this team as well. The Bulldogs have flat out quit in the four games they lost this year. That is a huge issue for Mark Richt. Last Game: Lost to Kentucky 24-21, Up Next: at Auburn.
    
11. Mississippi State (3-7, 0-5) – A big pro is Michael Henig. How do you not root for Henig? The kid’s got guts and has had some kind of bad luck. We also like Coach Croom as a person, not as a football coach. The dislikes include no talent and no scheme that is worth anything. They showed up strong at Alabama, but we feel that might be the shooting star scenario, one final flameout before death. Maybe we are wrong though, maybe the Bulldogs have turned a corner. Last Game: Beat Alabama 24-16, Up Next: Bye.
    
12. Mississippi (3-7, 1-5) – What do we like about Mississippi? Not much. We like Coach O who brings his own unique self to the cult of personality that is SEC head coaches. Other than that this team plays sloppy and undisciplined. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to either offensive or defensive scheme. Really, they are playing out the string. Last Game: Beat Northwestern State 27-7, Up Next: Bye.