Published October 24, 2012 - 11:30am
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Last week’s power rankings caused quite a stir with Florida getting the top spot. Alabama and Florida both had quality wins this past weekend with Alabama dominating in Knoxville and Florida embarrassing a very good South Carolina team at home. The reality is that it doesn’t matter where these two teams rank in relation to each other, because if they win out, they will play each other in Atlanta.
But, for the sake of power rankings based on what each team has accomplished on the field, disregarding preseason ranking, we keep Florida at #1 this week and Alabama at #2. The rest of the Big 5 has some changes. It’s also important to realize that we don’t necessarily penalize a team for how good they look winning. Every championship team that comes out of this conference tends to have a few games where they have to merely survive. Often these games are ugly. With the brutal week-in and week-out schedule of an SEC team, winning is winning.
Currently, five teams control their own destiny in the SEC. These teams are Florida, Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State. You keep winning, you win the conference and will play for a national title. South Carolina has fallen off this list with its second loss of the season.
1. Florida Gators (7-0)
Florida took another step on Saturday proving they are a legitimate title contender. They utterly dominated the Gamecocks in Gainesville starting with big plays on defense. An incredible punter kept the field position game in favor of Florida all day, and the Florida offense was efficient, scoring touchdowns after getting turnovers.
The Florida secondary is something special this season. They are fast and physical and are locking down passing games. In games against LSU and South Carolina, Florida did not allow a single touchdown.
Ranked wins: at #20 Texas A&M, #6 LSU, #13 South Carolina
Key games remaining: #10 Georgia, #12 Florida State
Interesting Stat: Driskel’s 4th quarter passing numbers: 11 of 15 (73.3%), 2 TD, 0 INT. Florida’s 4th quarter passing defense numbers: 29 of 78 opponent’s completions (37.2%), 0 TD, 2 INT.
Did you know: Driskel has more wins over top 25 ranked opponents in six starts (3) than Georgia’s Aaron Murray has in three seasons (2).
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0)
Alabama once again methodically took care of business against an inferior team in Tennessee. They looked like the varsity team, and Tennessee looked like the junior varsity team. This team is just outstanding, and their quarterback might be a Heisman finalist.
The balance of this team is exceptional. The team does the little things right as you would expect from a Nick Saban coached team. They will be tough to beat. Alabama’s offense may be peaking at just the right time.
Ranked wins: #22 Michigan
Key games remaining: #11 Miss State, #6 LSU, #20 Texas A&M
Interesting Stat: Alabama is #1 in the country in scoring defense with only 8.3 points per game given up.
3. LSU Tigers (7-1)
Despite a loss in Gainesville a few weeks ago, Les Miles has his team rebounding with quality ranked wins over South Carolina and on the road at Texas A&M. As I stated before, winning is winning, and the tough teams win the ugly games. LSU is still in this thing, and with the crazed home crowd at night in Baton Rouge in two weeks, don’t think that they will roll over when the Crimson Tide come to town.
LSU does have concerns. The offensive line has been banged up this year. The losses of the Honey Badger and Morris Claiborne to the NFL draft clearly left a playmaking ability hole. The defensive line and the running backs are as good as it gets, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to beat Alabama. Also, LSU’s Kevin Minter (LB) is having an all-world season.
Ranked wins: #13 South Carolina, at #20 Texas A&M
Key games remaining: #1 Alabama, #11 Miss State
Interesting Stat: LSU is currently converting 38% of their third downs which is down from 45% last season.
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-0)
Mississippi State is still undefeated. I really like how this team is playing. They’re tough, and they play good defense. Finally, we get to see them against real competition. They have to go to Tuscaloosa this week. Most don’t expect Alabama to lose this game, but I want to see how Miss State handles this game. While a loss would still be a loss, if Mississippi State plays the Tide tough, it could still be a good step for this program.
Ranked wins: None
Key games remaining: at #1 Alabama, #20 Texas A&M, at #6 LSU
Interesting Stat: Mississippi State has a +17 turnover margin which leads the country.
5. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)
Georgia seems to be struggling, especially defensively, but they’re still in the game. A win against Florida changes the perception of this program from the past month instantaneously. For now, this is the team on this list that seems to be lacking the toughness element. Georgia safety Shawn Williams recently called his team out in this regard. Perhaps a rivalry game down in Jacksonville is what is needed to right the ship?
Ranked wins: None
Key games remaining: #2 Florida
Interesting Stat: In the last two games, Georgia has given up 230 rush yards to South Carolina and 206 rush yards to Kentucky.
* All rankings based on the current BCS rankings
Photo credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE
Everyone is attacking Florida for being #2 in the BCS. Attack away. The best resume in all of college football resides in Gainesville. Home of Champions.
…..until Saturday, that is.
Except you don’t according to many other college football fans like Notre Dame, Kansas State, Oklahoma…
And you are naive enough to believe them? Notre Dame beat two Big Ten teams. Nice work. Kansas State has 3rd best resume in CFB. And Oklahoma already lost so they don’t count. Them Gators comin’, Jec.
You beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Congratulations.
So, lets take a step back and think about this. You have faced 3, maybe 4, credible teams. The others have been…eh to “wow that is terrible”. Notre Dame has faced only one team that won’t make it to a bowl (Navy) with the others (Michigna: 4-2, Michigan State: 4-4, Purdue: 3-4, BYU: 4-4, Miami: 4-4, and Stanford:5-2) all probably going bowling. While, Florida will have faced 4 teams that will probably go bowling (TAMU, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina). So Notre Dame has more “credible” or “bowling” teams.
Georgia fans are getting confident again. Just in time to get ran out of town behind their see rely overrated football team…again.
Yup ima hafta say I think UF deserves the spot…and think though Notre Dame appeared to have the toughest schedule in August …since the. The big ten teams on their scheckle have collapsed. All of this will be a mute subject after Saturday though…when the Irish lose in Norman and we finally figure it out on D and come up with the upset in Jville. Sic em!
Haha…scheckle? And I’m not even drinking tonight…damn iPhone!
Florida has the best resume according to the computers. It’s not up for discussion.
They have the best according to the computers do they?
http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/current_congrove_rankings.html
Not according to those computers.
http://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/strength-of-schedule-by-team
Or that one.
Hey Jecmoore quit being such a homer. Georgia’s overrated this year. It’s ok. There’s always 2013.
Haha I’m not being a homer. Just because I disagree that Florida is the best team in the nation (which in essence is what this article is saying), doesn’t mean I am a homer. It means that I am willing to realize while the SEC is the best conference, other teams have better SOSs than us.
I would suggest you come back when you played a team with a winning record.
Are you kidding me? MSU is the most over rated team this year. They played all high school teams. I will enjoy seeing your 3rd rate team get smashed by Bama this Saturday.
JakeT your team trailed one of those “high school” teams 3 times. If you struggle with Kentucky you can’t talk about Mississippi State.
@Mullen4Prez,
2011: UGA 24, MSU 10
Don’t talk when your team is trash. You guys are nothing but a fake “Bulldog”.
Oh yes, because MSU didn’t struggle at all with Troy or Auburn…
Jecmoore, other teams have better SOSs than florida??? Lets think here genius….out of all those teams you listed that the mighty fighting irish beat, which will undoubtedly slip up prior to this season ending (as always), when was any of their most recent national championships? or even contention for one? good luck with that research. Those teams are a joke and being a georiga fan you should be able to realize that. Any win in the SEC is a good win. Throw notre dame or any of those other inferior teams you previously listed and they’d be lucky to go .500. Now stop being sour cause Richt let you all done yet again and come to the realization that florida does have the best resume out there. And tho im a gator fan, im not biased. As much as id love to see FLA win another national championship, i got my money on Bama cause they are hands down the best team in the country…..good luck this weekend Jec, you all will certainly need it.
**throw notre dame or any of those other teams into the SEC..**
Tim Davidson.
It is SEC fans like you who give all us a bad name. While the SEC is obviously the best conference in the nation, not all of our teams are Alabama. Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee are all either bad teams or average. While Florida played TAMU, LSU, and South Carolina, when was TAMU or South Carolina’s last National Championship? Cause Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford have all been relevant the past few years. Stanford being in contention for a NC, Michigan State being one of the better teams in the Big 10, same for Michigan. Then you have BYU, which along side TCU, Utah, and Boise State, is more of those mid-major (now independent) BCS busters (never was able to reach a BCS bowl but stayed in contention, and has a storied program to boot). Obviously, Notre Dame has played some good opponents (Miami is one of the best young teams in the nation), and the team has a nasty defense BETTER THAN THAT OF FLORIDA. YEAH, I said it. Plus that fun game is phenomenal. I love Georgia, and hell I love the SEC, but I hate when I fans make all of us look ignorant by claiming any SEC is better than any other team in the nation. Vanderbilt and Kentucky would be in last of second to last in any other conference. And Tennessee would still be an average team in any other conference. Except maybe, the Big 10 or ACC, where they put little effort into defense like Tennessee has. Finally, lets not forget that Florida also played Bowling Green, while (and I love this about Notre Dame), the Irish refuse to play mid-major, or minor conferences and also will not play FCS schools (like the game that Florida will be playing in a couple weeks). So lets just stop this whole, by playing in the SEC your schedule is automatically better than anyone else’s in the nation. Cause that is false. Notre Dame has had as hard or harder an overall schedule than Florida. Period. End of Discussion.
Michigan state lost to Iowa and Michigan flops each year in that sorry Big 10 conference against teams like Ohio state who take teams like purdue into OT. There is a reason why the last 6 national championships have come out of the SEC. Alabama would flatten Notre dame and anyone who knows football would agree with that. The depth seen in the SEC is unmatched. And are you seriously going to mention teams like BYU, TCU, and Boise state? Those teams give up 45 points to high school teams. And Notre Dame defense is better than Floridas? You’re the only person in the nation besides the other homer, Lou Holtz
Well…Utah was good enough to beat Alabama, so…there is that. Congratulations are in order. You can name teams that Michigan and Michigan State lost two. Well, Florida played Vanderbilt who lost to Northwestern (one of those terrible Big 10 teams). And Florida played Kentucky (who lost to Western Kentucky). Then there is Tennessee. The may be the best team with a losing record, if that counts for anything. I never said Notre Dame wouldn’t be flattened by Alabama though. I said they are better than Florida. Which anyone who watches football objectively would agree with. And the stats also show that Florida and Notre Dame have faced teams of about equal offensive capabilities (on the year Florida’s opponents have averaged just 100 yards more total yards on the year). Of course the SEC is the deepest conference, but that doesn’t mean each of our teams are better than anyone else in football. That is why Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt are losing to nonconference opponents. I’m not a homer. That would imply that I am from Indiana. I’m from Georgia. I am a Dawg through and through. But Notre Dame is good. Get over yourself.
Well it couldn’t be any more obvious that you’re a gator hater…guess I’d be too if I was a Georgia fan. So Notre Dame is better than Florida? That’s what all the polls say too right? Cause some scrawny Georgia fan knows football better than a panel of analysts. Get over yourself and accept that Florida is real good. If you don’t do it now, you will before Saturday is over, unless you consider than Dawgs an equivalent to a Michigan state or mid major school, which you shouldnt cause georgia would pound those teams. Don’t you watch bowl games kid, look at the SEC records. Back to your love for ND….don’t be shocked if OU shreds em this Saturday, tho I’m sure in your eyes they’ll still be worthy of a top 5 ranking…
Best resume till they get that ass beat in ATL…
I’m fine with being in the 2 spot. There can only be one after we meet in Atlanta. Good luck to all this weekend.
Kevin, State is +17 in TO margin. http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1059
I’m just ready for Saturday so MSU can finally prove we aren’t pushovers. I don’t expect to win the game but hell we can do a lot better than people are expecting. Counting on Florida to put an end to Bama in the long run, somebody has to.
I think State puts up a good fight this weekend and earns some respect. I think we can win 10 games this season.
45-10, maybe next year cowbells
Oh ye of little faith just remember 1980. It ain’t the size of the man in the fight but the size of the fight in the man. As long as we don’t beat ourselves we should make this a ballgame.
Jecmore must be from another universe Florida has beat sc,lsu,and Texas A&M all these are quality teams, im not saying we are the best team in the country alabama is until proven otherwise. but our defense is one of the best in the country and top two in the SEC to say otherwise is just crazy! Notre dame is over rated fl would pound every team they have beat they will lose bad this weekend and won’t be mentioned again for the rest of the year.
I think miss st surprises a lot of people this week they may not win but I think it will be a fun game to watch.
Hey Kevin I thought this is supposed to be a power ranking not a computer ranking? If you can’t tell just by looking at Alabama that they are by far the superior team (better defense, MUCH better offense, and um Saban n friends?), then you must be looking thru orange and blue gator-skin lenses! C’mon quit being a homer. Yeah UF has beaten some teams that are better than UA has faced to this point but Bama has treated EVERYONE they’ve played like a chew toy and given a large portion of the second half to the freshmen!