The Southeastern Conference and Big 12 are a tad different this season. The SEC has swarming defenses, which are virtually non-existent in the Big 12.

While the Big 12 is scoring points in bunches, the SEC … well, not as much.

So how do the teams in the the two conferences stack up against each other? Here are a few comparisons from the SDS power rankings:

PLAYOFF CONVERSATION

Between the two leagues, five teams are in position to make it into the four-team playoff. Most of the teams will play the playoff contenders in their conference, so it will play out as it should — on the field.

  1. LSU (4-0)
  2. TCU (5-0)
  3. Alabama (4-1)
  4. Texas A&M (5-0)
  5. Baylor (4-0)

SERIOUS CONTENDERS

There are other teams in the conferences with a shot at making it to mid-January. Don’t be shocked if a one-loss team gets there.

  1. Florida (5-0)
  2. Oklahoma (4-0)
  3. Ole Miss (4-1)
  4. Georgia (4-1)
  5. Oklahoma State (5-0)

CHALLENGERS

Other teams could sneak their way into the conversation.

  1. Kansas State (3-1)
  2. West Virginia (3-1)
  3. Mississippi State (3-2)
  4. Kentucky (4-1)
  5. Missouri (4-1)

ON THE UPSWING

These teams started slow in 2015, but have shown improvement. The outcome of the league races could hinge on their development.

  1. Arkansas (2-3)
  2.  Texas Tech (3-2)
  3. Tennessee (2-3)
  4. Auburn (3-2)

THE REST

The also-rans of each league have a lot of work to do.

  1. Vanderbilt (2-3)
  2. Iowa State (2-2)
  3. South Carolina (2-3)
  4. Texas (1-4)
  5. Kansas (0-4)