SEC Power Rankings after Week 12

The SEC never disappoints.

For this week, the bottom half of the rankings stayed the same, but we had some major shuffling towards the top of our power rankings. Texas A&M remained unbeaten in dramatic fashion. Georgia continues to own Texas. LSU and Arkansas played an entertaining slopfest.

We only have 2 weekends remaining in the regular season, but the good news is that there’s still everything left to play for. No tickets have been punched to the SEC Championship Game just yet.

So, where do all 16 SEC teams stack up entering Week 13? Let’s take a look at our updated power rankings, shall we?

16. Arkansas (2-8 overall, 0-6 in SEC)

• Previous ranking: 16
• Last week: 23-22 L at LSU
• This week: at Texas

Another week, another incredible collapse by the Arkansas Razorbacks. This team just cannot win close out games when it has a lead going into the 4th quarter. It’s almost impressive how bad the Hogs are when they have a lead in the final frame. This school needs some fresh blood. Bobby Petrino isn’t going to get the full-time job. A total overhaul is needed.

15. Auburn (4-6, 1-6)

• Previous ranking: 15
• Last week: OFF
• This week: vs. Mercer

Auburn had the week off and should take care of business against Mercer this coming weekend. The Tigers should feel like they have a good chance of winning the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That could end up deciding whether the Tigers go bowling this postseason or not. Expect Auburn to have plenty of motivation for that matchup, as if a major rivalry game wasn’t enough motivation.

14. South Carolina (3-7, 1-7)

• Previous ranking: 14
• Last week: 31-30 L at No. 3 Texas A&M
• This week: vs. Coastal Carolina

The Gamecocks took an incredible lead in the first half at No. 3 Texas A&M. Then… well, then South Carolina fell apart. Everything that went right in the first half went wrong in the second. How are Gamecock fans feeling about coach Shane Beamer? Social media wasn’t kind during the second half, but we’ll see what happens as South Carolina plays out the final 2 weeks of the regular season.

13. Florida (3-7, 2-5)

• Previous ranking: 13
• Last week: 34-24 L at No. 7 Ole Miss
• This week: vs. Tennessee

This has been the story all too often for Florida over the past few years — the Gators manage to compete against elite teams but can’t finish the job. Of course, that makes it all the more exciting when Florida does pull off an incredible upset, which it has on occasion in recent seasons. But the new head coach, whoever it ends up being, will be tasked with making sure the Gators are an elite team, not just a squad that can compete with the nation’s best.

12. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6)

• Previous ranking: 12
• Last week: 49-27 L at Mizzou
• This week: OFF

The Mississippi State run defense is a problem. Like, a big problem. The Bulldogs just allowed Mizzou RB Ahmad Hardy to run for 300 yards in a lopsided loss in Columbia on Saturday. They get a week off, sure, but who awaits them in the Egg Bowl? Oh, just former Mizzou RB Kewan Lacy, who is now running wild for Ole Miss. This could get ugly.

11. Kentucky (5-5, 2-5)

• Previous ranking: 11
• Last week: 42-10 W over Tennessee Tech
• This week: at Vanderbilt

Kentucky now has a 3-game winning streak. This was a dominant win over an FCS opponent, but not just any FCS opponent. Tennessee Tech entered with a perfect 10-0 record. Kentucky didn’t even sweat in this win. The Wildcats absolutely have not given up on Mark Stoops. Now the Cats just need a win either at Vanderbilt this weekend or at Louisville during Rivalry Week to clinch bowl eligibility. Don’t count Kentucky out!

10. LSU (6-4, 3-4)

• Previous ranking: 10
• Last week: 23-22 W vs. Arkansas
• This week: vs. Western Kentucky

Needing to come from behind to beat Arkansas isn’t anything to write home about. Everyone has done it this year. This wasn’t a good sign for LSU. But the Tigers did at least clinch bowl eligibility (for whatever that’s worth). Sorry if I sound down, but the only thing worth paying attention to regarding LSU is the hunt for a new head coach.

9. Mizzou (7-3, 3-3)

• Previous ranking: 9
• Last week: 49-27 W vs. Mississippi State
• This week: at Oklahoma

As a Mizzou graduate (have I ever mentioned that fact?), it’s frustrating that it took until the Tigers suffered their third loss of the season to start feeding Ahmad Hardy again. Yeah, I think you, dear reader, could’ve rushed for 100+ yards against Mississippi State. But Hardy ran for 3x that amount, becoming only the second Tiger ever to rush for 300+ yards in a game (Devin West being the other). Feed the guy the ball!

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8. Tennessee (7-3, 3-3)

• Previous ranking: 8
• Last week: 42-9 W vs. New Mexico State
• This week: at Florida

It’s not crazy to think that, if a 3-loss team is going to make the Playoff (without winning its conference championship game like 10-3 Clemson did last year), Tennessee could be that team. The Vols lost to Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. If the season ended today, those 3 teams would be in the Playoff. Tennessee hasn’t beaten anyone of note, but that would change if the Vols took down Vanderbilt in Week 14. I’m not sitting here and saying that Tennessee making the Playoff is likely, but if chaos were to happen, the Vols could put themselves in a good position by winning out.

7. Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2)

• Previous ranking: 6
• Last week: OFF
• This week: vs. Kentucky

Everything I just said about Tennessee also applies to Vanderbilt. The Commodores are in an even better position, as a win over rival Tennessee in the final week of the regular season would be impressive. The problem? Vanderbilt absolutely cannot overlook this Kentucky team. The Wildcats have figured some things out and are now much more dangerous than they were in the first half of the season.

6. Texas (7-3, 4-2)

• Previous ranking: 5
• Last week: 35-10 L at No. 5 Georgia
• This week: vs. Arkansas

The Texas Longhorns got spanked by Georgia, which has become a concerning trend under Steve Sarkisian. He just can’t beat Kirby Smart. The Longhorns would have a very slim chance at the Playoff with 3 losses if they manage to beat Texas A&M during Rivalry Week, but that’s obviously easier said than done. At this point, the running game and offensive line don’t give the Longhorns a chance to win big games.

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5. Alabama (8-2, 6-1)

• Previous ranking: 2
• Last week: 23-21 L vs. No. 11 Oklahoma
• This week: vs. Eastern Illinois

You can only flirt with disaster for so long before disaster flirts back. Alabama hasn’t been playing its best football lately, but has been finding ways to win regardless. Even though the Alabama offense dominated the Oklahoma offense in terms of yards, the Sooners forced the Tide into several crushing mistakes. The mistakes finally caught up with Kalen DeBoer and company.

4. Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2)

• Previous ranking: 7
• Last week: 23-21 W at No. 4 Alabama
• This week: vs. Mizzou

Maybe Oklahoma should’ve just lost the first 2 games of the season like Notre Dame did. Seriously, the way the Sooners have played the last 2 outings (at Tennessee and at Alabama) with their backs against the wall has been nothing short of incredible. Now, only a pair of Tigers stand between the Sooners and the Playoff. As much as I’d love my Mizzou squad to pull off the upset in Norman, I just don’t see it happening (especially if R Mason Thomas is back from injury).

3. Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1)

• Previous ranking: 4
• Last week: 34-24 W vs. Florida
• This week: OFF

I know many (myself included) were expecting the Rebels to win this game by even more. But I think this was a statement made by Lane Kiffin and company. This is the exact kind of game Ole Miss has lost in recent years. This weekend, the Rebels won. And won by multiple scores. That matters. This Ole Miss team is different. If I were a betting man (and I am), I’m now of the belief that Kiffin is staying put in Oxford.

2. Georgia (9-1, 7-1)

• Previous ranking: 3
• Last week: 35-10 W vs. No. 10 Texas
• This week: vs. Charlotte

The Georgia Bulldogs are now officially in the clubhouse in the race to the SEC title game. At 7-1, they’re in a good position to punch a ticket to Atlanta. Alabama holds the head-to-head over the Dawgs, but Georgia has the head-to-head advantage over Ole Miss. There are plenty of strength-of-record scenarios that this race could come down to. However, now it’s just about finishing off a push to the Playoff for Kirby Smart and company.

1. Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0)

• Previous ranking: 1
• Last week: 31-30 W vs. South Carolina
• This week: vs. Samford

Wow. Just wow. How can you play as bad as the Aggies did in the first half and still win? Well, by playing as well as Texas A&M played in the second half, of course. We can talk about style points and struggle wins all we want, but the goal is to go 1-0 every week, and Texas A&M accomplished that in Week 12. This team is a win away (at Texas in Week 14) from its first-ever SEC Championship Game.