Well folks, we’ve made it through the penultimate week of the SEC regular season.
Only Rivalry Week separates us from the postseason, but you’d better believe us here at Saturday Down South are going to squeeze every last ounce of enjoyment out of Week 14. There are still impactful games aplenty, as neither spot in the SEC Championship Game has been decided yet.
This past weekend, the teams that needed to take care of business did so. The teams that didn’t… well, they didn’t. There wasn’t a ton of shifting around in this week’s power rankings as a result.
But we need to give an update anyway, so let’s dive right in, shall we?
16. Arkansas (2-9 overall, 0-7 in SEC)
- Previous ranking: 16
- Last week: 52-37 L at No. 17 Texas
- This week: vs. Mizzou
Bobby Petrino is going to make a heck of an offensive coordinator for some Power 4 program next year. He just isn’t going to land the Arkansas job full time. Scoring 37 points in an SEC game should ensure a competitive result. It didn’t this week for the Hogs in Austin, as they got blown out by Arch Manning and company. This defense needs a complete overhaul.
15. Auburn (5-6, 1-6)
- Previous ranking: 15
- Last week: 62-17 W vs. Mercer
- This week: vs. Alabama
Mercer wasn’t a pushover as an FCS squad, entering the game with a 9-1 record. However, as expected, it was no match for the Auburn Tigers. Deuce Knight was incredible in his debut, throwing for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding a ridiculous 162 yards and 4 scores as a runner. The Tigers are not going to be an easy out against Alabama in the Iron Bowl this weekend.
14. South Carolina (4-7, 1-7)
- Previous ranking: 14
- Last week: 51-7 W vs. Coastal Carolina
- This week: vs. Clemson
This year’s Palmetto Bowl was supposed to be a matchup of 2 Playoff contenders. Instead, it’s a battle between a 4-7 South Carolina side and a 6-5 Clemson squad. Oof. At the very least, it should be a fun Rivalry Week battle between teams desperate not to underperform their rivals.
13. Florida (3-8, 2-6)
- Previous ranking: 13
- Last week: 31-11 L vs. No. 20 Tennessee
- This week: vs. Florida State
Like my colleague Connor O’Gara mentioned on Sunday, whoever takes the Florida job has a total rebuild waiting for him. The Gators are a mess. DJ Lagway might be broken. The defense was a sieve in the first half. The Gators can throw all the money they want to at this roster, but without a smart architect, nothing will change.
12. Kentucky (5-6, 2-6)
- Previous ranking: 11
- Last week: 45-17 L at No. 14 Vanderbilt
- This week: at Louisville
The strong 3-game winning streak from Kentucky came to a screeching halt on Saturday in Nashville. This was the Wildcats squad we saw too much of earlier in the year. But with bowl eligibility on the table and a rivalry game at Louisville, don’t be surprised if Mark Stoops and company have a little bit more magic left in the tank on Saturday afternoon.
11. Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6)
- Previous ranking: 12
- Last week: OFF
- This week: vs. Ole Miss
Can Mississippi State take advantage of the drama surrounding Lane Kiffin to pull off a home upset in the Egg Bowl? Crazier things happen all the time in college football. Mississippi State needs a win to qualify for a bowl game, too, so expect an intense atmosphere in Starkville. It’s just a shame this game isn’t on Thanksgiving night like it used to be.
10. LSU (7-4, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: 10
- Last week: 13-10 W vs. Western Kentucky
- This week: at Oklahoma
Two things can be true at the same time. One, it’s insane that LSU’s defense held one of the nation’s top offenses to only 10 points on Saturday night in Death Valley. Two, it’s insane that the LSU offense only managed 13 points against one of the worst defenses in the FBS ranks. Much like Florida above, whoever takes the LSU job has a lot of work to do.
9. Mizzou (7-4, 3-4)
- Previous ranking: 9
- Last week: 17-6 L at No. 8 Oklahoma
- This week: at Arkansas
This Mizzou team is the definition of mediocre. Without a healthy QB1, there was no way this offense was going to score enough against an elite Oklahoma defense. The only intrigue left in this season is whether or not Eli Drinkwitz will leave for another job. I hope he doesn’t leave my alma mater. I think he’s built a solid foundation with this program and I’m happy with the floor. I also have seen the ceiling and, if the Playoff had been 12 teams in 2023, the Tigers would’ve been in it. Keep building, Drink. Mizzou nation has your back.
8. Tennessee (8-3, 4-3)
- Previous ranking: 8
- Last week: 31-11 W at Florida
- This week: vs. Vanderbilt
This matchup between Tennessee and Vanderbilt is one of the most intriguing of the entire Rivalry Week slate. It’ll depend on the College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, but Tennessee has a chance to be the highest-rated 3-loss team. At some point, a 3-loss team will get into the Playoff. It might even be this year. Keep taking care of business and hoping for the best. That’s easier said than done against the Commodores, though. Speaking of Vanderbilt…
7. Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: 7
- Last week: 45-17 W vs. Kentucky
- This week: at Tennessee
What should Vanderbilt fans be rooting for this Saturday? Well, first, how about a rivalry win over Tennessee? That’s a given. From there, the Commodores need Utah to lose at Kansas. They should also root for BYU to lose at home to UCF. Could I interest anyone in Nashville with an Auburn win over Alabama in the Iron Bowl? And maybe, to top it all off, the fighting Andrew Lucks out at Stanford could upset Notre Dame. If any 2 of those things happen, Vanderbilt could be Playoff bound. Again, we’ll see what the CFP rankings look like on Tuesday.
6. Texas (8-3, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: 6
- Last week: 52-37 W vs. Arkansas
- This week: vs. Texas A&M
Scoring 52 points? Good. Allowing 37 points against a rough Arkansas team? Bad. Texas hasn’t played a complete game with the exception of the rivalry win over Oklahoma. What should we make of that? Is another great rivalry performance coming against the Aggies? We’ll find out this weekend. Like I mentioned with Tennessee, being the top-ranked 3-loss team isn’t the worst spot to be in.
5. Alabama (9-2, 6-1)
- Previous ranking: 5
- Last week: 56-0 W vs. Eastern Illinois
- This week: at Auburn
Eight rushing touchdowns. Eight! That’s impressive, even if it did come against an FCS foe. I thought Alabama did a good job of gaining confidence where it needed to gain confidence. Kalen DeBoer got his team ready for the Iron Bowl. Now it’s up to the Tide to take care of business and get to Atlanta (and then the Playoff).
4. Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2)
- Previous ranking: 4
- Last week: 17-6 W vs. No. 22 Mizzou
- This week: vs. LSU
Does Oklahoma have a Playoff-caliber offense? Absolutely not. I’d be worried if I were a Sooners fan. But will this problem manifest itself against LSU? Also absolutely not. The Tigers are a mess. Oklahoma should be able to improve to 10-2 this weekend and then try to figure out its offensive woes in the Playoff. That’s not the worst problem to have.
3. Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1)
- Previous ranking: 3
- Last week: OFF
- This week: at Mississippi State
No Lane Kiffin decision came during the off week. The longer this thing goes on, the more I’m finding it hard to defend Kiffin. I have been a huge Lane guy for years now, but you can’t keep your current school in limbo this long. You can keep LSU and Florida in limbo as long as you want. I have no problem with that. Just let Ole Miss know what you’re doing. Then, ya know, maybe focus on your upcoming Playoff berth rather than sending out cryptic social media posts.
2. Georgia (10-1, 7-1)
- Previous ranking: 2
- Last week: 35-3 W vs. Charlotte
- This week: at Georgia Tech
Did Georgia look a little lethargic in this win? Sure. Does Georgia always fail to cover massive spreads against inferior opponents? Under Kirby Smart, almost always yes. I don’t think that’s a problem at all. Why beat a team by 60 when you could win by 32 and get backups some valuable reps? I like the way Georgia plays these lesser foes. Get the job done, stay healthy and don’t embarrass your opponent. A gentleman’s win for Smart and the Dawgs.
1. Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0)
- Previous ranking: 1
- Last week: 48-0 W vs. Samford
- This week: at Texas
Texas A&M could have picked its final score vs. Samford. Yes, a Samford squad that entered Saturday’s game with a 1-10 record in the FCS ranks. Yikes. But the Aggies did what they needed to do in the first half and then showed mercy in the second half. A win over rival Texas in Austin is all that separates the Aggies from a perfect regular season and a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
