Every Thursday, we rank the SEC and ACC teams in one power poll. The order of the SEC teams is based on our SDS Power Rankings and does not deviate.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF POTENTIAL
Florida State’s win over fifth-ranked Notre Dame last weekend was a much-needed spotlight game for the unbeaten Seminoles who seem to play up to their competition … Ole Miss dominated Tennessee, but now faces a much tougher challenge at LSU on Saturday night … Alabama appears to have hit its stride following a 59-o thumping of Texas A&M … Same goes for Georgia, a team that’s all but wrapped up the East after back-to-back SEC road victories.
1. Mississippi State
2. Ole Miss
3. Florida State
4. Alabama
5. Auburn
6. Georgia
THREE SEE IMPROVEMENT WHILE A&M FALTERS
For the first time in this season ‘SEC vs. ACC’ rankings, the ACC has three teams in the first nine slots thanks to Duke’s recent surge. The Blue Devils have received no respect in the national rankings despite beating nationally-ranked and then-unbeaten Georgia Tech on the road and holding off Coastal Division foe Virginia … LSU’s back in the polls after its second straight SEC victory, a 41-3 drubbing of Kentucky … Texas A&M’s third straight loss to an SEC Top 10 has soured the look of this year’s team after once rising to No. 6 …
7. LSU
8. Clemson
9. Duke
10. Texas A&M
JEKYLL AND HYDE
What’s gotten into the five teams listed below? Mizzou’s fallen off the map offensively thanks to Maty Mauk’s recent ineptitude, but still sits in a strong position at 2-1 in the SEC … Georgia Tech’s dropped consecutive games since starting the season 5-0 … We know Arkansas is better than its record indicates, but the Razorbacks laid a first-half egg against Georgia last week, an inexcusable effort. Bret Bielema’s in danger of going 0-16 in his first two SEC seasons unless his team can beat Mizzou in the regular-season finale … Kentucky’s story is yet to be written, but a 38-point loss at LSU smelled like the same old Wildcats …
11. Louisville
12. Mizzou
13. Georgia Tech
14. Arkansas
15. Kentucky
THREE-LOSS CONTENDERS
These three represent the log-jam in the ACC as formidable three-loss teams a player or two away from being relevant … The Cavaliers enter a pivotal five-game league stretch on Saturday against North Carolina before traveling to Atlanta and Tallahassee. Virginia must win two of those contests to stay alive in the divisional race …
16. Virginia
17. Boston College
18. Virginia Tech
LACKS CONSISTENCY
The Gamecocks can turn their disappointing season around with a win at Auburn Saturday night, but that’s unlikely considering South Carolina’s lack of strength along the defensive front … Florida’s pulling out all the stops during its bye week in prep for Georgia, Will Muschamp’s last hurrah in Jacksonville. Crippled at the quarterback position, the Gators have benched Jeff Driskel in favor of Treon Harris for some late-season magic …
19. South Carolina
20. Miami
21. Pittsburgh
22. Florida
BOWL ELIGIBILITY IS IMMEDIATE GOAL
The Tar Heels have flourished offensively over their last two games, scoring 91 total points behind a hurry-up spread led by quarterback Marquise Williams … It’s the UNC defense however that has limited this program from being nationally-relevant during Larry Fedora’s tenure … Tennessee will likely need to win its final three games to hit the 6-6 mark, an arduous task considering the Vols’ season-long problems up front … This weekend’s matchup against Alabama is unwinnable and a road trip to South Carolina next week could be a season-defining swing game.
23. North Carolina
24. Tennessee
25. North Carolina State
26. Syracuse
THE SEASON’S OVER
Moving on …
27. Wake Forest
28. Vanderbilt
