Every Tuesday, we rank the SEC and Big Ten teams in one power poll. The order of the SEC teams is based on the Week 12 SDS SEC Power Poll.
Flash back to the news of Braxton Miller’s season-ending injury in August.
Which would you have thought would represent a higher ranking after the season: a one-loss Buckeyes team in the College Football Playoff poll or freshman QB J.T. Barrett in the Heisman Trophy voting?
Barrett probably would be a Heisman finalist if the voting took place today, while Ohio State is on the outside looking in right now in terms of the playoff, despite leading the Big Ten’s better division.
Comparing the Big Ten and the SEC, the conferences split the top four spots, but the SEC claims seven of the top 10.
BACK ON TOP
It seemed inevitable, didn’t it? Especially when Mississippi State looked more fallible against Kentucky and Arkansas. At any rate, outside of Auburn and Mississippi State fans, isn’t the rest of the SEC now rooting for the Tide, which gives the conference the best opportunity to win the national title?
1. Alabama (9-1)
PLAYOFF CONTENDERS
The Bulldogs and Buckeyes are in the conversation, but must compete with those pesky Big 12 schools with flashy offenses in TCU and Baylor. (In addition to each other, of course.) Each team has at least one good opportunity left — Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl and Ohio State against either Wisconsin or Nebraska in the conference championship. At least one of them will need help, though.
2. Mississippi State (9-1)
3. Ohio State (9-1)
TANTALIZINGLY CLOSE
All of these teams are a few plays from Mississippi State-Ohio State territory. The Spartans (ironically) and Tigers don’t have the defense to contend for a national title. The Rebels don’t have the offense. The Bulldogs? Well, they’re good for a head-scratcher every year, like the Florida game.
4. Michigan State (8-2)
5. Georgia (8-2)
6. Ole Miss (8-2)
7. Auburn (7-3)
DARN GOOD
With the exception of LSU, these teams all are competing for a division title. It’ll take luck to finish the season in the Top 10, but at least a couple of these teams should reach 10 wins.
8. Missouri (8-2)
9. Wisconsin (8-2)
10. LSU (7-4)
11. Nebraska (8-2)
FRINGE TOP 25 TEAMS
The Aggies can finish the regular season at 8-4, which, despite all the ups and downs, is about what most expected before the year. The Golden Gophers are in danger of losing three consecutive games to close the season, while Arkansas is trying to get on a winning streak. Upset Ole Miss and an eight-win season is a real possibility, including a bowl game.
12. Texas A&M (7-4)
13. Minnesota (7-3)
14. Arkansas (5-5)
GOOD ENOUGH FOR A MEDIOCRE BOWL
The Vols are one of the hottest teams in the SEC, but remember, they’ve already lost five games this year and are in danger of losing a sixth to SEC East leader Missouri. Iowa has stunk up the field on a few occasions, while Maryland and Penn State are lucky to already be bowl eligible.
15. Iowa (7-3)
16. Tennessee (5-5)
17. Maryland (6-4)
18. Penn State (6-4)
COACHES UNDER MICROSCOPES
Will Muschamp already got pushed out at Florida. The media, at least, have talked about whether Steve Spurrier will retire. Brady Hoke should lose his job at Michigan — it’s a question of when, not if. And Pat Fitzgerald and Kyle Flood are taking plenty of heat themselves.
19. South Carolina (5-5)
20. Florida (5-4)
21. Northwestern (6-4)
22. Michigan (5-5)
23. Rutgers (4-6)
WASTELAND OF BAD TEAMS
These guys are painful to watch, most of all the Wildcats. And to think they started 5-1. Oh, and Indiana hasn’t won a Big Ten game, yet the Hoosiers beat the SEC East leaders on the road. Yikes.
24. Kentucky (5-6)
25. Purdue (3-7)
26. Illinois (4-6)
27. Indiana (3-7)
ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER
The Commodores are doomed to a winless SEC season, and really will be lonely now that Arkansas has escaped that fate. Long-time No. 1 Mississippi State hosts Vandy as an angry squad looking to burrow into the College Football Playoff. Then an up-and-coming, revenge-minded Tennessee team, perhaps on a three-game win streak, visits Nashville to close the season.
28. Vanderbilt (3-7)
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
