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 11 SDS SEC Power Poll.
Everything seemed set up perfectly. Michigan State, the defending Rose Bowl champions, have a future NFL draft pick, perhaps even a first-rounder, at quarterback, one of the nation’s better running backs in Jeremy Langford and a still-talented defense. The biggest threat in the Big Ten, Ohio State, lost its senior quarterback before the season and had to come to East Lansing, Mich., in November.
Then J.T. Barrett introduced himself to most of the rest of the country Saturday, racking the famed Spartans defense for 49 points.
Ohio State and Nebraska each have one loss and now could meet in the Big Ten championship game, but barring major chaos elsewhere, neither of them will have a strong enough resume to penetrate one-loss champions from the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.
The Big Ten does claim three of the top six in our combined power rankings this week. It’s the bottom half of the top six, but that’s more than anyone would’ve expected early in the year. The SEC gets the next three spots and represents six of the top nine.
ONE IS NOT SO LONELY
The Bulldogs are one win away from an SEC West title and a likely College Football Playoff spot. It just so happens that win must come in Tuscaloosa against the AP No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide. If Mississippi State can get it done, it surely will make the playoff either by beating Ole Miss and losing in the SEC championship or losing to Ole Miss and winning the SEC championship.
1. Mississippi State (9-0)
THE HUNTERS
The Crimson Tide technically is a betting favorite Saturday, but Nick Saban’s team is hosting the nation’s No. 1 program at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama’s road to a playoff is tough — beat Mississippi State and the Tide still must welcome Auburn to Tuscaloosa in two weeks and then beat Georgia or Missouri. But many are starting to feel like this team is the SEC’s best chance at a national title this year.
2. Alabama (8-1)
CLOSE ONLY COUNTS IN HORSESHOES AND HAND GRENADES
Game over. Thanks for playing. Come again! That’s the brutal truth for these teams, in agonizing fashion for Auburn and in a “hey, that’s not fair” kind of way for three Big Ten teams with just one conference loss.
3. Auburn (7-2)
4. Ohio State (8-1)
5. Michigan State (7-2)
6. Nebraska (8-1)
LET ONE SLIP
The Tigers probably should’ve beaten Alabama in regulation Saturday. Instead, Nick Saban improved to 6-3 against Les Miles. The Rebels lost agonizing last-minute games against LSU and Auburn. The Bulld0gs — well, Florida caught them napping after a bye week. All three of these teams will be tossing and turning all offseason thinking about at least one Saturday that slipped away.
7. LSU (7-3)
8. Ole Miss (8-2)
9. Georgia (7-2)
FRINGE TOP 25 TEAMS
We don’t love the Golden Gophers as much as Danny Kanell, but he has a point. If not for a bizarre loss to Illinois, this is an 8-1 team right now. The schedule toughens from here and includes Wisconsin, which could suffer its third loss this weekend against Nebraska. Texas A&M and Missouri play Saturday, and the winner will climb back into the Top 25.
10. Minnesota (7-2)
11. Wisconsin (7-2)
12. Texas A&M (7-3)
13. Missouri (7-2)
WILL GO BOWLING, AT LEAST
Congratulations, Iowa! Your coach, Kirk Ferentz, is bilking you out of millions of dollars thanks to a contract you can’t get out from under, but at least you’re playing in a bowl game! You should even get to seven wins. Florida and Maryland, you’ll be busy during the holidays as well, even though you’ll both have at least four losses in the regular season.
14. Florida (5-3)
15. Maryland (6-3)
16. Iowa (6-3)
THE DEFINITION OF MEDIOCRE
Butch Jones saved the dignity of Vols fans by securing a conference win. Now if UT can beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt, it’ll go bowling, and the future looks good. Still, 6-6 at best isn’t terribly inspiring with such a wealth of young talent. All of these teams are good enough to compete, but mostly lose in the end.
17. Tennessee (4-5)
18. Arkansas (4-5)
19. Penn State (5-4)
20. Michigan (5-5)
21. Rutgers (5-4)
NO MAN’S LAND
These teams are not truly awful, but they can hardly be classified as mediocre. (For example, the Wildcats have four consecutive double-digit losses.) Northwestern can’t score and South Carolina can’t stop anyone from scoring.
22. Kentucky (5-5)
23. Northwestern (3-6)
24. South Carolina (4-5)
BIG TEN WASTELAND
Ugh. These three teams are a combined 2-14 in Big Ten play. You know, the worst power conference in college football? Translation, they’re miserable to watch. (Sorry, Tevin Coleman.)
25. Purdue (3-7)
26. Illinois (4-5)
27. Indiana (3-6)
ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER
The noble ‘Dores are trying to climb from “historically bad” to “worst in the SEC.” Perhaps they can even compete with Tennessee at home to close the season in a few weeks? That would give the team four wins, a steep dropoff from consecutive nine-win seasons, but not the worst Vandy has ever experienced.
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.
