SEC Power Rankings: Alabama on top, but rival Auburn potentially closing gap
When putting together power rankings for the SEC, only one thing is for certain: Alabama is unquestionably the top face on the totem pole.
There have now been three installments of the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide have been one of its participants each and every time. On a yearly basis, coach Nick Saban is a threat to win it all.
Beyond ‘Bama is anyone’s guess at this point. Rarely are the Tide’s challengers in the West able to successfully negotiate the toughest division — the Big Ten East is close but doesn’t have the same depth — in the country. In the East, no team has been able to break though and win the conference since Florida in 2008.
As for the forthcoming 2017 campaign, there’s no reason to pick any program in the West except Alabama. Georgia appears to be the frontrunner in the East, although the preseason favorite tends to crash and burn in the league’s lesser division.
Here are my power rankings for the SEC now that spring practice has come and gone. There’s a lot of East at the bottom and West at the top.
14. Missouri
Year 1 for coach Barry Odom certainly didn’t go as planned, so he can only hope that things have settled down in Columbia for Year 2.
He has a quarterback in Drew Lock, but he needs to prove he can light up SEC competition and not just accumulate numbers against non-Power 5 opponents. Odom’s underachieving defense also lost its best player, pass rusher Charles Harris.
Simply speaking, there is a talent disparity at Mizzou when compared to most of the rest of the conference. The gap is noticeable at this point.
13. Vanderbilt
The Commodores went to their first bowl game for coach Derek Mason in 2016, which is an achievement worth celebrating in Nashville.
Ralph Webb returns for his senior season on the ground, although it’s beyond time for Kyle Shurmur to do more through the air. While Mason is a wizard schematically, not having Zach Cunningham in the middle of his defense is a huge loss.
If Mason’s D isn’t as staunch as a result of Cunningham’s defection, then any improvement Shurmur makes could be negligible.
12. Kentucky
Similar to the Commodores, the Wildcats went bowling a year ago for coach Mark Stoops. That was a first for him in Lexington.
Another team too out of balance offensively, Stanley “Boom” Williams is no longer in town to complement the running of Benny Snell. Assuming Stephen Johnson is under center again, the passing game could struggle to do its fair share.
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Despite Stoops having a reputation as a guru on defense, UK hasn’t finished better than 11th in the conference in points allowed on his watch.
11. Tennessee
Perhaps no club has to replace more high-quality contributors than the Vols, including prized field general Joshua Dobbs.
The backfield no longer has Jalen Hurd or Alvin Kamara. The receiving corps no longer has Josh Malone or Jason Croom. The defense no longer has Derek Barnett, Corey Vereen, Jalen Reeves-Maybin or Cameron Sutton. That’s a ton of star power.
If coach Butch Jones has indeed improved the depth of his roster, then he should be fine. But if he hasn’t, there could be carnage on Rocky Top.
10. South Carolina
Everything changed for the Gamecocks last season when QB Jake Bentley took over, while Perry Orth and Brandon McIlwain were relegated to the bench.
Bentley looks to have some weapons, too. Rico Dowdle and Ty’Son Williams can run the rock. Deebo Samuel and Hayden Hurst can catch it. On the other side of the ball, the return of Skai Moore from injury is very encouraging.
Samuel and Moore allegedly ran into some off-the-field trouble over the weekend, though. Coach Will Muschamp can’t afford to lose those two.
9. Texas A&M
Along the lines of what Tennessee is dealing with, the Aggies have been forced to replace most of their recognizable faces from a year ago.
Not only Myles Garrett, who was the No. 1 selection in the NFL Draft, but fellow pass rusher Daeshon Hall is gone, too. Also, the revolving door at quarterback keeps spinning for coach Kevin Sumlin. Nobody distinguished himself in the spring game.
Luckily, whomever throws passes for A&M in 2017 will be able to target Christian Kirk, who remains one of the SEC’s most potent weapons.
8. Ole Miss
Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the league last year, at least the Rebels don’t have to worry about the game’s most important position.
After getting a cup of coffee as a freshman, Shea Patterson is primed to explode statistically as a sophomore. A receiving corps littered with potential mismatches makes his transition to Week 1 starter that much easier.
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Still, Mississippi was a mess on D this past season. Coach Hugh Freeze’s latest recruiting class left a lot to be desired, as well.
7. Mississippi State
Don’t worry too much about Nick Fitzgerald’s 4 interceptions in the spring game. Once his legs are back in action, the Bulldogs will move the ball.
However, just how much support he has remains to be seen. Coach Dan Mullen has failed to field much of an offensive line lately, which has taken away from his non-quarterback ground assault. Even if Fitzgerald is a beast, he can’t do it alone.
Mullen’s defense also left a lot to be desired in 2016, but Cameron Dantzler and a handful of JUCO transfers provide immediate reinforcements.
6. Arkansas
Perhaps the premier pure passer in the conference, Austin Allen was fabulous most of last year and should be even better this season.
Assuming Rawleigh Williams III is healthy, he and Devwah Whaley provide a capable one-two punch on the ground behind Allen. The Razorbacks have to do something about their pass protection, though. Allen can’t take that much punishment again.
Bret Bielema was a respectable first-half coach in 2016. However, those second-half collapses we witnessed down the stretch were concerning.
5. LSU
Assembling 4- and 5-star studs has never been the issue in Baton Rouge, but getting the most out of said studs has become an annual bugaboo.
Even with eight players taken on draft weekend, including the amazing Leonard Fournette, the Tigers are again stacked in 2017. Crazy as it sounds, Derrius Guice may be just as gifted as Fournette and possibly more productive.
It’s Ed Orgeron’s squad now. He brought in Matt Canada to transform the offense, and Dave Aranda returns on defense. No more Les Miles excuses.
4. Florida
Rarely has a back-to-back division winner been given less respect. Of course, two blowout losses in the SEC Championship Game didn’t help.
Until the Gators figure it out at QB, coach Jim McElwain’s team will be hopelessly lopsided. His D was again pilfered by the draft, so he doesn’t have many Muschamp recruits left on that side of the football.
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While the skill positions appear to be deeper offensively, UF’s 2017 likely depends on how well Feleipe Franks pulls the trigger.
3. Georgia
This season’s Bulldogs are last season’s Volunteers. All the stars are aligned for UGA to come out on top in the East.
The majority of the two-deep is back for another bite at the apple. Naturally, the Dawgs are relying heavily on the development of Jacob Eason at quarterback. With some more reliable receivers and improved blocking up front, he can blossom as a passer.
Athens anxiously awaits the return of Trenton Thompson. Coach Kirby Smart’s defense needs the big fella controlling the line of scrimmage.
2. Auburn
If the spring game is any indication, then the Tigers have made a serious upgrade with Jarrett Stidham now directing the passing attack.
Coach Gus Malzahn has been forced to make chicken salad with Jeremy Johnson, Sean White and John Franklin III lately, but Stidham is a legitimate arm in the pocket. The tailback tandem of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson is nasty, too.
Coordinator Kevin Steele got more out of the defense in 2016 than Muschamp did the year prior. That trend hopes to continue on The Plains.
1. Alabama
From offense to defense to special teams, pointing out a flaw on Saban’s squad is little more than nitpicking at this juncture.
Jalen Hurts is the SEC’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, the backfield is loaded and the receiving corps has playmakers. Defensively, no matter who moves on to the NFL every April, another blue-chipper is ready to take his place.
Sure, the kicking game is a question mark and injuries are always worrisome, but ‘Bama has totally separated itself from the other 13 programs.
