'Uncle Mo' poll after Week 13 has Alabama on top and Vols climbing
The final regular-season weekend of SEC football has come and gone. Three teams (Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss) have bowl destinations that depend on the conference championship game. The seven other bowl-eligible teams in the conference will be looking for one last boost of momentum before recruiting season heats up.
Uncle Mo watched the games, checked out the polls before and after and read all the beat-writer breakdowns to figure out which SEC teams have the most momentum going for them right now.
Let’s see where everyone stands at the end of the season:
- Alabama: The Crimson Tide locked up the SEC West with a 29-13 Iron Bowl victory over rival Auburn. Alabama needs one more win over a struggling Florida team to claim an SEC championship and secure a spot in the final four.
- Ole Miss: The Rebels certainly hoped to be playing for an SEC title and more this season, but a 9-3 finish and an Egg Bowl victory is plenty to celebrate. Coach Hugh Freeze’s squad is in position to play in the Sugar Bowl, barring a Florida upset over Alabama.
- Tennessee: A 53-28 win over Vanderbilt increased the Volunteers’ winning streak to five games. At 8-4, UT has achieved its best finish under Coach Butch Jones. Tennessee can make a statement about contending for the SEC East next season with a bowl victory.
- Florida: The Gators are out of the playoff picture following a 27-2 loss to Florida State. Florida still has plenty to play for with a conference title and Sugar Bowl berth on the line in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. For any hopes of pulling off the upset, UF’s offense needs to find some momentum.
- LSU: The Tigers finished 8-3 with a 19-7 win over Texas A&M and Coach Les Miles kept his job at the 11th hour. LSU looks to have a top recruiting coming in, now it’s up to Miles to make the coaching staff changes that will get the offense going again.
- Arkansas: A 2-4 start eliminated any chance of a successful season for Arkansas, but a 5-1 finish down the stretch is a strong sign of progress. The big question will be if the Razorbacks can get it together in September next year, instead of waiting for the second half of the season.
- Georgia: Potential back-to-back 10-win seasons seems like a pretty solid accomplishment, but nonetheless, a 13-7 victory over Georgia Tech could not save Coach Mark Richt’s job. Richt will stay on to coach the Bulldogs in a bowl game, and could finish at 10-3. The new coach will be under immediate pressure to keep QB Jacob Eason committed to Georgia.
- Texas A&M: At 8-4, the Aggies are a middle-of-the-pack SEC West team. If Texas A&M doesn’t get over the hump and contend for an SEC title next season, some will question if Kevin Sumlin’s salary of $5 million would be better spent on a different head coach.
- Auburn: There’s no such thing as a quality loss, especially against a hated rival, but the fact that the Tigers hung with Alabama well into the fourth quarter is a sign of progress in what has been a disappointing season (6-6) on the Plains.
- Mississippi State: Six straight bowl games is nothing to sneeze at for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (8-4), however, have to be disappointed looking at a mid-level bowl game one year after an Orange Bowl berth. MSU’s momentum heading into 2016 depends heavily on if Dan Mullen will stick around or accept another coaching job.
- South Carolina: The Gamecocks put it all on the line, and gave No. 1 Clemson a four-quarter game. South Carolina finished 3-9, and any 2016 projections will be based on which coach is hired to take over.
- Vanderbilt: After playing well defensively almost all year long, the Commodores defense fell apart against Tennessee in a 53-28 loss.
- Missouri: The Tigers dropped Coach Gary Pinkel’s finale, losing 28-3 to Arkansas. Even at 5-7, MU received a bowl invite, but declined. Mizzou will look to bounce back under a new regime.
- Kentucky: UK entered its season finale against Louisville with a 5-6 record. The Wildcats took a 24-7 lead on the Cardinals into halftime, but gave up 31-unanswered points in the second half. The crushing defeat to in-state rival UL will likely cost Kentucky a bowl bid.