I listened to most of last weekend’s Alabama/Texas A&M game on the radio while driving across Alabama, and it was a great reminder that there are really no sports broadcasts more biased than college sports broadcasts, where the announcers know the listeners most likely went to the school, and usually the color commentator played at the school. Despite whatever is actually happening, they do their best to make the games seem like a positive experience for those tuned in. As a result, the lightly-veiled shade thrown around is terrific. For instance, the Alabama broadcasters didn’t want to come right out and say that Jalen Milroe was inaccurate, so there was a lot of “oh, and a terrific grab” or “and that pass was just a bit outside.”
Anyway, let’s get to the rankings…
1. Georgia (last week: 1)
Kirby Smart is known for his halftime speeches, but last week’s must have been a doozy. After a mostly lackluster start to the season, something seemed to flip for Georgia at halftime of the Auburn game two weeks back. Because since then, including the win over Kentucky last week, UGA QB Carson Beck has gone a combined 44-for-55 for 627 yards and 6 TDs, and UGA has outscored their opponents by a combined 68-23. This week poor Vanderbilt is on the schedule.
2. Alabama (last week: 4)
OK, Bama, we’ll move y’all back to the two spot. I was hoping for a bit more in the win over Texas A&M last week, but holding the Aggies to just 3 points in the second half was promising. With Tennessee ahead in two weeks, does this weekend’s game against Arkansas count as a possible trap game?
3. Ole Miss (last week: 5)
What is with all these underwhelming wins around the SEC the last few weeks? Yeah, the Rebs beat Arkansas, but they got outscored in the second half and hung on to win by 7. At least they won? They get a bye this weekend to celebrate being 5-1 halfway through the season.
4. LSU (last week: 8)
The Tigers are 4-2 overall but 3-1 in the SEC and sitting in second in the West, with only one ranked opponent left this season (Alabama in two weeks). As impressive as Jayden Daniels is offensively, LSU’s defense is almost equally depressive. It’s all going to ride on that Bama game for the Tigers.
5. Missouri (last week: 2)
I tried to believe in the Tigers, hoping they’d be able to figure out a way to top LSU last week. Despite hanging with LSU for most of the game, Mizzou finally faltered down the stretch. Luther Burden (11 receptions for 149 yards) remains my favorite receiver in the country. This week Mizzou has a tough one against what will either be an angry or a checked out Kentucky team.
6. Texas A&M (last week: 7)
Yes, we’re moving the Aggies up a spot after a loss, but they played really well against Alabama, and I think Max Johnson is just as good as injured QB Conner Weigman. Really interested to see how they perform this week at…
7. Kentucky (last week: 3)
Kentucky really couldn’t have been less impressive than they were against UGA, getting blown out, 51-13. You know it’s a bad loss when your coach accuses the team that beat you of paying their players more than you pay your own players. The good news is Kentucky is 5-1. But now they have Missouri and Tennessee coming up. Can Mark Stoops ever get one of his teams over this hump of mediocrity?
8. Tennessee (last week: 6)
This has been such a weird season for the Vols, as we wait for them to recapture that magic from last season, and as they tease us and continue to flirt with being one of the better teams in the SEC, and then they disappoint again. It’s like the Joe Milton experience has spread throughout the whole program. If the Vols can knock off TAMU this week, I’ll believe in them…maybe.
9. Arkansas (last week: 10)
I know the Razorbacks have lost four in a row, but I think they’re better than their 2-4 record shows. Two of their last three losses were against ranked teams, and they lost them by a combined 10 points. Alabama looms this weekend, but after that they have four winnable games ahead. 6-6 might be attainable? KJ Jefferson deserves better.
10. Florida (last week: 11)
10. South Carolina (last week: 11)
Let’s keep these two handcuffed, moving them up a slot thanks to Florida’s big win over Vandy (eyeroll). They play each other this weekend in the Underwhelming Bowl, so we’ll see which of these two can find enough inspiration to possibly put something good together for sixty minutes.
12. Auburn (last week: 9)
LSU and Ole Miss are ahead. Fun fact: Auburn is dead last in the SEC in passing yards per game at 156.2, which is nearly 200 yards per game less than first place UGA. It’s also over 50 yards per game less than the next closest school, Kentucky.
13. Mississippi State (last week: 13)
At least they beat Western Michigan last weekend?
14. Vanderbilt (last week: 14)
SMH.