The regular season in the SEC has come to a close. It did not end without some major shakeups in the Power Rankings. Georgia and Alabama will now face off in the SEC title game, but first, the final regular-season rankings need to come out. Between upsets and coaching moves, teams have moved around in this latest version of the SEC Football Power Rankings.
1. Georgia (+1)
The Bulldogs jump into the top spot for the first time this season. Georgia is coming off a big win in rivalry weekend as they faced Georgia Tech. After picking off a pass from Gunner Stockton in the first quarter, Georgia Tech turned that into a field goal. Still, Georgia took the 13-3 lead heading into the halftime break. The Bulldogs dominated the second half and would go on to win the game 16-9. They will now play for the SEC Championship on Saturday against Alabama.
The Bulldogs are likely heading to the College Football Playoff regardless of the result, but a win could secure them a first-round bye.
2. Texas A&M (-1)
Texas A&M drops just one spot after its first loss of the season. It was a scoreless first quarter with Texas until the Longhorns took a 3-0 lead in the second. Still, Texas A&M would hold a 10-3 halftime lead. In the second half, Texas scored a field goal and two touchdowns on its first three possessions to build a lead. Texas A&M would answer with a fourth-quarter touchdown to make it a three-point game, but Arch Manning would break a long run to shut the door on the comeback, as Texas A&M fell 27-17.
Texas A&M not only lost the game but also a chance at the SEC title. Regardless, it will likely still be a playoff berth for the team.
3. Ole Miss (-)
On the field, Ole Miss did everything it needed to jump into the number two spot in the SEC Power Rankings. Ole Miss is now 11-1 on the season after dominating Mississippi State on the road in the Egg Bowl. Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns in the game while passing for 359 yards. Meanwhile, Kewan Lacy added 143 yards and a score. The team's only loss of the season was to Georgia on the road by eight points.
The Rebels will not play for an SEC title, and now questions are arising on how the CFP committee will assess them as Lane Kiffin is off to LSU. It is not just Kiffin leaving, though, as nine other members of the staff have left the program to join the former Ole Miss head coach in Baton Rouge.
4. Oklahoma (-)
Oklahoma had a close call with LSU in Week 14. In the first half, Oklahoma had four punts, a turnover on downs, an interception, and a field goal, but the defense kept the game tight, with the two teams tied at three at the end of the half. John Mateer threw an interception to start the second half, leading to an LSU touchdown. He would throw another on the next drive as well. Still, the Sooners' defense kept them in the game. The offense finally scored late in the third, and then again late in the fourth to take the 17-13 victory.
This likely will lock up a playoff spot for the team, as they are off in conference championship weekend.
5. Alabama (-)
Alabama is now 10-2 on the season. After a loss in Week 1 to Florida State, the Crimson Tide rolled off eight straight wins, including wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee, all in a row. They would fall to Oklahoma by two before defeating Eastern Illinois and Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Alabama led 17-0 in the game before Auburn made a comeback. Auburn tied the game in the fourth quarter on a Jeremiah Cobb touchdown run. Still, Alabama would march down the field and score to take the 27-20 victory.
The team can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win in the SEC title game, as Alabama looks for a second win of the year over Georgia.
6. Vanderbilt (-)
Vanderbilt has now moved to 10-2 on the season. It was not the most dominating performance from Diego Pavia against Tennessee. He threw two first-half interceptions, but still, the two teams were tied at 21 at the end of the half. Vanderbilt turned on the jets in the second half. On the first four drives of the second half, Vanderbilt scored three touchdowns and a field goal, on the way to a 45-24 victory over the Vols.
Vanderbilt may be outside the playoff pictures with losses to Alabama and Texas on the road this year, but wins over South Carolina, LSU, and Tennessee should boost the resume.
7. Texas (-)
Texas had one of the most impressive wins of the week, defeating Texas A&M in rivalry week. The Longhorns forced interceptions on each of the last two drives by the Aggies on the way to a 27-17 victory. Steve Sarkisian thinks the team should make it to the College Football Playoff. Still, three losses make it a long shot for the Longhorns to take a spot. They lost in Week 1 to Ohio State, before a bad loss to Florida on the road later in the season, and another loss to Georgia on the road.
8. Missouri (+1)
Missouri jumps up a spot with a win in the final week of the season. It moved the Tigers to 8-4 on the season with losses to Alabama, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. Missouri faced Arkansas in Week 14, and it was a tight first half with Arkansas leading 17-14. Still, Missouri would rebound. They took the lead in the third quarter, and the defense held Arkansas without a point in the second half, on the way to a 31-17 victory.
9. Tennessee (-1)
Tennessee drops a spot after the loss to Vanderbilt in the last game of the season. They have a nearly identical record to that of Missouri. Both teams are 8-4, as Tennessee has lost to Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, and now, Vanderbilt. An argument could be made for both teams to be in the eight spot, as Tennessee has a loss to Georgia compared to the Texas A&M loss. Still, the second half of the game with Vanderbilt will leave a sour taste in the mouths of Volunteer fans. They were tied at 21 at halftime, but Vanderbilt scored on all four full drives, while Tennessee managed just three points in the second half, and fell 45-24.
10. Florida (+2)
Florida ended the season by ruining a rival's chance of making a bowl game. Florida hosted Florida State to end the year, and scored on each of their first three possessions to build a 17-14 lead heading into the half. They would then control the second half, going on to win the game 40-21. Florida will not be heading to a bowl with their 4-8 record, but it has hope for the future after hiring Jon Sumrall to be the new head coach.
11. South Carolina (-1)
South Carolina finishes the season at 4-8 and had just one win in SEC play. After a 2-0 start, South Carolina dropped two in a row before defeating Kentucky. They would then lose six of the last seven games, with the only win being a 51-7 demolition of Coastal Carolina. They faced rival Clemson this week. Clemson held a three-point lead heading into the halftime break. Still, the Gamecocks would turn over the ball three times in the second half, including an interception returned for a touchdown in the 28-14 loss.
12. Auburn (+1)
Auburn comes out of the season with just five wins, and also just one in SEC play, a win over Arkansas. They had a chance to win late against Alabama, after giving up a fourth-quarter touchdown, but a fumble with just 33 seconds left gave the Crimson Tide back the ball. The Tigers got the ball back with 12 seconds left, but could not perform a miracle, as they fell 27-20. With the loss, the team will not be bowling, but will be looking towards a new future with Alex Golesh as the new Auburn head coach.
13. LSU (+2)
LSU will be heading to a bowl game, but after starting the season as the top team in the SEC Power Rankings, it has had a major fall. LSU managed three conference wins, over South Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida, but a 2-4 finish to the season kept them free-falling in the Power Rankings. The team fell to Oklahoma 17-13 to end the year, but will have a new face leading the program. LSU had hired Lane Kiffin to lead the team next season.
14. Mississippi State (-)
Mississippi State started the season 4-0 before dropping four straight games. Still, three of the games were tight, including overtime losses to Tennessee and Texas. After beating Arkansas, the Bulldogs fell apart. This last game was a 38-19 loss to Ole Miss to fall to 5-7 on the season.
15. Kentucky (-4)
Kentucky also finished 5-7, but was also dominated in the last two games of the season. After a 45-17 loss to Vanderbilt on the road, Kentucky managed not to score a single point against Louisville. The Wildcats fell 41-0 to the Cardinals. This led to the firing of Mark Stoops and the hiring of Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.
16. Arkansas (-)
Arkansas dropped to 2-10 on the season with another loss and finished the season without a win in SEC play. Arkansas lost ten straight to end the season and fell 31-17 in the last game of the year. It was the first time since 2-19 that Arkansas went without a win in conference play. Like many programs in the conference, they will also have a new head coach next season, as Arkansas has hired Ryan Silverfield from Memphis to lead the team next year.
