SEC Power Rankings: Florida pays for blowout loss while Alabama takes a big step forward

Another week down in the SEC and another edition of power rankings!

There was some movement around the conference and a little more separation between the top teams and the next tier group. The top three teams in the conference already feel like locks for the playoffs while there should two out of the second tier of programs to make the cut as well. 

Here is how the SEC Power Rankings look entering Week 6 of the season:

The top three in the SEC

1. Georgia (5-0, 3-0)

Again, Georgia doesn't do one thing amazing, but they are just very good at everything. The lack of one elite area makes them beatable. However, they don't give many openings for teams to do it. This isn't to say the Bulldogs are perfect. As a matter of fact, there is one team that matches up pretty well against them . . ..

2. Alabama (5-0, 3-0)

The Crimson Tide are elite on offense. They have the best offense in the SEC and probably the best offense in the country. Keelon Russell is a legitimate Heisman contender and looks every bit of the five-star recruit he once was. I believe the winner of the Alabama-Georgia game in Week 6 should be the No. 1 team in the country.

3. Texas (4-0, 1-0)

Things will get tougher for the Longhorns, but probably not in the upcoming Red River Rivalry game with Oklahoma. Texas' offense is lackluster and a little disappointing, but Oklahoma's offense is downright terrible. The Longhorns' defense should absolutely stuff anything that the Sooners try.

The SEC's ever-expanding second tier

4. Ole Miss (4-1, 1-1)
5. LSU (4-1, 1-1)
6. Missouri (4-1, 1-1)

These three programs should be grouped together because they are all in a similar boat — good enough to be playoff teams, but still more to prove. It's weird to think of Missouri as a potential playoff team given that before the Week 5 win over Florida, the Tigers were the team that couldn't win any big game on the schedule. Now we have to wonder how far they can go if Austin Simmons can keep up this high level. 

7. Florida (4-1, 2-1)

The Gators had to drop a little and this felt like the right spot because so many questions — Aaron Philo, the offensive line and the secondary — came to the surface in one game. Maybe it's just one bad game, but they have to prove that it was an outlier.

8. Kentucky (4-1, 2-1)
9. Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1)
10. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1)

I can't justifiably put any of these teams at No. 6 or higher, but all three, along with Florida, could stake claim to being as high as 7th. The only team I''m really not sold on is Tennessee.  Faizon Brandon deserves plenty of grace as a true freshman, but he's not ready for this yet and that will prove itself over the next few weeks. 

These teams should enjoy a bowl game in December

11. Texas A&M (3-2, 1-2)
12. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1)
13. Auburn (3-2, 1-2)
14. Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-2)

A very flawed group, but the Commodores and Aggies feel like there's enough potential to improve as the season goes along. Oklahoma has an elite defense, easily top three in the conference, but the offense does absolutely nothing to help them. Trying to win a bunch of 13–10 games is no way to live in the SEC. Auburn is just mediocre at everything. This Alex Golesh offense isn't translating yet, and I'm sure Byrum Brown is having second thoughts about following his coach to the Plains. 

Hope is quickly fading from the bottom two

15. South Carolina (2-3, 0-3)
16. Arkansas (2-3, 0-2)

It was suggested that Arkansas take a break from football and I don't know if that's a good idea or not. But the devoted fans of that program deserve better and, after five games, I'm already out on Ryan Silverfield. Everyone in Columbia seems to be out on Shane Beamer and, at this point, it feels like a matter of when, not if, the coach is sent out to pasture. 

The Razorbacks and the Gamecocks will hook up on the field in a little over a month (November 14) in a game that would probably be tossed to Jefferson-Pilot Sports if that network still existed.

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