It's no surprise that the SEC Power Rankings took a big shift after this past week of upsets. Every team has reached the halfway point of the season, and we have a better idea of the teams that are good, bad, trending, descending, or complete frauds.
Yes, I'm talking about Texas.
And no, the Longhorns aren't frauds because they lost to the Florida Gators. They are frauds because they shouldn't have lost to the Gators or the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry the week prior. Despite all the talent on that roster, the Longhorns are what their record says they are, and that equals being a fraud.
So, let's see how the rankings shake out after an eventful Week 7:
The SEC's big 4 has no change at the top
1. Georgia (6-1, 4-1)
Yeah, the Bulldogs are still the best team in the conference. They had a bad game against a live underdog in Auburn, went minus-3 in the turnover battle, and still only lost on a last-second field goal. Those mistakes aren't typical of Georgia, and I don't expect them to be an issue moving forward. Is Georgia beatable? Yes, every team in the country can lose, but the squad that beats the Bulldogs has to play near-perfect football and get a few breaks. That's how good Georgia is.
2, Kentucky (6-1, 4-1)
Whether the Wildcats are truly better than Ole Miss or Tennessee is debatable, but they've stacked some big road wins and shown an ability to rally. Kentucky feels a little like a team of destiny, but even if it isn't, Wildcat fans finally have something to be excited about until basketball season starts.
3. Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1)
The Rebels have bounced back from a tough loss at Florida with consecutive blowout wins over Vanderbilt and Missouri. I will say that beating a very good Tigers team by four touchdowns and holding their offense to just three points was quite a statement.
4. Tennessee (6-1, 3-1)
Speaking of statements, what about that Vols defense? Jim Knowles might be the assistant coach of the year in the SEC. The quarterback play is still highly unimpressive, but Tennessee can run the ball and play defense. That will go a long way down this stretch run.
One of these teams is going to get hot down the stretch
5. Alabama (5-2, 3-2)?
6. LSU (5-2, 2-2)
7. Missouri (5-2, 2-2)
8. Florida (5-2, 3-2)
9. Texas (4-2, 1-2)
One of these five teams is going to be in the CFP. The popular choices would be Alabama, LSU, or Texas, but all five teams have enough strengths to be a threat and enough weaknesses to be a disappointment. Alabama and Missouri probably have the most upside at quarterback, while Texas and LSU have the best overall rosters.
Where does Florida stand within this group? Hard to say, but the Gators are a team of momentum. It's certainly feasible that they could rise up again and beat Georgia in Atlanta. There are some decisions Jon Sumrall needs to make that he hopes will give Florida the best chance to win, and the starting quarterback is at the top of that list.
The group of five that will fill out the remaining SEC bowl slots
10. South Carolina (3-3, 1-3)
11. Auburn (4-2, 2-2)
12. Texas A&M (4-3, 1-3)
13. Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2)
14. Oklahoma (3-3, 1-2)
All of these teams should reach at least six wins; a couple might get to seven and one might even reach eight. Something about South Carolina intrigues me. The Gamecocks are better than what they've shown, and the way the schedule sets up, they could potentially be favored in four of their final six games. Add an upset in there, and we've got an 8-4 team.
The bottom of the pack switches spots
15. Arkansas (3-4, 1-3)
16. Vanderbilt (3-4, 0-4)
Arkansas beats Vanderbilt in Week 7, and the Razorbacks are rewarded by being the second-worst team in the conference. Any movement is good movement, right?
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