SEC power rankings: A lot of shake up following rivalry week
Several SEC teams pulled off upsets during rivalry weekend while others lost. Needless to say, Week 13 of the 2022 season was intriguing. It was also one of the more eventful weekends of the college football season.
Kentucky and Mississippi State handled business against their rivals, but LSU and Florida were unable to come away with victories on the road.
Meanwhile, South Carolina caught everyone’s attention with an impressive win to earn its eighth win.
Today, we take a look at the SEC power rankings after Week 13 of the 2022 season.
Vanderbilt Commodores (5-7)
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The season seemed to be trending in the right direction for the Commodores after consecutive wins against SEC opponents. However, that trend did not continue. The Commodores fell to Tennessee, 52-0, in the final week of the regular season. With the loss, Clark Lea’s squad fell to 5-7 on the season and failed to make a bowl game. This season was an improvement from seasons in the past, but they still finish the season with a losing record.
Auburn Tigers (5-7)
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Auburn has proven it has no quit. Interim head coach Carnell Williams had his squad fighting all the way to their last game of the season against Alabama. The Tigers stood tall at the beginning of the Iron Bowl but were unable to stop the Tide’s scoring attack. There will be numerous changes on The Plains in the offseason.
Texas A&M Aggies (4-8)
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Texas A&M had lofty expectations after landing last year’s top recruiting class and coming off an eight-win season. Instead, the Aggies lost eight games. However, the game against their rival, LSU, went better than expected. The Aggies put on a scoring clinic en route to a two-touchdown win over the Tigers. This offseason will be interesting in College Station. Several players have already entered the transfer portal, and several more are expected to follow. We will have to wait and see.
Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6)
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This season has been disappointing for Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks. Arkansas dropped its sixth game of the season on the road against Missouri. Despite a valiant effort to come away with a win in Columbia, the Razorbacks didn’t have enough to overcome the Tigers’ offensive success. The Razorbacks fell to 6-6 and did not have the season that many had expected. Their bowl game could go a long way to determining how the roster and coaching staff look heading into next season. Things could get shaky in Fayetteville.
Missouri Tigers (6-6)
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This season has seen its share of ups and downs for the Tigers. Eli Drinkwitz’s squad lost four conference games by a total of 18 points. The other two losses were blowouts against Kansas State and Tennessee. Leading receiver Dominic Lovett announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal several days after a 100-yard game against Arkansas. That will be a huge loss heading into the offseason. However, it is an encouraging sign that the Tigers reached a bowl game for the second year in a row.
Florida Gators (6-6)
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First-year Florida head coach Billy Napier has his squad in a bowl game this season. However, that doesn’t mean a whole lot to the Gators faithful. Their goal is to knock off Tennessee and Georgia each year to reach the conference championship game. The Gators came up just short in those two games. There is hope for the future in Gainesville. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the bowl game.
Kentucky Wildcats (7-5)
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Many expected Kentucky to compete to win the SEC East. However, this team had too many problems up front to deliver on those expectations. Mark Stoops’ squad closed the season on a good note with a top-25 win over rival Louisville. The Wildcats will play a bowl game to close the season though some offseason changes are likely whether on the roster or coaching staff.
Ole Miss Rebels (8-4)
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After being in the hunt to reach the College Football Playoff, the Rebels dropped three games in a row to Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi State. Despite that finish, the administration extended head coach Lane Kiffin’s contract. Ole Miss will likely return a great deal on the offensive side of the ball which should provide hope. It will be intriguing to see what goes down in Oxford in the offseason.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4)
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Mississippi State earned its first eight-win season since 2018, when Joe Moorhead was the Bulldogs’ head coach. The Bulldogs have shown progress on both sides of the ball for the majority of the season. Mike Leach’s squad won the Egg Bowl this season and will close the season on a good note in a bowl game.
LSU Tigers (9-3)
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It was not the ending Tigers’ head coach Brian Kelly or his team envisioned. LSU was already penciled in to face Georgia in the SEC Championship game regardless of the outcome. However, virtually no one expected them to fall to Texas A&M. That is exactly what happened to close the Tigers’ regular season. It was better than expected most would say. Nonetheless, it was a disappointing ending to the regular season for the Tiger faithful.
South Carolina Gamecocks (8-4)
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After an unexpected lopsided loss to Florida on the road in Week 11, many counted South Carolina out. However, the Gamecocks did not count themselves out. The Gamecocks closed the season with wins against top-10 ranked Tennessee and Clemson squads. That is quite the finish for Shane Beamer’s squad. Now, the Gamecocks will carry that mometum into their bowl game. The program in Columbia is trending in the right direction.
Tennessee Volunteers (10-2)
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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has transformed the Volunteers in just two years. He has done a lot for a program that had not seen much success in recent years. Without starting quarterback Hendon Hooker, the Volunteers still closed the season with a 52-0 win over Vanderbilt. Their chances of reaching the College Football Playoff are slim to none. However, they could reach a New Year’s Six bowl. It will be interesting to see where Tennessee lands for its bowl game.
Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)
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The Tide rolled in this year’s Iron Bowl against Auburn. This has been a difficult season for the Alabama football program. The team lost two regular season games for the first time since 2010. That says a lot about what head coach Nick Saban has established during his tenure at Alabama. Yet, this team still closed the season on a good note. Their chances of making the College Football Playoff remain in the air at this time. It would take some more chaos to unfold but anything is possible. We have seen that in recent weeks.
Georgia Bulldogs (12-0)
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Georgia has pretty much cemented its bid for a College Football Playoff berth this year. Kirby Smarts’ squad ran the table in the regular season and has high hopes that success will carry into postseason play. The Bulldogs have played well on both sides of the ball and have shown why they deserve an opportunity to be in the final four heading into the playoff. The Bulldogs remain atop the SEC power rankings after the final week of the regular season.
