SEC power rankings: Two teams clinch spot in conference championship
It has been an interesting season in the Southeastern Conference this year. Programs like Texas A&M and Arkansas were projected to be in the hunt to win the SEC West. However, one program, Texas A&M, will not reach a bowl game while the other, Arkansas, has to win the next two games to make one.
Other programs across the conference that have not lived up to expectations are Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama. Both came into the season with hopes and aspirations of reaching the conference championship. However, that will not be the case.
Tennessee and LSU have surprised many this season with both teams finding themselves in playoff contention.
Meanwhile, other programs like Missouri, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Florida have been unable to sustain success.
Georgia is the only unbeaten team remaining in the conference. The Bulldogs have run the table this season.
Roll Tide Wire takes a look at the SEC power rankings after Week 11 of the 2022 season.
Texas A&M Aggies (3-7)
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Texas A&M has struggled in every aspect this season. Several players have been dismissed from the program. A few have been suspended. Other key players have been plagued by injuries. Nothing has gone right for the Aggies this season. In Week 11, the team dropped its seventh game of the season to a struggling, Auburn team led by interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. The Aggies are the only SEC team that has been eliminated from making a bowl game.
Vanderbilt Commodores (4-6)
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The Commodores got their first win in conference play since 2019. Clark Lea’s squad was able to knock off a ranked Kentucky team on the road. This win keeps the Commodores bowl eligible for the time being. It will be difficult to remain bowl eligible with remaining games against Florida and Tennessee. However, the opportunity to reach a bowl game is still there and this team has shown a lot of resilience.
Missouri Tigers (4-6)
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Missouri was able to make it a three-quarter game against Tennessee in Week 11. However, the Volunteers’ offense was just too much to handle for the Tigers’ defense. This was the second loss in a row for Eliah Drinkwitz’s squad. This team has been relatively inconsistent at times this season and it has cost them multiple games. The Tigers will have to defeat New Mexico State and Arkansas to become bowl eligible.
Auburn Tigers (4-6)
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It has been a difficult season for the team on the Plains. Auburn has seen several of its starters suffer season-ending injuries and their head coach (Bryan Harsin) was fired mid-season. Despite all of the problems that have arisen, the players were able to maintain their focus and knock off Texas A&M. Needless to say, it shows the fight that interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams has instilled in this team. The Tigers must win their last two games to become eligible. Auburn will have to beat both Western Kentucky and Alabama.
Arkansas Razorbacks (5-5)
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Arkansas began the season somewhat strong. However, the narrative surrounding the program has changed since then. Sam Pittman’s squad is .500 and may not reach a bowl game. The Razorbacks were a few calls and plays away from upsetting LSU in Week 11. Nonetheless, the Razorbacks fell just short and have now fallen in their last two contests. The team will have to beat either Ole Miss or Missouri to become bowl eligible.
South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4)
[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
South Carolina has had an up-and-down season, to say the least. Shane Beamer’s squad began the season 1-2. Then, they went on to win four games in a row. Since then, the offense has struggled to put up points and the defense has been disappointing. The Gamecocks find themselves under .500 in the conference and will be tasked with facing two top-10 teams over the next two weeks — Tennessee and Clemson. These games will say a lot about the culture of the program as well as their plan for the future.
Kentucky Wildcats (6-4)
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Kentucky has been able to sustain success within conference play this season. The Wildcats’ season was looking promising up until their loss to South Carolina. Then, everything went downhill from there. Despite star running back Chris Rodriguez returning from suspension, this team has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball. The Wildcats have dropped two of their last three games to conference opponents. Mark Stoops’ squad will host Georgia and Louisville to close the season.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-4)
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Mississippi State is another program that began the season on a good note before dropping several games. Mike Leach’s squad had shown a lot of improvements on both sides of the ball. However, the Bulldogs have struggled to contain that success over the course of the season. As a result, they find themselves at 3-4 in conference play with two games remaining. They will collide with East Tennessee State before traveling to take on Ole Miss on Thanksgiving.
Florida Gators (6-4)
[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Florida has begun to hit their stride in the last few games. The Gators have won two games in a row. Despite a rough start to conference play, head coach Billy Napier has been able to get the most out of his players. Both sides of the ball have come together since their loss to Georgia. The Gators will end the season with two road games against Vanderbilt and Florida State.
Ole Miss Rebels (8-2)
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The Rebels saw their chances of reaching the conference championship ended with a loss to Alabama on Saturday. Lane Kiffin’s squad had surprised many this season with all of the departures the program had last season to the NFL Draft as well as the transfer portal. Several of the Rebels’ transfers (Malik Heath, Troy Brown, and Jaxson Dart) have all helped tremendously this season. Despite the late loss to the Tide, the Rebels remain at No. 5 in our latest conference power rankings.
Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2)
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Alabama was able to rebound from an overtime loss to LSU in Week 10. Nick Saban’s squad did just enough to come away with the victory against Ole Miss on Saturday. The Tide were able to rise to the occasion and keep their hopes of a 10-win regular season alive. It may be out of the realm of possibility for the Tide to reach the College Football Playoff. However, the team made it evident that their season means more than just a playoff appearance.
LSU Tigers (8-2)
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If you didn’t know who freshman Harold Perkins was, you do now. Perkins led the Tigers on Saturday against Arkansas despite having the flu. Not to mention, he virtually ended the game single-handedly with several sacks. LSU was able to clinch a conference championship appearance against Georgia with the win. The Tigers will close the regular season against UAB and Texas A&M before taking on the Bulldogs.
Tennessee Volunteers (9-1)
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It has been quite the season for the team from Rocky Top. Tennessee has cemented itself as one of the best programs in the country up to this point of the season. Josh Heupel’s squad has been merely unstoppable outside of a two-touchdown loss to Georgia on the road. The Volunteers are still pushing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. They will close the season with road games against South Carolina and Tennessee.
Georgia Bulldogs (10-0)
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Georgia has been able to run the table through ten games this season. The lowest margin of victory that the Bulldogs have had this season was four points against Missouri. Outside of that, the Bulldogs have won every other game by double-digits. Kirby Smart’s squad has already clinched a spot in the conference championship game. Not to mention, the Bulldogs would have to drop two of the next three games in all likelihood to miss out on the College Football Playoff. For that reason, the Bulldogs sit atop our conference power rankings at No. 1.
