SEC power rankings after Week 1: Two teams stand out among others
Heading into Week 1, there were some questions regarding several SEC programs. In particular, many football fans were skeptical of first-year LSU head coach Brian Kelly, as well as second-year Auburn head coach Brian Harsin. The two are in charge of revitalizing football programs that were essentially at rock bottom in comparison to recent seasons.
Meanwhile, other programs such as Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky were all seen as teams on the rise heading into this season and did not disappoint in Week 1. The two teams that always seem to meet or exceed expectations are Georgia and Alabama. It seemed like neither team missed a beat although both rosters lost multiple players to the NFL draft.
Another program that fans across the country will continue to keep a close eye on is Florida. Under the direction of new head coach Billy Napier, the Gators were able to take down the No. 7 ranked Utah Utes. Today, I will dive into my SEC power rankings after Week 1 of the 2022 season.
Vanderbilt Commodores (2-0)
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The Commodores were the only SEC team that played in Week 0. Despite a blowout victory against Hawaii a week ago, the Clark Lea-led squad didn’t come out with the same firepower on Saturday. Elon came up just short by a final score of 42-31. However, the Phoenix recorded more total yards and first downs than the Commodores. It was an impressive night for Vanderbilt offensively, but there need to be some adjustments on the defensive side of the ball heading into Week 2 against a good Wake Forest team.
Missouri Tigers (1-0)
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The Missouri Tigers are entering Year 3 under the leadership of head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. There were higher expectations this season as opposed to the first two years under Drinkwitz. The Tigers began their season against a Louisiana Tech team that finished last season with an abysmal 3-9 record. Although the offense shined, there is still work that needs to be done on the defensive side of the ball. It was a decisive victory at 52-24. However, there is a lot of room for improvement .
LSU Tigers (0-1)
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There was only one bright spot in LSU’s loss to Florida State on Sunday night. That was Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels. He led the Tigers in rushing yards (114) and passing yards (219). Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough to pull through in the end. After a botched extra point to end the game, LSU was the only team to lose from the SEC this past weekend. Key players like Maason Smith (injury) and Ali Gaye (targeting) weren’t there when the defense needed them. As a result, the Seminoles were able to capitalize on offense. Florida State defeated LSU by a score of 24-23. There is a lot of improvement that needs to be done before next week’s matchup against Southern.
South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0)
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South Carolina is trending in the right direction under second-year head coach Shane Beamer. Nonetheless, there is still some work to be done after a 35-14 win on Saturday. The two main things that concern me from their Week 1 matchup with Georgia State are the turnovers and the third down conversion percentage. The Gamecocks starting quarterback Spencer Rattler threw two interceptions. The team also went 3-14 on third down. Coach Beamer and his staff will need to clean that up ahead of their week two matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Auburn Tigers (1-0)
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There is one thing that has plagued Auburn in recent years. That is the lack of production at quarterback. On Saturday, the Tigers utilized two quarterbacks with T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford both seeing meaningful playing time en route to their 42-16 victory on Saturday night. Both quarterbacks played fairly well. However, they were facing an FCS opponent in the Mercer Bears. If head coach Brian Harsin can create some consistency at the quarterback position, it could certainly change the future of the program. We won’t find out what Auburn is made of until their Week 3 matchup against Penn State.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-0)
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The Bulldogs came out firing on all cylinders to begin the game. Mike Leach’s squad held a hefty 28-3 lead heading into halftime against the Memphis Tigers. That lead carried over to a decisive 49-23 victory. The team will lean on starting quarterback Will Rogers to carry this program. After all, he finished last season at No. 3 in total passing yards in the entire country. He passed for 450 alone on Saturday night. The defense has some things to clean up, but the Bulldogs looked good in Week 1.
Ole Miss Rebels (1-0)
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It wasn’t the Lane Kiffin-led offense that we are accustomed to seeing. Nonetheless, the offense did enough to earn the Rebels a 28-10 victory over the Troy Trojans. The Rebels lost a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, so it is safe to have them in this spot for now. Starting quarterback Jaxson Dart looked okay in his first start in Lane Kiffin’s offense. However, he will need to clean up some things before week three when the Rebels travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Altogether, the Rebels played well considering the roster turnover from last season to this season. Not to mention, a new offensive coordinator in Charlie Weis Jr.
Kentucky Wildcats (1-0)
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The Wildcats are expected to be a true contender in the SEC East this season. The foundation has been laid and the potential is there for this program to make some noise. In their Week 1 matchup against Miami (Ohio), the Wildcats didn’t have the start that many expected them to have. They held a 13-10 lead going into the half. They wound up winning 37-13, but it wasn’t pretty.
Florida Gators (1-0)
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Florida surprised many people after their Week 1 victory over the No. 7 Utah Utes. First-year Gators head coach Billy Napier spoke his vision into existence as his team pulled off the 29-26 thrilling victory on Saturday night. Starting quarterback Anthony Richardson looked like a legitimate Heisman contender and was the ultimate reason why the Gators pulled off the upset. If the defense can continue to hold its own, the Gators have the potential to be a really good football team this season.
Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)
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Texas A&M didn’t have the ideal start to their season-opener against the Sam Houston State Bearkats. Nonetheless, the result was a decisive 31-0 victory. Head coach Jimbo Fisher brought in the nation’s best recruiting class in 2022, so people know that the potential is there. Will that amount to anything this season? We will likely find out in their Week 3 matchup against the Miami Hurricanes.
Tennessee Volunteers (1-0)
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Tennessee was the first SEC team to begin its season. The Volunteers played host to the Ball State Cardinals. It didn’t take too long before the writing was on the wall in this one. As the expectations continue to mount higher and higher, the Volunteers cruised their way to a 59-10 victory on Thursday night. There is certainly a high standard set for this team and it will be put to the test when they travel to face the No. 17 ranked Pittsburgh in their Week 2 matchup.
Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0)
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As many expected, the Razorbacks would take take care of business in week one’s matchup against the No. 23 ranked Cincinnati Bearcats. It wasn’t easy, but Sam Pittman’s squad willed their way to a 31-24 win on Saturday evening in Fayetteville. The Hogs were led by quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Their week two matchup will be interesting as well as they play host to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Nonetheless, they looked really good this past weekend.
Georgia Bulldogs (1-0)
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Although the Bulldogs lost the majority of their starters on defense, they didn’t seem to miss a beat. Not only did the defense shine, but the offense did as well. Georgia was led by sixth-year senior and starting quarterback Stetson Bennett. He passed for 368 yards to go along with two touchdowns. The Bulldogs are clearly amongst the best in the SEC after the dominating Week 1 victory over Oregon.
Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
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Alabama enters this season with lengthy expectations, especially after last season finished the way that it did. Heisman winner Bryce Young looked effortless and in total command against a Utah State team that won 11 games a season ago. Alabama has a lot of depth and potential on this year’s team. That could go a very long way in determining the fate of this Alabama team. Nonetheless, the Crimson Tide will be put to the test as they travel to Austin to play Texas for their Week 2 matchup.
