SEC power rankings after Week 9: Top teams take care of business
It has been an interesting season for the SEC, to say the least. Texas A&M and Arkansas came in with high expectations but have struggled to live up to them. Other programs like Auburn and Florida have outright struggled. Meanwhile, programs like Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama have all put themselves in a good position to make the College Football Playoff.
On the other hand, programs like Kentucky, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, and Mississippi State had strong starts but have fallen off since then. Ole Miss, LSU, and Missouri are playing their best ball of the season.
Today, Roll Tide Wire takes a look at the latest SEC power rankings following Week 9 of the 2022 season.
Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5)
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Vanderbilt is coming off of a bye week. Before that, the Commodores suffered a loss on the road against an improving Missouri squad. Next week, the Commodores will host South Carolina. It will be interesting to see how Clark Lea’s squad will respond after losing four games in a row.
Auburn Tigers (3-5)
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Auburn has lost the past four games by two possessions or more. The Tigers have a lot of problems on both sides of the ball. It will not get any easier for Bryan Harsin’s squad as the team travels to Starkville to take on Mississippi State in Week 10. Things could get really messy on the Plains.
Texas A&M Aggies (3-5)
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Things continue to get worse in College Station for Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher. In Week 9, the Aggies fell to Ole Miss despite an impressive debut from Aggies freshman quarterback Conner Weigman. After falling to 3-5, it is clear that Fisher’s squad has some adjustments to make. There could be some coaching changes as well as some different players seeing the field. We will see what happens in the Week 10 matchup against Florida.
Missouri Tigers (4-4)
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Missouri has been close in every matchup this season outside of a lop-sided loss in Manhattan to a good Kansas State team. Eliah Drinkwitz’s squad defeated South Carolina in the Week 9 matchup to get back to .500 on the season. The Tigers have now won two in a row and can extend that in Week 10 if the team can knock off Kentucky.
Florida Gators (4-4)
[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Gators were down by a large margin against Georgia in Week 9 but were able to cut the lead Bulldogs’ lead to eight by the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately for Billy Napier’s squad, Florida wasn’t able to stick around much longer as the Bulldogs’ offense took over the game. The Gators have now dropped two games in a row. It will be interesting to see how the matchup with Texas A&M goes in Week 10.
South Carolina Gamecocks (5-3)
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South Carolina had won four games in a row heading into the Week 9 matchup against Missouri. However, the team’s streak came to an end as the Tigers cruised their way to victory. Shane Beamer’s squad will have a good opportunity to avenge the loss as the Gamecocks will travel to Nashville to face Vanderbilt in Week 10.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-3)
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Mississippi State is coming off of a much-needed bye week after dropping the last two games. The Bulldogs’ offense had been playing well before the last two-game stretch against Kentucky and Alabama. Mike Leach’s squad will have the opportunity to get a much-needed win against a struggling Auburn team in Week 10.
Kentucky Wildcats (5-3)
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Kentucky did not look like the same team in weeks past as it did against Tennessee in Week 9. The Wildcats couldn’t find any rhythm against the Volunteers and dropped its third game of the season. Mark Stoops’ squad will be tasked with traveling to Columbia to face Missouri in Week 10. The Tigers have begun to find a stride. It will be an interesting matchup between the two SEC East teams.
Arkansas Razorbacks (5-3)
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The Razorbacks came off of the bye week with something to prove. Sam Pittman’s squad took care of business on the road at Auburn. Arkansas will now be tasked with hosting a ranked Liberty squad led by former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. Although this is a non-conference matchup, it will be a big game for the Razorbacks.
Ole Miss Rebels (8-1)
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Ole Miss has a two-headed monster in running back with Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins carrying the load. The two have combined to score 22 of the 43 touchdowns that the Rebels have scored. Lane Kiffin’s squad was able to knock off Texas A&M in a hostile atmosphere before heading into the bye week.
LSU Tigers (6-2)
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LSU was able to get a much-needed victory on the road against Florida before heading into the bye week. The Tigers will play Alabama in Week 10 in a game that could decide the SEC West. Brian Kelly’s squad has a lot to play for as all of the marbles could be on the line in next week’s matchup.
Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
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Alabama got a decisive victory against Mississippi State in the Week 8 matchup. Now, the Crimson Tide will have to travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in Week 9. Nick Saban’s squad has not performed particularly well on the road this season. It will be interesting to see how the team responds in a very hostile environment.
Georgia Bulldogs (8-0)
[Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]
Georgia took care of business in Week 9 against Florida. However, it did take a second-half scare to urge the Bulldogs to a decisive victory in the end. Kirby Smart’s squad has played well on both sides of the ball. Several key players like Jalen Carter, Kendall Milton, and A.D. Mitchell all missed Saturday’s game with injuries. The Dawgs will need them back healthy for their Week 10 matchup against Tennessee. This game will likely determine who represents the SEC East in the conference championship.
Tennessee Volunteers (8-0)
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Tennessee has been unstoppable on offense this season. The defense has played well in the past few weeks. Josh Heuepel’s squad has earned the No. 1 spot in the conference power rankings. The Vols will be challenged in Week 10 on the road against Georgia. This team could pave its way to the conference championship game with a win. This game is going to be a big one for both programs in terms of the conference as well as College Football Playoff implications.
