2023 SEC Football Power Rankings: Week 12
Only three Southeastern Conference games occurred during Week 11 with the rest of programs enjoying games against the little sisters of the poor.
The football turned out to be fun, despite the scarcity of good matchups on paper. Two tight finishes and a sizable upset made Week 11 one for the books.
Forget preseason polls. Forget what happened last season. Disregard recruiting rankings and what these teams look like on paper. The only criteria considered in this season's BamaCentral SEC Power Rankings is what happens between the white lines during games.
Winning is rewarded and losing is punished in our 2023 Power Rankings, so lets get right to it as we react to eight weeks of football throughout the conference.
1. Georgia (-) (11-0, 8-0)
- The Georgia Bulldogs continue to steamroll its competition by going to Knoxville and beating the Vols 38-10. Quarterback Carson Beck was virtually flawless, putting up 298 yards and three touchdowns passing.
2. Alabama (-) (10-1, 7-0)
- The Crimson Tide unloaded the bench in the final home game of the year. Alabama devoured its Chattanooga-flavored cupcake 66-10.
3. Ole Miss (-) (9-2, 5-2)
- The Rebels held UL Monroe to just 66 yards passing and won its Week 11 snoozer 35-3.
4. LSU (-) (8-3, 5-2)
- The Jayden Daniels show continued on Saturday. He scored eight times for the LSU offense as the Tigers took down Georgia State 56-14.
5. Missouri (-) (9-2, 5-2)
- The Missouri Tigers needed a walk-off field goal to beat the Florida Gators but they did what they needed to stay firmly in the second spot of the SEC East Division.
6. Tennessee (-) (7-4, 3-4)
- There's certainly a clear gap between the top five and the rest of the league. Tennessee hosted Georgia with hopes of pulling an upset but those hopes quickly vanished as the game got rolling.
7. Texas A&M (-) (7-4, 5-3)
- They fired Jimbo Fisher and took a mundane 38-10 win over Abilene Christian. The Aggies can end their year on a high note by beating LSU in the season finale.
8. South Carolina (↑5) (5-6, 3-5)
- That's three wins in a row for the fighting Shane Beamers. It may have been ugly, 17-14 over Kentucky, the win ensures Beamer's naysayers retreat for the time being.
9. Kentucky (↓1) (6-5, 3-5)
- Big Blue Nation's season is officially out of control as they dropped their fifth game in six weeks. Their only conference wins are Mississippi State, Florida and South Carolina, leaving a bitter taste in supporters mouths after a 5-0 start.
10. Florida (-) (5-6, 3-5)
- The Gators played their tails off in Colombia but two turnovers doomed their efforts to pull an upset. Florida now welcomes the Florida State Seminoles for their last chance to qualify for a bowl game.
11. Auburn (↓2) (6-5, 3-4)
- The Tigers were the only SEC school whose cupcake didn't sit well with them. Auburn paid New Mexico State $1.8 million for the game and still lost 31-10. The Auburn offense was only able to convert two of its 10 third down attempts.
12. Mississippi State (↓1) (5-6, 1-6)
- Just days after firing Zach Arnett the Bulldogs are back in the winner circle. Granted they were matched up with Southern Miss, but no one turns down a 21-point win. An Egg Bowl matchup for bowl qualification is up next.
13. Arkansas (↓1) (4-7, 1-6)
- There will be no bowl game for the Hogs but getting back to the winning side of the street is nice. Arkansas defeated Florida International 44-20 behind strong defense and efficient offense.
14. Vanderbilt (-) (2-9, 0-7)
- Vanderbilt enjoyed an off weekend.