SEC Power Rankings: Georgia on top entering clash with Ole Miss

After a weekend of important games, the deck has been reshuffled.

The SEC is known for being the toughest conference in college football. It's a reputation well earned with great games and great rivalries every week. This past weekend gave us another serving of those type of games and the outcomes resulted in a new order in the rankings from top to bottom.

1. Georgia (previous 1)

Georgia welcomed the Tigers from Mizzou to Athens and quickly regretted inviting them. Missouri took the Dawgs to the wire with the contest not being decided until a late fourth quarter interception by defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse. The turnover occurred as Missouri trailed 27-21 and was attempting to drive down the field for a go ahead score. The interception resulted in a Georgia field goal to make the final tally 30-21. The Dawgs stay atop the SEC and host a hot Ole Miss Rebels team this weekend.

2. Alabama (previous 2)

Alabama and LSU have played many epic and thrilling games over the years and Saturday night was another chapter in that rivalry. For awhile it appeared that the last team to have the ball would win. Then The Tide picked off a Jayden Daniels pass that was batted in the air. Alabama scored and on the next series Jayden Daniels went down hard after releasing a pass and left the game under concussion protocol. Bama closed out the win and remains atop the West. The Crimson Tide travel to Lexington this week to take on the Kentucky Wildcats.

3. Ole Miss (previous 5)

Texas A&M came calling in Oxford and put up a fight all the way down to the end. The Aggies missed a would be game tying field goal as time expired. The Rebels escaped with a 34-31 win and remain in second place in the West. Ole Miss travels to Athens this week in a huge game with the Georgia Bulldogs.

4. LSU (previous 3) 

The Tigers put up a tremendous effort against the Tide in Tuscaloosa, but fell short when Jayden Daniels had to leave the game under concussion protocol. His absence changed the dynamic of the game in the fourth quarter, and LSU wasn't able to muster a comeback without him. The Tigers wrestle with the Gators from Florida this week in Baton Rouge.

5. Missouri (previous 4) 

The Tigers from Columbia traveled to Athens Saturday and went down swinging against Georgia. Mizzou managed to keep pace with the Dawgs most of the game, but trailing 27-21 late in the fourth quarter Brady Cook was intercepted by Nazir Stackhouse, which ended any realistic chance of a Tigers upset. Mizzou now gets ready to face Tennessee this week in Columbia.

6. Tennessee (previous 6)

The Vols went out of conference this week and destroyed UConn 59-3 in a game that was close up until kickoff. Tennessee travels to Mizzou Saturday for an SEC East showdown between the two best teams not named Georgia.

7. Kentucky (previous 9)

The Wildcats took a 21-3 lead to the locker room over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. UK was only able to manage three points in the second stanza, but blanked MSU as they cruised to a 24-3 win in Starkville. The Cats return home this week to face the Alabama Crimson Tide.

8. Auburn (previous 12)

The Auburn Tigers took their show on the road Saturday and left Nashville with an important win over the Vanderbilt Commodores. It was Auburn's first road win in SEC play this year and leaves Auburn only needing one more win to become bowl eligible. If they can have an encore performance against Arkansas in Fayetteville this week and get the expected win over New Mexico State, they should be sitting at 7-5 heading into the Iron Bowl later this month.

9. Texas A&M (previous 8)

Jimbo Fisher is in trouble in College Station. After falling to Ole Miss 34-31 in Oxford, The Aggies are still a win away from bowl eligibility, but should pick that up this weekend when they host Mississippi State. After that another win should be in the cards against Abilene Christian, before the season finale against LSU Thanksgiving weekend. This is not what the money people in Aggieland were paying for when Fisher was hired and after six years of mediocrity, one has to wonder how much patience is left.

10.Florida (previous 7)

The Gators had never lost to Arkansas in the Swamp until Saturday, falling 39-36 to the Hogs in overtime. A disheartening loss to say the least, Florida now sits at 5-4 on the season as they must regroup and head to Baton Rouge this week to take on LSU. Still needing another win for bowl eligibility, it is tough to see where it can come from as they must play Missouri and Florida State after LSU. Could be a long off-season in Gainesville.

11. South Carolina (previous 11)

Cock Fighting is illegal, but that didn't stop one from happening in Columbia over the weekend. The Gamecocks from Jacksonville State made the trip across I-20 to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The expected easy win did not happen, as JSU and USC were all knotted up at 28-28 at the end of the third quarter. Carolina was able to outscore Jacksonville State 10-0 in the fourth quarter to secure a much needed 38-28 win and improve to 3-6 on the season. Chances of a bowl appearance seem remote as Carolina would have to win out over Vandy, Kentucky and Clemson to reach 6-6.

12. Arkansas (previous 13)

Arkansas showed signs of life Saturday as they went to Gainesville and beat Florida in overtime for a thrilling, first time ever win in the Swamp. Now they must come down from that high and return home to Fayetteville to prepare for an improving Auburn Tigers squad that has built some momentum over the last two weeks. At 3-6, this is not where the Hog faithful expected to be in year four of Sam Pittman, but alas, here they are. They'll need to string together wins over Auburn, Florida International and Missouri to get to a bowl game.

13. Mississippi State (previous 10) 

The Bulldogs were not very good when Will Rogers was healthy, but since he's been out with injury, they have just been anemic. Saturday, MSU only mustered three points for the whole game against Kentucky. The loss dropped them to 4-5 on the season and with remaining games against Texas A&M, Southern Miss and Ole Miss getting to six wins doesn't seem likely.

14. Vanderbilt (previous 14) 

Vandy played on the road in their own stadium Saturday when the Auburn Tigers came to town and brought the city of Auburn with them. The crowd was firmly in favor of the visiting Tigers and so was the scoreboard as Auburn sunk the Commodores 34-15. There will be no bowl for Vandy this year, so from here on out it's just about building for next year and playing for pride as they close out the season with games against South Carolina and Tennessee. 

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