SEC Power Rankings after Week 12: Alabama, Georgia and Texas lead the rally in hopes of CFP ticket
SEC Week 12 may go in the book as the week of chaos. The SEC has five two-loss teams, each of which harbors hopes of the College Football Playoff. The problem is that Texas is ahead of that pack and there's probably four available spots in total for SEC squads. But here's the rundown on the league after a wild Week 12.
SEC Power Rankings after Week 12
#16 Mississippi State (2-8)
The Bulldogs were off this week, but they're pretty much anchored to the bottom of the SEC. There's no reason to expect massive improvement in the last two weeks.
#15 Kentucky (4-6)
Kentucky got a win and kept its fading bowl hopes alive for another week. Texas won't have much trouble finishing those hopes off totally in Austin next week.
#14 Auburn (4-6)
Like Kentucky, Auburn's lop-sided win over a weak opponent kept the bowl flames glowing. And like Kentucky, Auburn now will face a superior team that will finish them off-- for the Tigers, it's Texas A&M up next.
#13 Oklahoma (5-5)
The Sooners were off, and still look stuck behind a likely 5-7 season. It'll be interesting after the seasons to see how committed the Sooners are to Brent Venables.
#12 Arkansas (5-5)
The Hogs hung around with Texas and kept things interesting, but couldn't squeeze out enough offense to pull the major upset. The good news is they'll still be going bowling after they dispatch Louisiana Tech... and they have a fair shot at Missouri in the final game of the regular season.
#11 Florida (5-5)
The Gators get some credit for picking up a season-shifting upset. They're likely to win their in-state rivalry with FSU, go to a bowl, and make the UF administration look more than a little wise in keeping Billy Napier.
#10 Vanderbilt (6-4)
The Commodores were off, but have a tough last two games and seem very likely to end up 6-6. It's been a remarkable season, but not quite one that puts them in the top half of the SEC.
#9 LSU (6-4)
What a fade to an impressive season. When LSU was 6-1, the playoff was a legitimate topic of discussion. Now, the biggest question is how many ugly losses can Brian Kelly amass before his seat gets considerably warmer.
#8 Missouri (7-3)
Missouri went down to the wire with South Carolina. The Tigers can still end up 9-3, but this will be a case where the actual product on the field doesn't quite live up to the record on paper.
#7 Texas A&M (8-2)
The Aggies grabbed an easy win over New Mexico State, and still could find themselves in the SEC title game. The season finale against Texas could really jump A&M back into the CFP conversation. At the moment, they're an underdog in that game though.
#6 South Carolina (7-3)
The Gamecocks took care of business against Missouri and still aren't entirely out of the playoff picture. FPI actually dropped their chances slightly to 11.5%, but a win over Clemson could muddy things up considerably with a 9-3 Carolina team that has been red-hot down the stretch.
#5 Ole Miss (8-2)
The Rebels didn't play this week, but fell a step because Georgia avoided a third loss, while a two-loss Tennessee team still stays ahead of the Rebels. The issue here is that there are five eminently qualified SEC teams competing for four CFP spots. A bad home loss to Kentucky could end up knocking Ole Miss out.
#4 Tennessee (8-2)
The Vols went from solidly within the playoff field to much closer to the edge. They're still on track to finish 10-2 and ESPN gives them a 66.4% chance at the playoff field. They have to avoid another loss, but the schedule is light.
#3 Alabama (8-2)
The Tide throttled FCS Mercer in a deeply unsurprising game. Alabama basically stays in place, solidly within the playoff field, but not quite in the top two spots.
#2 Georgia (8-2)
Just like that, Georgia essentially flipped positions with Tennessee. FPI gives the Bulldogs a 92% shot at the playoff field, so they are in about as solid of shape as is possible.
#1 Texas (9-1)
The Longhorns got a stiff test at Arkansas but impressed with a great defensive effort and just enough offense to ride the victory home. Texas is ahead of a strong pack of teams, and their battle with A&M will likely clinch their spot in the SEC title game.
What do you think of our SEC power rankings? Share your thoughts below in the comments section!