SEC Rankings: Breaking down the Top 10 Teams
Boston Mountain Publishing, Tuesday, November 8, 2022 4:57 PM
We have ranked the Top 10 SEC Teams through Week 10 and discuss their current status and the teams outlook going forward.
Heading into Week 11, the SEC has 5 teams in the Top 11 in the AP Top 25 Poll. Only one team remains undefeated after last weekend, and the West division is still up for grabs.
One player is still in the Heisman race with 3 games to go in the 2022 regular season.
There are still several big games to be played in the regular season, especially this weekend. Before we jump ahead, let's get through Week 11 first which offers 3 big games with division ramifications on the line in the West.
SEC Top Games of Week 11
LSU @ ARKANSAS 12/11c
ALABAMA @ OLE MISS 3:30/2:30c
GEORGIA @ MISSISSIPPI STATE 7/6c
Game of the Weekend
LSU 32 vs ALABAMA 31 OT
No doubt about it, this was the game of the weekend and maybe even the year. Alabama has played in two games of this caliber this season and they couldn't get the win in either one of them.
In a game that was dominated by defense early on and entering halftime with the score at 7-6 and LSU leading, the 2nd half turned into a back-and-forth thriller that came down to the wire in overtime.
In OT, Alabama scored a TD on a long first possession and kicked the extra-point to take the score to 31- 24 Alabama. LSU got the ball back and answered immediately, as QB Jaylen Daniels kept the ball and ran right for 25 yards, only needing one play to find the end zone to go down a point. Then came the decision to go for two and the victory. LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly called a classic pick pass that he ran for years at Notre Dame and Daniels hit Mason Taylor on the short pass to the front right pylon for the win. Wild finish in Baton Rouge and the Tigers move to 7-2 on the year, tied with Alabama in the SEC West. The Tigers have won back-to-back Top 10 matchups in their last two games.
SEC TEAM POWER RANKINGS
#10 - MISSOURI TIGERS 4-5
SEC EAST (2-4)
Missouri has kept most of their games close this year but wins and losses are what matter in the tough SEC. In their losses, they played Georgia close (4 points), Auburn close (3 points), Florida close (7 points), and now add Kentucky (4 points).
The Missouri Defense has been solid, allowing 21.44 points per game, but their offense can't get over the hump.
Missouri will be a tough matchup down the stretch, and they still have plenty to play for and wanting to get to the magic number of 6 wins on the year and a post season bowl invitation.
Their rival game against Arkansas, taking place in Columbia the day after Thanksgiving could have an impact on both teams for bowl eligibility and they do play for the Battle Line Trophy which adds some excitement to the annual game. They have a tough task this weekend with the Vol's coming off their first loss of the season.
WR Dominic Lovett ranks 3rd in the SEC with 659 receiving yards.
K Harrison Mevis has tried the most field goals and completed the most field goals in the SEC. He is 16 for 21 with a long of 56 yards.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Defense is ranked 13th in the nation, only allowing 303.7 total yards per game.
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Missouri
@ Tennessee (8-1)
Saturday November 19
New Mexico State (3-5)
@ Missouri
Friday November 25
Arkansas (5-4)
@ Missouri
#9 - SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS 6-3
SEC EAST (3-3)
Two weeks ago, Missouri went into the other Columbia and walked away with an easy SEC East win. The Gamecocks looked tired, and the Missouri D locked down their offense all day.
They had an opportunity to get back in the win column this past weekend when they traveled to Nashville to take on the basement dwelling Vanderbilt Commodores and they did just that, winning 38-27 to get to the all-important mark of 6 wins on the season.
They have a tough matchup with Florida in Gainesville this weekend, and then a tough matchup with Tennessee, and then a tough matchup with Clemson. Tough is the key word here because that is what they will need to be with this schedule here on out.
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
South Carolina
@ Florida (5-4)
Saturday November 19
Tennessee (8-1)
@ South Carolina
Saturday November 26
South Carolina
@ Clemson (8-1)
#8 - ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS 5-4 Down 2
SEC WEST (2-3)
The Arkansas running game is led by RB Raheim "Rocket" Sanders who is currently ranked 6th in the nation and 1st in the SEC with 1,101 yards on the ground. Liberty did not let him run the ball all day. Sanders finished with a season low, 60 yards on the day.
The toughest loss for the Razorbacks this season was against Texas A&M in Arlington, TX for the annual Southwest Classic. The Aggies have dominated the series at the neutral site.
Mississippi St. looked impressive against the Hogs, relentless the entire game. The loss to Alabama was predictable. The Liberty loss was a gut-punch for the Hogs. They believed they would win this one on Homecoming in Fayetteville. Going down 21-3 at half was too much to overcome and things do not get any easier for the Razorbacks as LSU comes to town on Saturday for an early morning Battle for the Golden Boot rivalry game.
It becomes more difficult for Arkansas to get that all important 6th win of the season.
LB Drew Sanders leads the SEC with 8 sacks.
DL Jordan Domineck is 2nd in the SEC with 7 sacks.
DB Dwight McGlothern ranks 2nd in the SEC with 3 INTs.
LB Bumper Pool is 2nd in the SEC with 80 tackles on the year.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING
#10 Rushing yards per game 233.3
#13 Total Offense: yards per game 485.3
#20 Completes 47.1% of their 3rd downs
#23 Total 1st Downs - 221
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
LSU (7-2)
@ Arkansas
Saturday November 19
Ole Miss (8-1)
@ Arkansas
Friday November 25
Arkansas
@ Missouri (4-5)
#7 - MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS 6-3 Up 1
SEC WEST (3-3)
The Bulldogs came out of their BYE week to face Auburn who was coming off a bad loss to Arkansas and they fired their Head Coach Bryan Harsin on Monday morning. This was the week for State to get back on track after their last game against Alabama where they couldn't do anything in that game.
Last week we said, "As long as they don't look too far ahead and start thinking about Georgia visiting next weekend, they should win at home this weekend," and they did but it took OT to get the win 39-33.
Well, their big game is here, and they have a chance to take down the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs at home. A chance of almost zero if Georgia plays like they did last weekend.
QB Will Rogers still leading the SEC with 2,912 passing yards and and is ranked #5 in nation.
CB Emmanuel Forbes leads the conference with 5 INTs on the year.
LB Jett Johnson ranks 3rd in the SEC with 78 tackles.
LB Nathaniel Watson also ranks 3rd in conference with 78 tackles.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING
#8 Average passing yards per game: 325.6
#14 Completion rate 67.9%
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Georgia (9-0)
@ Mississippi State
Saturday November 19
East Tennessee State (3-6)
@ Mississippi State
Thursday November 24
Mississippi State
@ Ole Miss (8-1)
#6 - KENTUCKY WILDCATS 6-3 Up 1
SEC EAST (3-3)
A win is a win. That has to be the feeling in the Kentucky locker room this week as they punted their way out of Columbia, MO on Saturday afternoon.
Kentucky gets a visit from Vanderbilt this weekend before their matchup with Georgia in two weeks.
This is the game to get the offense going. They have disappeared in the last few weeks, and they are going to need more points, especially in their last two games of the regular season. One good thing for the Wildcats, they are bowl eligible again this year.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING
#20 Fewest passing yards allowed per game 181.8
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Vanderbilt (3-6)
@ Kentucky
Saturday November 19
Georgia (9-0)
@ Kentucky
Saturday November 26
Louisville (6-3)
@ Kentucky
#5 - OLE MISS 8-1
SEC WEST (4-1)
Before Ole Miss had a BYE week, the Rebels played tough enough to outlast the Texas Aggies late surge. Coach Kiffin said after the game, when "someone attacks you personally, calls you and your buddy Coach Saban both clowns, you take that personal. So, glad we won."
This week's game is crucial for Ole Miss if they want to remain in contention for an SEC West title. Coach Lane Kiffin had his team in perfect position in the tough SEC West before the LSU loss, but the Rebels still have Alabama ahead and a chance to move to 5-1 in conference. This will be an entertaining matchup against his old boss.
QB Jaxson Dart has thrown for 1,911 yards.
RB Quinshon Judkins ranks 2nd in the SEC with 1,036 rushing yards, 11th in nation.
WR Jonathan Mingo has 664 receiving yards on the year ranking 2nd in the SEC.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING - #11
#3 Rushing yards per game: 267.4
#9 Completes 51.2% of their 3rd downs
#11 Total Offense: yards per game: 494.9
#16 Average Points per game: 37.4
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Alabama (7-2)
@ Ole Miss
Saturday November 19
Ole Miss
@ Arkansas (5-4)
Thursday November 24
Mississippi State (6-3)
@ Ole Miss
#4 - ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE 7-2 Down 1
SEC WEST (4-2)
The Tide were coming out of a BYE week
to take on the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on Saturday and we thought Coach Nick Saban would be prepared for this anticipated matchup, and he wasn't, falling 32-31 in OT when LSU converted the 2-point play for the 1-point win.
Their path to make the SEC Championship game in Atlanta and secure a CFP bid in December is a long shot now, and the 2022 football season will be considered over by most Alabama fans. The reality is, the Tide lost 2 games by a combined 4 points.
This weekend the Tide can save face and get back in the win column with a huge game at Ole Miss. A win here is needed after two tough losses on the road in their last 3 games.
Last year's Heisman Trophy winner QB Bryce Young is currently 4th in the SEC with 2,234 passing yards.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs is 4th in the SEC with 771 rushing yards.
LB Will Anderson Jr. has 7 sacks for the Tide and is ranked 2nd in the SEC.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING - #10
#6 Average Points scored per game: 41.8
#11 Allows only 104 yards rushing per game
#14 Defense only allows 18.33 points per game
#17 Total Offense: yards per game 482.9
#23 Rushing yards per game 202.6
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Alabama
@ Ole Miss (8-1)
Saturday November 19
Austin Peay (6-3)
@ Alabama
Saturday November 26
Auburn (3-6)
@ Alabama
#3 - LSU TIGERS 7-2 Up 1
SEC WEST (5-1)
Three weeks ago, Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers took on the undefeated Ole Miss Rebels at home in a SEC West matchup and the Tigers came out on top, 45-20 for their biggest win of the year. The Tigers have played better than most expected in Coach Brian Kelly's first year, especially after taking their toughest loss of the year in Week 1 against Florida State. That game could have gone either way, but they did bounce back and are starting to come together at the right time.
This past weekend, the Tigers were coming off of a BYE week and were preparing for the visit from Alabama on Saturday night. How tough is it to play LSU at home at night? The crowd was so loud at one point in this game, the seismograph alerted emergency management in south Louisiana that an earthquake had been reported in Baton Rouge.
The final score of this game between LSU and Bama sent the CFP into a tailspin with LSU leading the SEC West and in charge of paving their own path to the SEC Championship game. The schedule on paper looks promising but they need to keep winning, and it starts with a tough road game this weekend against conference rival Arkansas for the Battle of the Golden Boot in Fayetteville.
QB Jayden Daniels moved into 5th in conference, passing for 1,994 yards this season.
DE B.J. Ojulari has 5 sacks on the year for the Tigers.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING - #7
#11 Completion rate of 68.5% through the air
#17 Completes 48.3% of their 3rd downs.
#18 224 First Downs
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
LSU
@ Arkansas (5-4)
Saturday November 19
UAB (4-5)
@ LSU
Saturday November 26
LSU
@ Texas A&M (3-6)
#2 - TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 8-1
SEC EAST (4-1)
It had been high times on Rocky Top over the last 4 weeks and this past weekend the party came to halt after the tough defeat in Athens 27-13.
This was considered the Game of the Week, and all eyes were on Athens, Georgia this weekend. There was an SEC East division on the line and now Georgia controls it. The Vol's were outmatched on Saturday.
They head back home for a meetup with Missouri who has a stingy Defense, but probably not enough to slow this Offense.
QB Henden Hooker ranks 3rd in the SEC with 2.533 passing yards this year.
WR Jalin Hyatt continues to lead the SEC with 970 receiving yards.
DL Byron Young ranks 5th in the SEC with 5 sacks.
DB Trevon Flowers is 4th in the league with 2 INTs.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING - #5
#1 Total Offense 523.7 yards per game.
#2 Average points scored per game 45.3
#2 Average passing yards per game: 335.8
#5 Completion rate 71.1%
#9 Total passing TDs - 26
#9 Allows only 97 yards rushing per game.
There are some tough games still on the schedule for the Vols. Their offense was contained last weekend and that is going to give some insight into how to slow this team down.
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Missouri (4-5)
@ Tennessee
Saturday November 19
Tennessee
@ South Carolina (6-3)
Saturday November 26
Tennessee
@ Vanderbilt (3-6)
#1 - GEORGIA BULLDOGS 9-0
SEC EAST (6-0)
Defending Champs remain at the top of the Polls and the SEC after big win at home against undefeated Tennessee 27-13 on Saturday.
Georgia's season will be defined by this weekend's win. This game was bigger for the Bulldogs than the Volunteer's because Georgia has held the top spot in the SEC East for several years not only in record, but in recruiting as well.
QB Stetson Bennett is 2nd in the SEC with 2,606 passing yards so far this season.
K Jack Podlesny has made 16 out of 18 field goals, tied for 1st in conference.
NCAA NATIONAL RANKING - #1
#2 Defense only allows 10.78 points per game
#3 Total Offense: 514.2 yards per game
#6 First Downs: 235
#6 Allows only 86.4 yards rushing per game.
#6 Completes 52.8% of their 3rd downs.
#9 Fewest Penalties on the year - 38
#10 Average passing yards per game: 320.2
#11 Average Points scored per game: 40.1
#13 Completion rate of 68%
Looking at the above stats, Georgia is obviously stacked and in championship form, and their magic number to win the SEC East and get to the Championship game is 1.
Two road games in back-to-back weeks for the Bulldogs and this weekend will be the toughest matchup of their remaining games in the regular season for the Georgia defense. Can Coach Mike Leach and SEC leading QB Will Rogers crack the code, or will Georgia hold Mississippi State down much like Alabama did 2 weeks ago?
Upcoming Games:
Saturday November 12
Georgia
@ Mississippi State (6-3)
Saturday November 19
Georgia
@ Kentucky (6-3)
Saturday November 26
Georgia Tech (4-5)
@ Georgia
*Check out the updated Power Rankings in the Big XII here:
*Check out our updated BMPReport.com Top 30 rankings here:
updated 11/6/2022
Stats @ SECSPORTS.com
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