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The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
Since 1888
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.

SEC Football Power Rankings Week 11: Raining Cats and Dawgs

Vanderbilt+loses+to+Kentucky+in+football+on+Saturday%2C+October+20%2C+2018+in+Lexington.+The+final+score+was+7-14.+%28Photo+by+Claire+Barnett%29
Claire Barnett
Vanderbilt loses to Kentucky in football on Saturday, October 20, 2018 in Lexington. The final score was 7-14. (Photo by Claire Barnett)

After a week that set the SEC Championship matchup, take a look at our weekly power rankings.

1. Alabama

Alabama’s biggest test came in Baton Rouge this weekend, but they made easy work of LSU, winning 29-0. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passed for almost 300 yards and rushed for a 44-yard touchdown. It was also his worst performance of the season.

Alabama is stupid.

2. Georgia

Georgia reaffirmed their status as the second-best team in the SEC with their victory over Kentucky. With the win, Georgia won the SEC East, but even in their victory they struggled with bad quarterback play. Jake Fromm only passed for 113 yards, as the SEC Championship does not appear to be when Alabama will face their biggest test.

  1. LSU

LSU fans will tell you that Saturday’s game would have been different had Devin White played in the first half, but my in-depth analysis has led to a conclusion that if you don’t score, you can’t win. LSU could be ahead of Georgia, but their loss to Florida is looking increasingly worse as Florida craters, so they come in at third this week.

  1. Kentucky

The Georgia defense stifled Kentucky running back Benny Snell, holding him to just 73 yards. Kentucky is 0-2 in the SEC when their opponent scores 20 points, as they seem to lack the offensive firepower to compete against strong offenses.

  1. Texas A&M

After two tough road losses in Starkville and Auburn, the Aggies are happy to be back at home this week against Ole Miss. Following their win against Kentucky, the Aggies looked to be one of the top teams in the SEC, but their performance on the road in the last two weeks shows Jimbo Fisher has some work to do.

  1. Auburn

Auburn symbolizes the perplexity of this year’s SEC. Their loss to Tennessee is nothing short of an embarrassment, but then they took care of the state of Mississippi, beating Ole Miss and Mississippi State in consecutive games. With Georgia and Alabama remaining on their schedule, the Tigers have the opportunity to have an impact on the College Football Playoff with an upset.

  1. Mississippi State

Mississippi State has won 3 of their last 4 in the SEC after their 0-2 start. This week they play Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Hustler foresees a loss.

  1. Missouri

After running the gauntlet of the SEC, having played Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida in a five-week stretch, Mizzou closes out their season with Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Standout Quarterback Drew Lock is undoubtedly looking forward to these three opponents.

  1. Florida

Since Florida beat LSU, they barely scraped by Vanderbilt and then were blown at home by first Georgia and then Mizzou. While they looked like a contender earlier in the season, it appears it will take Dan Mullen more than one year to right this ship.

  1. South Carolina

At five wins with Chattanooga and Akron still on their schedule, South Carolina has an easy path to seven wins. However, they’ll need an upset either in Gainesville or in Clemson to do so. Each of the Gamecocks last four games has been decided by four points or fewer, but they’ve been outscored 91 to 50 in three games against ranked competition.

  1. Vanderbilt

Fresh off of a bye week, the Commodores travel to Mizzou this week looking for their second-straight road win. The Arkansas game was the first time offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig fully embraced Ke’Shawn Vaughn, so hopefully that trend will continue against Mizzou.

  1. Ole Miss

The Rebels are yet to surrender less than 33 points in SEC play this season, a trend that will likely continue as they travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M this weekend.

  1. Tennessee

Tennessee only mustered 14 points at home against FCS-Charlotte, and they’ll face a tough test this weekend as Kentucky travels to Knoxville looking to move past their loss to Georgia.

  1. Arkansas

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt each have one SEC win this season. Both teams have beaten Arkansas, whose greatest contribution to the SEC this season has been increasing opposing coaches’ job security.

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About the Contributors
Henry Hunter
Henry Hunter, Former Staff Writer
Henry Hunter ('22) was a staff writer for The Hustler. Outside of writing of The Hustler and co-hosting Heat Check on VandyRadio, he is a research assistant for Vanderbilt’s ROCCA Lab. On Sundays, he can be found convincing himself of the Giants' chances to win the NFC East. He can be reached at [email protected].
Claire Barnett, Former Multimedia Director
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