Week One SEC Power Rankings: How far does LSU fall after season-opening upset loss?
A shakeup after the opening weekend of SEC conference games seemed like a strong possibility, but the dose of Louisiana hot sauce that Mike Leach dumped into the pot stirred things up more than expected. The Mississippi State win was the only 60-minute shocker but other close results that brought on a re-evaluation of the SEC race.
1. Alabama (1-0)
For the first 35 minutes last Saturday, Alabama looked like the No. 1 team in America. But future opponents that will require more than 35 minutes.
2. Florida (1-0)
Kyle Trask looked good enough to put Florida into the College Football Playoff conversation, for what that is worth after one week.
3. Mississippi State (1-0)
To quote Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean, “This is either madness, or brilliance.” And to quote Capt. Jack Sparrow: “It’s remarkable how often those two traits coincide.”
4. Auburn (1-0)
It’s strange to see Auburn playing Georgia this early in a season, but the timing looks good for AU.
5. Georgia (1-0)
Attention all Georgia students. Get your negative COVID-19 test today and you could be playing quarterback for the Bulldogs by Saturday.
6. LSU (0-1)
Ed Orgeron could probably catch a crawfish with his bare hands, but he sure couldn’t stop Mississippi State from catching everything else.
7. Texas A&M (1-0)
Jimbo Fisher’s seat isn’t hot, exactly, because the cushions are stuffed with money. An upset on Saturday would solve that.
8. Tennessee (1-0)
UT didn’t look pretty winning, but it won. This is currently the toughest team in the league to rank because it keeps on winning, ugly or not.
9. Missouri (0-1)
Honestly, the remaining six teams are like the old dollar bin at Tower Records: just grab whatever looks good and hope. Mizzou kept fighting against Alabama, so credit for that.
10. Ole Miss (0-1)
The Rebels were overmatched against Florida but receive extra credit for introducing The Turnover Bagman.
11. South Carolina (0-1)
Will Muschamp could be coaching for his job at Florida Field on Saturday, so that should feel familiar for him.
12. Kentucky (0-1)
The biggest disappointment of the weekend (non-LSU division).
13. Vanderbilt (0-1)
It is easy to feel Derek Mason’s pain. Not every game is an opportunity for Vanderbilt but Texas A&M was, and it slipped away.
14. Arkansas (0-1)
Effort was commendable against Georgia, but Feliepe Franks wasn’t consistent and the roster isn’t deep enough.
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or via Twitter @cecilhurt