We're three full weeks into the thick of SEC play, and some very clear tiers are forming. Texas A&M, considered to be in one of the higher tiers prior to the season, is tumbling down the totem pole at an alarming rate.
Following a 27-6 loss to Missouri, the Aggies are now 1-3 in SEC play, and all three of those defeats have come by at least 10 points. The last two have come by a combined 50 points.
In the wake of Collin Klein's departure, the Texas A&M offense has been inept against the better defenses it's faced. Marcel Reed has taken a step back, and the Aggies rank near the bottom of the league in yards per game (14th) and points per game (12th).
This weekend, Texas A&M gets a reprieve as it faces The Citadel, but the back half of the schedule is a gauntlet with road trips to Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma. If Mike Elko can't right the ship quickly, it may get worse for the Aggies before it gets better.
As Texas A&M slips further down, here are the updated SEC Power Rankings.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Last week: 3
Going into Bryant-Denny Stadium and pulling out a win in primetime is more than good enough to earn the Bulldogs the top spot this week. Gunner Stockton made some big-time throws. The Georgia defense held Keelon Russell in check. Kirby Smart is giving fiery pregame speeches and celebrating with the fans who made the trip to Tuscaloosa. The Dawgs are a football death machine. This is bad news for everyone else.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Last week: 2
Someone had to lose Saturday night's game, and it happened to be Alabama. But nothing about that game made me think the Crimson Tide couldn't get revenge if they got a rematch against the Bulldogs down the line. Kalen DeBoer wasn't thrilled with the officiating in the fourth quarter, and he had every reason to be upset. Ultimately, there isn't much separation between Alabama and Georgia.
3. Texas Longhorns
Last week: 1
Texas' offense and special teams showed some warts early, but they didn't come back to bite the Longhorns until Saturday. Oklahoma scored a touchdown on defense (pick-six), and special teams (blocked punt), and a late Arch Manning interception set up a game-winning field goal for the Sooners. The defense is playing too well for the rest of the team to keep putting games in jeopardy every week. Steve Sarkisian has to find some answers -- especially on offense.
4. Ole Miss Rebels
Last week: 6
Coming off a disappointing loss in Gainesville, an open date and a game against Vanderbilt were just what the doctor ordered for Ole Miss. The Rebels rolled into Nashville and stomped the Commodores in a game that was never in doubt. Trinidad Chambliss was great, and the run defense looked vastly improved. The latter will be tested this weekend, however, as Missouri travels to Oxford.
5. Missouri Tigers
Last week: 7
The Tigers have now stomped SEC opponents in two consecutive games. The latest victim was a reeling Texas A&M team, and Missouri ran over, around and through the Aggies to the tune of 252 rushing yards. Jamal Roberts led the way there with 222 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and he has to be salivating at the idea of facing an Ole Miss defense that has been porous against the run for most of the season.
6. Kentucky Wildcats
Last week: 9
Look, I'm just as surprised as anyone else. I did not anticipate slotting Kentucky this high at any point this season, but here they are. In past years, I would have expected the Wildcats to blow Saturday night's game against LSU, but they simply out-executed the Tigers down the stretch. That's yet another testament to Will Stein, who has Big Blue Nation dreaming big halfway through the regular season.
7. LSU Tigers
Last week: 4
LSU shelled out a lot of money to ... have a worse record through six games than Brian Kelly did at this time last season. Plus, the team's College Football Playoff hopes will depend on running the table, which won't be easy. The Tigers face a feisty Mississippi State team this weekend, and they have a stretch of three games against Alabama, Texas and Tennessee in November. How much weight do those wins over Clemson and Texas A&M carry now? Probably not very much.
8. Florida Gators
Last week: 5
What a difference two weeks can make in college football. Florida went from College Football Playoff hopeful to an SEC also-ran in the blink of an eye. Once the hottest coaching candidate on the market, Buster Faulkner now faces questions about a suddenly ineffective running game. How the Gators respond against Texas in a battle of the wound-lickers will be a good indicator of what to expect the rest of the season.
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last week: 10
Mississippi State jumps out of the frying pan and into the fryer. At least it got a bye week to heal up a little bit. Two weeks after Alabama gave the Bulldogs a dose of reality, they have to visit Death Valley for a game against what will surely be an angry LSU team. If healthy, Kamario Taylor has enough magic to make things interesting, but Mississippi State faces a tall task this weekend.
10. Oklahoma Sooners
Last week: 11
Brent Venables whispered it into existence. Oklahoma may have turned its season around with a win over Texas, but maybe it didn't. Don't get me wrong, that was a massive win for the Sooners, but all is not fixed in Norman. Scoring on defense and special teams probably isn't a sustainable strategy for scoring points, and the offense still looked relatively flat in the Red River Rivalry. Having said that, John Mateer protected the football, which was a step in the right direction.
11. Tennessee Volunteers
Last week: 8
The Tennessee defense is good enough to keep the team in every game left on its schedule. On the other hand, the Tennessee offense is bad enough to blow every game left on the schedule. If the Volunteers can't sustain drives against the hapless Razorbacks, how are they going to do that against the Crimson Tide?
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
Last week: 15
Shane Beamer dumped cold water on his hot seat by going into The Swamp and picking up a three-score win over Florida. LaNorris Sellers looked great! Nyck Harbor made big plays! Dylan Stewart wreaked some havoc on defense! This is why people looked at the Gamecocks as a sneaky-dangerous team prior to the season.
13. Auburn Tigers
Last week: 13
Auburn may be destined to remain in this spot all season. The Tigers got an open date last weekend while chaos unfolded around them. Alex Golesh now has to take his team on the road to face Georgia while trying to figure out his offense. Yikes.
14. Texas A&M Aggies
Last week: 12
Maybe I'm just a citizen of the cesspool, but I don't see much to be optimistic about in College Station, at least as far as the rest of this season is concerned. Marcel Reed is completely broken, and the defense is getting steamrolled in conference play. A 1-8 finish in conference play is absolutely on the table right now.
15. Vanderbilt Commodores
Last week: 15
The Commodores just got blown out by Ole Miss in the pouring rain. The mother of one of the team's quarterbacks was caught on camera referring to the "clowns running this football program." Admittedly, it wasn't a great week in Nashville, so Vanderbilt better get in the win column against Arkansas this weekend.
16. Arkansas Razorbacks
Last week: 16
I really thought about moving the Razorbacks up one spot this week, but I simply couldn't reward Ryan Silverfield for punting with 1:45 remaining in a one-score game at home. Predictably, Tennessee picked up a first down two plays later to ice the game. The Hogs have an opportunity to bounce back in a battle of the SEC punching bags on Saturday.
