It is hard to believe that it is already week 7 of 14! Even though we are 50% through the season the SEC teams are only 42% through their schedule due to the bye weeks. Given all that has happened since the preseason hype and the realities of parity in college football, I figured I would rank the teams based on an arbitrary grade of where they are versus where they should be.
- Texas Longhorns (5-0, 1-0). A. Although they have not yet been tested against a tough SEC opponent they have overcome injuries to show they belong in the SEC and that Steve Sarkisian has built a solid foundation to consistently win. They were expected to be undefeated at this point and they have not disappointed.
- Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2, 1-1). A. The Commodores are well coached and have become the epitome of a team that can win on any given Saturday. I do not expect them to be a top team in the SEC, but they have shown that they can punch above their weight and exceed expectations. They were expected to be what we see from the Gators— a decent team that cannot overcome talent deficits and would be at the bottom of the conference. I am not saying that week in and week out they could beat teams like #1 Alabama, but the in their loss to #7 Missouri it took two overtimes for them to go down.
- Texas A&M Aggies (5-1, 3-0). B+. First year coach Mike Elko has not lost since week 1 versus #7 Notre Dame. This team’s roster is not much different from Jimbo Fisher’s team that ended 7-6 (4-4).
- Arkansas Razorbacks (4-2, 2-1). B. Arkansas has been rather feisty this season with a close loss to #24 Texas A&M and a surprising victory over #4 Tennessee. Just when Sam Pittman was counted out he has shown that he can build solid teams who can compete against any team.
- Ole Miss Rebels (5-1, 1-1). B-. Ole Miss looks good against most teams, but is prone to being dragged down by a suffocating defense. The loss to Kentucky is not as bad as it seems but it is a sign that Lane Kiffin needs some tweaks to his game plan if he wants to make a playoff run.
- Georgia Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1). B. With the talent and couching on this team they should be winning in a more convincing fashion. The loss to #4 Alabama was bad, but at least it was a top-5 team.
- Alabama Crimson Tide (4-1, 1-1). C. Kalen DeBoer has a tough job following Nick Saban. In all fairness I am grading him harshly based on the upset loss to Vanderbilt. Otherwise he is doing a good job.
- Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1). C-. In the preseason I projected the Vols to be a powerhouse. Instead they have not been stellar against SEC opponents, including an upset from Arkansas.
- Kentucky Wildcats (3-2, 1-2). C-. Kentucky was expected to be a little better with roster upgrades. They have given some scares to teams like Georgia, so they get credit for that.
- Oklahoma Sooners (4-1, 1-1). C-. I am probably being harsh on the other new kid on the block.
- LSU Tigers (4-1, 1-0). C-. The Tigers seem to start the season slow and pick up later in the season. Brian Kelley needs to fix some issues to make this team a playoff contender.
- Missouri Tigers (4-1, 1-1). C-. The Tigers are good, but once again overrated. They will probably work back up to the top half of the grading scale.
- Auburn Tigers (2-4, 0-3). D. The Tigers look like crap, but the back half of their schedule could produce opportunities to excel.
- South Carolina Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2). D+. See Florida.
- Florida Gators (3-2, 1-1). D. Florida and South Carolina are the same teams. They have likable coaches who are fixing everything off the field but lose the wrong games. Florida gets graded lower on a curve because they should be better with the 10th most talented team.
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (1-4, 0-2). F. Trash fire. Vanderbilt graduated from this position but it took time and patience.
