After Week 3 of SEC play, Alabama football is still undefeated, but we have a new team atop this week’s power rankings.
Alabama football escaped what the kids call a “drunk” weekend of college football, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t susceptible to its trappings.
In what became the ugliest defensive performance certainly in Nick Saban’s tenure at the Capstone, possibly in the entire history of Alabama football, the Tide could not stop Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels offense. 647 yards and 48 points later, what most assumed would be an improved defense with Dylan Moses’ return is now statistically its worst after the three games.
However, all was not lost defensively around the conference as Georgia’s squad put on an absolute clinic against the Volunteers.
Mizzou and Texas A&M handed two conference powerhouses important losses. South Carolina and Kentucky garnered their first victories of the season. And Auburn defeated Arkansas in a manner that can only be described as Auburn-esque.
While we do, indeed, have a new team at the top of our power rankings this week, we start with that most evergreen of programs at No. 14.
14. Vanderbilt Commodores (0-3) 7 points
Last week’s ranking: No. 14
Vanderbilt is Vanderbilt and they don’t need a pandemic to struggle this much, but there is a pandemic going on and they fielded less than 60 scholarship athletes against the Gamecocks on Saturday. Not much of this can be helped and it’s not fair, but Vandy may end up with a record of 0-10 when it’s all said and done.
13. Mississippi State (1-2) 19 points – Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Bulldogs went from what was the upset of Week One in the SEC to two straight, unimpressive losses. This week’s loss to Kentucky, where they only mustered a safety against the Wildcats, shows that either Kentucky has an elite defense or LSU’s is a lot worse than we thought. Either way, Mike Leach and his merry bunch of pirates are off to a rocky start.
12. South Carolina (1-2) 20 points
Last week’s ranking: No. 12
Yes, it was against easily the worst team in the conference, but the Gamecocks got a much-needed 41-7 victory over the Commodores on a rainy afternoon in Nashville. South Carolina running back Kevin Harris rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on the day and cemented himself as one of the top ‘backs in the SEC.