Let's look at an alternative way to power rank SEC football teams. After nine weeks of college football, much is known. There is little mystery in what teams currently are. The unknowns that remain are questions of what they will become.
Little mystery does not mean that on any given Saturday, no SEC football team is vulnerable. Better teams can still lose a game to lesser teams. It almost happened Saturday in Columbia, SC.
Week 9 SEC Football Power Rankings
Tier One - The 'you don't want to play us' tier
Tier 1 of SEC Football is two teams: the 7-1 Alabama Crimson Tide and the 8-0 Texas A&M Aggies. Both teams are undefeated in SEC play. They will not face each other in the regular season.
Tier Two - Close and dangerous, and potentially elite
Tier 2 is another pair of teams: the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ole Miss Rebels. The Dawgs are 6-1, only losing to Alabama. The Rebels are 7-1, with a road loss to Georgia.
Tier Three - Good enough to upset better teams
Tier 3 is comprised of teams whose biggest problem is having to play an SEC schedule. They cannot be taken lightly in any contest. They are: Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri. Without quarterback, Beau Pribula, Missouri may not be able to remain in this tier.
Tier Four - 'What are you, and why?'
Tier 4 includes four SEC football mystery teams. As in, why aren't they better, or why are they so bad? Texas, LSU, Florida, and South Carolina are the mystery group. Florida and South Carolina are somewhat understandable. What is happening in Austin and Baton Rouge is weird enough to border on the bizarre.
Tier Five - Teams that find ways to lose
The best of the Tier 5 teams is Auburn, due to the Tigers' outstanding defense. Mississippi State can cling to hope for better future seasons. Arkansas and Kentucky are painfully bad.
Rapidly becoming the only ranking that matters, the SEC currently has four probable Playoff teams. It is possible a fifth could make the field. The first CFB Playoff Selection Committee rankings will be released on Tuesday after Week 10 games.