WBN SEC Power Rankings: 11/11/2012 Edition
By Wayne
1. #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-1) Prior Rank #1- And just like that, there will likely no SEC team in the BCS this year unless Oregon or KSU lose. Nobody outside of Lee Corso and residents of College Station, saw this coming and if they say they did, call BS right away. Experts are going to analyze this ad-nauseam, but you can pin this one squarely on the shoulders of one category: Turnovers. TJ Yeldon coughed up a fumble and AJ McCarron threw his first 2 picks of the SEASON. Bama fans will claim exhaustion and physical ailments stemming from the LSU game, and while that may have played some role, it was not the defining role because they couldn’t stop Manziel through the air or on the ground. Giving up 20 in the 1st Quarter put their Offense in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Western Carolina…oh Western Carolina…better call 911 and have an ambulance or 6 on site next week. Bama will NOT be in the mood. Next Game: vs Western Carolina on Saturday, November 17th @ 12:21 PM
2. #5 Georgia Bulldogs (9-1, 7-1) Prior Rank #2- Congratulations to the Georgia Bulldogs and Mark Richt for winning the SEC East and securing a spot in the SEC Title game. Turns out, Georgia football fans are a little like UK basketball fans in that it’s National Title or bust, and while Richt doesn’t have a National Title, he certainly has an outstanding team with a killer D and smooth O. On the arm of Murray and the legs of Gurley and Marshall, Auburn stood no chance. Maybe Richt will finally be able to put the doubters to rest and the Dawgs fans will realize they have one of the premiere coaches in the SEC. Next Game: vs. Georgia Southern on Saturday, November 17th @ 1:30 PM
3. #8 LSU Tigers (8-2, 4-2) Prior Rank #4- Zach Mettenberger is certainly coming out of his shell in the SEC…opposite the best D in the SEC. Yes, the D gave up the 1st Quarter lead to MSU, but they held a prolific Offense to two scattered TD’s and a FG. None after the 12:52 mark in the 3rd. Safety Craig Loston put an emphatic end to the game with a 100 yard Pick Six. It went well with Mettenberger’s 2 TD tosses (Landry, Ware) and JC Copeland’s 1 yd TD plunge. It’s very safe to say the Tigers will see a BCS bowl this season so long as Mettenberger doesn’t regress. Next Game: vs. Ole Miss on Saturday, November 17th @ 3:30 PM
4. #9 Texas A&M Aggies (8-2, 5-2) Prior Rank #5- Johnny Football? Heisman? Upset? Awesome? Call him what you want, I’m sure he doesn’t care, but this Red Shirt Freshman just completed the biggest upset in CFB by a country mile. He led the A&M Blitzkrieg early with a passing TD in the first, bookended by two Christine Michael 1 yd TD runs. In a game where you thought Bama’s Defense would pass the TO test, it failed miserably by causing exactly 0 A&M turnovers. Though Johnny _________ didn’t put up gaudy rushing or passing numbers, he played like a 5th Year Senior, not a Red Shirt Freshman. And their Defense played like we thought Bama’s would by picking off 2 McCarron passes (Last pick was in the EZ on 4th and 2 to seal the W) and recovering a TJ Yeldon fumble. To say the least, it’s a gross understatement to say that Texas A&M, with their First Year HC, Kevin Sumlin, and Red Shirt Frosh QB Manziel, deserve to be in the SEC. Next Game: vs. Sam Houston State on Saturday, November 17th @ 3:30 PM
5. #12 South Carolina Gamecocks (8-2, 6-2) Prior Rank #6- For Spurrier, it’s all about the “free hamburgers.” No really, he rushed the last two possessions to make sure SC broke 100 yds rushing in order for the fans to get a “free hamburger.” While that’s true, for Spurrier’s team, it’s about winning the SEC Title and this year it won’t happen…again. A balanced TD attack (2 rushing and 2 passing) paced the Gamecocks against the Lunatic Fringe led Razorbacks. The only REAL question in this game was whether Jadeveon Clowney would break the SC season sack record. He did not. If Spurrier could ever find a less mercurial QB, he would have something at SC because that Defense will contend for the “Best in the SEC” title next season. Next Game: vs. Wofford on Saturday, November 17th @ 1:00 PM
6. #7 Florida Gators (9-1, 8-1) Prior Rank #3- The Gators took a tumble this week in the rankings, not because they lost, because they didn’t, but because it took a fluke, blocked punt return for a TD, to pull off the W in the Swamp. Against the University of Lousiana-Lafayette. That, my friends is inexcusable for a top 10 team. Muschamp MUST find a more explosive QB or turn Driskell into that before their luck runs out. QB’s combined for 162 yds passing and 2 TD’s. JD did manage 76 yards rushing but, again, that’s not the stat you want to see when you’re playing an opponent like this. This should have been a “woodshed” game. Instead it was a “what the hell just happened game?” There is a lot of work to be done at the QB position down in Gainesville. Next Game: vs. Jacksonville State on Saturday, November 17th @ 1:00 PM
7. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-3, 3-3) Prior Rank #7- Dan Mullen has brought the program out of the doldrums and all the way back to…mediocrity. They don’t belong among the elite, nor do they belong in the gallows. Clearly this isn’t what they had in mind, but until they find a running game, this is the best they can hope for. Tyler Russell is a legit SEC QB, and they played the best D in the SEC, but more should be expected from this team. They gave up 1 sack and forced 0 TO’s. Tough to win when you’re not forcing the opponent to play your game. At this point, I’m not sure Mullen knows what that game is. Must. Find. RB. Next Game: vs. Arkansas on Saturday, November 17th @ 12:21 PM