Kentucky Football: SEC Power Rankings Heading Into Week 6

LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 30: Head coach Mark Stoops of the Kentucky Wildcats is seen before the game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Commonwealth Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - SEPTEMBER 30: Head coach Mark Stoops of the Kentucky Wildcats is seen before the game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Commonwealth Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Kentucky football improves their record to 4-1, as they find themselves heading in the right direction in this week’s SEC Power Rankings.

In what had been a wild season in SEC land, week 5 was fairly tame. Georgia and Alabama stood out with giant victories, while LSU took a huge step back after a home loss to Troy. Kentucky football took care of business against Eastern Michigan.

Alabama still separates themselves from the rest of the SEC, but Georgia seems to be making strides. Tennessee and Vanderbilt are heading in the wrong direction completely. Week 5 gave us very little excitement – except for, you know, Troy beating LSU at their own homecoming game.

Now fully indulged in conference play, expect these ranking to be shaken up a bit after the weeks to come, but right now, they are staying fairly the same. Here are the SEC Power Rankings heading into week 6.

1. Alabama (5-0)

Sorry, Georgia. Nobody is going to dethrone the Crimson Tide unless they lose, which doesn’t seem very likely. Alabama remains at the top of the SEC and the entire nation as they continue to dominate opponents.

2. Georgia (5-0)

I guess you can say Georgia got their revenge on Tennessee after last year’s hail mary loss. The Bulldogs’ defense has been remarkable this season, as they only allowed 142 total yards to the Volunteers. The gap between Alabama and Georgia seems to be closing just a bit.

3. Auburn (4-1)

I haven’t been a big believer in Auburn so far this season. But after seeing what their offense was able to do against Mississippi State, they caught my attention. It’s clear that they have a strong defense, but if their offense can play like that every week, the Tigers can be a very dangerous team.

4. Florida (3-1)

Florida went on the road against a tough Vanderbilt team and won solidly. This is a big step for the Gators, who squeaked out two wins in a row against Tennessee and Kentucky. They scored 5 touchdowns on the ground, and will need that kind of rushing attack to find continued success.

5. Texas A&M (4-1)

The Aggies seem to have finally forgotten that tough loss to UCLA. They are now 2-0 in the SEC, but they’re staring down the barrel of where teams go to see their seasons die – Alabama. If A&M can keep the game close on Saturday, it’ll be a moral victory for them.

6. Kentucky (4-1)

The Cats got out-gained by Eastern Michigan this week, but still were able to win. That seems like the story this year for Kentucky football. Even with some of their offensive struggles, Kentucky sits at 4-1, which is a very solid start.

LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 30: Benny Snell Jr.
LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 30: Benny Snell Jr. /

7. Vanderbilt (3-2)

The Commodores have now dropped 2 in a row. Granted, they were against the two members of the last two SEC Championship games. Now, they have Georgia coming into town in week 6, so it’s hard to see things looking up for Vandy.

8. Mississippi State (3-2)

It seems like years ago that Mississippi State ran through LSU. After LSU’s loss to Troy, it doesn’t seem like a great victory, either. The Bulldogs have taken back-to-back thrashings to Georgia and Auburn, and they seem to be off the grid now.

9. LSU (3-2)

Boy oh boy, what a tough week for LSU. But, I don’t think all is lost. Now, a bowl game is definitely the main goal for a struggling Tigers’ team. But for a team with championship aspirations at the start of the season, this has been extremely disappointing.

10. Arkansas (2-2)

It’s hard to get a grip on this Razorbacks team. They have victories over New Mexico State and Florida A&M, but losses to TCU and Texas A&M. With road games against South Carolina and Alabama coming up, we’ll start to see how good this team is very soon.

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11. Tennessee (3-2)

So, Butch Jones is all but gone. The Volunteers have no offensive rhythm and defensively, the effort is lacking. After getting shut out at home against Georgia, the future for the Vols looks very dim.

12. South Carolina (3-2)

The Gamecocks could easily be 4-1 right now, but gave up a lead to Texas A&M this week. They need more offensive consistency and protection for Jake Bentley. They have Arkansas at home this upcoming week.

13. Ole Miss (2-2)

Nobody expected the Rebels to beat the Crimson Tide or anything, but giving up 66 points isn’t ideal. Ole Miss is in for a long season, but there is one bright side: they don’t have to play Alabama again.

14. Missouri (1-3)

So, the Tigers have really struggled this season, and that’s probably an understatement. Their schedule does them no favors, either. They go on the road against Kentucky and Georgia in the next two weeks.

Next: Pros and Cons vs Eastern Michigan

In conclusion, Kentucky football is up two spots in this week’s SEC Power Rankings. With a game against struggling Missouri next week, it’ll be hard for them to make much movement upwards in the rankings. It’s a game the Cats should win, so let’s hope for a 5-1 record this time next week.