SEC Football: End of Season SEC Power Rankings

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Nov 25, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers wide receiver Johnathon Johnson (12) misses a pass as Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Ryder Lucas (24) defends during the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The regular season has come to an end with just a championship left for SEC football fans to look forward to. From worst to first, here’s our take on where each SEC team ranks at the end of the season.

The Bottom of the Barrel

14. Missouri (4-8)

Even with a victory in their final game against Arkansas, the Tigers were not a very good football team this year. They lost to Middle Tennessee at home. They racked up 740 yards in a loss to Tennessee. It just wasn’t their year.

13. Ole Miss (5-7)

Save Shea Patterson’s come from behind victory over A&M, the loss of Chad Kelly crushed the Rebel’s bowl chances. There season ended in blowout fashion to a 5-7 Mississippi State team that began the season with a loss to South Alabama. Yeesh.

12. South Carolina (6-6)

After beating Tennessee at the end of October the Gamecocks had a mathematical chance of winning the SEC East which never materialized. Muschamp and company didn’t have any other wins that were that impressive this year. There season ended in a 56-7 route by Clemson.

11. Mississippi State (5-7)

The Bulldogs ended the season playing their best football. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald rushed for more than 1,000 yards and they scored 35 points or more in five of their final six games. Last but not least, they won the Egg Bowl and escaped the bottom of the SEC West this year.

Nov 26, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores receiver Darrius Sims (6) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 45-34. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Also-Rans

10. Vanderbilt (6-6)

The Commodores escaped the lowest tier with an upset victory over Tennessee to end the season. The win gave them bowl eligibility for the first time under head coach Derek Mason. Vandy has improved from a push over to a strong defensive team that needs to be taken seriously.

9. Arkansas (7-5)

This team doesn’t make any sense. The Razorbacks haven’t won consecutive games since the defeated TCU and Texas State in September. Arkansas beat Ole Miss with Chad Kelly and Florida, but they also lost to Missouri. If anything is for certain, they are consistently inconsistent.

8. Georgia (7-5)

Georgia’s signature win in 2016 came at home against the Auburn Tigers without an offensive touchdown. Kirby Smart reaches a 7-5 record in his first year at the helm, which isn’t bad. It’s just not very good either.

7. Kentucky (7-5)

Beating the Heisman Trophy front runner is a good sign that your program is going in the right direction. The Wildcats had a legitimate shot at winning the SEC East this year but fell just short. Benny Snell and Boom Williams became the eighth SEC running back duo to both rush for 1,000 yards, a first in Kentucky football history.

Nov 19, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Trayveon Williams (5) runs in for a touchdown against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

The Almost Very Good

6. Tennessee (8-4)

This was supposed to be the Volunteer’s year. Through five weeks they were perfect, but the luck ran out in College Station, Texas. The injury bug bit this team hard, but it doesn’t explain losses in the second half of the season to South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Joshua Dobbs was responsible for 36 touchdowns and did everything he could to will this team to win. Instead they’ll be sitting at home watching the Gators play in the SEC Championship game.

5. Texas A&M (8-4)

The Aggies are the only other SEC team not named Alabama to appear in the college football playoff rankings top four this season. Since appearing on that list however, Texas A&M lost four consecutive conference games, including their season finale against LSU. A combination of injuries and bad defense cost the Aggies a chance at being a true contender this year.

4. Auburn (8-4)

After dropping two of their first three contests, Auburn reeled off six consecutive victories, five of which came against SEC opponents. They too fell victim to Alabama, but so did everyone else. Running backs Kamyrn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson combined for 2,119 all purpose yards and were a dangerous one-two punch when combined with a stingy defense.

3. Florida (9-3)

Florida might be the most unimpressive 9-3 team in recent memory. They didn’t have a lot of flash, but they found ways to grind out wins. Florida beat just two ranked teams this year, but they were able to avoid bad losses that plagued other SEC teams. They’ll probably get thrashed by Alabama next weekend, but they’ve played just well enough to stick around the playoff conversation.

2. LSU (7-4)

Coach Orgeron did a good enough job to earn the full time job as the head coach of LSU. Since taking over from Les Miles, Orgeron went 5-2 with his only losses coming to Alabama and Florida (by a yard). The Tigers ended their regular season by hanging 54 points on Texas A&M, an offensive explosion that was almost unheard of from the Tigers.

Nov 26, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Ronnie Harrison (15) and defensive back Anthony Averett (28) react after a play against Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide defeats the Tigers 30-12. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

The Cream of the Crop

1. Alabama (12-0)

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide sit alone on top of the SEC mountain. If they’re able to take care of business next weekend in the SEC Championship game then every school in the SEC will have at least four losses – except for Alabama.

Alabama allowed 137 points in 12 games so far this season, including a month of zero touchdowns. Since Trevor Knight connected with Christian Kirk on a 25 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of of the Tide’s game against Texas A&M no other team has crossed the goal line against Alabama. That’s insane.

Nobody has been able to oust the Crimson Tide form the top spot in the College Football Playoff rankings. Only Western Michigan has managed to finish their regular season undefeated. Alabama is the odds on favorite to win the national championship, and after seeing them play this season I have a hard time envisioning anybody else raising that trophy in January.

***Stats from Sports Reference and ESPN ***