SEC Football: Week 8 Power Rankings

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

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Week 8 in the SEC brought the return of Leonard Fournette to the playing field and the LSU Tigers back into the conversation for SEC West contention. Here are the Week 8 power rankings.

While the Alabama and Texas A&M game was considered the biggest matchup of the week (and it turned into a laughable contest, as most games involving Alabama, do), the LSU-Ole Miss game presented the most intrigue as it was a rivalry game and was a game that LSU needed to show that it was still a viable team in the SEC West race. Boy did they prove it. The showdown with the Crimson Tide in Death Valley looms large in just two weeks.

Elsewhere in the SEC, fans were treated to the gem that was the Kentucky-Mississippi State game, in which the Wildcats won on a last second field goal to keep their bowl hopes alive, while the Bulldogs inch closer to a losing record and missing out on a bowl for the first time since the 2010 season.

Here are the power rankings for Week 8 for all 14 SEC teams, beginning with the Missouri Tigers:

Oct 22, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Lock (3) runs the ball during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Faurot Field. Middle Tennessee won 51-45. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri Tigers

2-5

Last week: L 51-45 Mid Tenn StateLast rank: 11

A loss to a out of conference foe, at home, is a quick way to find yourself at the bottom of the power rankings. That is exactly where Missouri finds themselves, as their normally tough defense could not get a stop all night and fell to Middle Tennessee State.

Missouri looked as if they had solved their problems from last season and appeared to be a different team to begin the 2016 season but that has obviously not sustained and the Tigers are looking at the possibility at missing out on a bowl game again. While the offense has been big against inferior defenses, they have not risen to the challenge of competing against better teams and it has hurt them. The offense is not to blame for the upset against Middle Tennessee, they did their part, the defense on the other hand, is a different story.

Yes, Middle Tennessee is a good team, but Missouri should not have lost this game, especially with 629 yards of offense.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Kentucky, 12:00pm ET SEC Network

Oct 22, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen reacts to a call during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State Bulldogs

2-5

Last week: L 40-38 KentuckyLast rank: 13

The Bulldogs have been to a bowl game each season since 2010. That streak, looks to be coming to an end in 2016.

2016 was always seen as a rebuilding year for Mississippi State; a young offense that just lost its best player in school history in Dak Prescott, plus offensive line losses, not a lot was expected from the Bulldogs this season. With that said, most would have expected the Bulldogs to find their way into a bowl game. The upset against South Alabama now looms large as Mississippi State could struggle to find four more wins on their schedule for the remainder of the season. The Kentucky game was proof that Mississippi State is young and has no room for error.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Samford, 3:30pm ET SEC Network

Oct 22, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Jake Bentley (4) passes against the Massachusetts Minutemen in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina Gamecocks

3-4

Last week: W 34-28 UMassLast rank: 14

Stop me if you have heard this before; Will Muschamp has a new starter at quarterback. After the game that Jake Bentley had against UMass, it would be hard to argue against him.

Bentley threw for 201 yards and 2 TD’s in his first start for the South Carolina Gamecocks. While the game was against a team with supposed inferior talent, the young quarterback appeared to have star quality, and could be just what head coach Will Muschamp needs for the rest of the season and headed into next season. If Bentley can maintain that level of play, if not elevate it, then the Gamecocks could be a sneaky team to finish out the season and even find themselves in position for a bowl game.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Tennessee, 7:15pm ET ESPN2

Oct 22, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Jeff Badet (13) runs the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky Wildcats

4-3

Last week: W 40-38 Mississippi StateLast rank: 12

In what has been quite the recent turnaround for Kentucky, the Wildcats got a huge win over Mississippi State on a last second field goal that gave them the win.

Mark Stoops and his team looked down and out after the Florida game, but his team has responded and a well deserved bye week proved to be what the Wildcats needed in order to get passed the Bulldogs on Saturday night. Kentucky now finds itself only two wins away from bowl eligibility. With remaining games against Missouri and Austin Peay, the Wildcats certainly have a shot at getting that coveted sixth win that has eluded them for the past two seasons. The matchup against Missouri next week could be the deciding game.

Next game: October 29, 2016 at Missouri, 12:00pm ET SEC Network

Oct 22, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Trent Sherfield (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee State Tigers with teammate Commodores running back Josh Crawford (22) during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores

4-4

Last week: W 35-17 Tennessee StateLast rank: 10

After their upset win over Georgia last Saturday, the Commodores followed that game up with a sound victory over Tennessee State, which gives head coach Derek Mason his first back to back wins in his tenure.

The Commodores easily dispatched of the Tigers, as both the offense and the defense for Vanderbilt were superb. Vanderbilt has done well on offense when not facing the greatest of defenses, much like Missouri, if the Commodores want to continue to work their way to a bowl game then the offense will have to come alive at times, they cannot afford to just rely on their defense to win them games. The victory this past weekend should help bring a sense of confidence to the offense in Nashville.

Next game: November 5, 2016, at Auburn, Time and channel TBD

Sep 24, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA: Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart yells during the first quarter of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi won 45-14. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports.

Georgia Bulldogs

4-3

Last week: Bye WeekLast rank: 9

The Georgia Bulldogs were on a bye week this past weekend. They will face the Florida Gators in the worlds largest outdoor cocktail party this Saturday.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Florida, 3:30pm ET CBS

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze before a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels

3-4

Last week: L 38-21 LSU Last rank: 6

How the mighty fall. For a half, Ole Miss remained competitive with the LSU Tigers but quickly ran into a buzz saw in the second half.

Ole Miss continues to be plagued by problems of youth, turnovers, injuries, and offensive miscommunication. Either way, things are not good for the Rebels right now as they have to look at saving their season, which was once promising but has quickly collapsed around them. Chad Kelly does not have seemed to have progressed as a quarterback, but he also is not getting any help from his offensive line or his receivers. When Kelly did have time to throw on Saturday, he had no one to throw to. As for the Rebel defense, at least the lumps that the freshman are taking now will benefit them next season.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Auburn, 7:15pm ET SEC Network

Oct 15, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain and Missouri Tigers head coach Barry Odom greet after the game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators

5-1

Last week: Bye WeekLast rank: 5

The Florida Gators were on a bye week this week, which is why they slide down a couple spots on the rankings, as well as due to the win by LSU against Ole Miss.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs Georgia, 3:30pm ET CBS

Oct 22, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bret Bielema reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. The Tigers beat the Razorbacks 56-3. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas Razorbacks

5-3

Last week: L 56-3 AuburnLast rank: 3

A week after offense and points aplenty against Ole Miss, the Arkansas Razorbacks were soundly throttled by the Auburn Tigers.

Arkansas had no answer for Auburn. On offense or defense, the biggest takeaway from this game in fact, is the that the Auburn defense is not to be messed with. Arkansas can thrive on a team with no defense, but they obviously struggle when pitted against teams with much stronger defenses like Auburn and Alabama. At this point, Arkansas is out of SEC West contention, but can still play for better bowl positioning. After looking like one of the better teams in the SEC, (they were third in our rankings) Arkansas did a complete turnaround and looked like a very lost team.

Next game: November 5, 2016, vs Florida, Time and channel TBD

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones looks on during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Volunteers

5-2

Last week: Bye WeekLast rank: 4

The Tennessee Volunteers were on a bye week this week. They slide down one spot in our rankings due to wins by Auburn and LSU.

Next game: October 29, 2016, at South Carolina, 7:15 pm ET ESPN2

Oct 22, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Sean White (13) throws a pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the third quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. The Tigers beat the Razorbacks 56-3. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Tigers

5-2

Last week: W 56-3 ArkansasLast rank: 7

Arguably, no team has looked more impressive and improved than they did last year, than the Auburn Tigers.

They almost pulled the opening day upset over Clemson, they have consistently gotten better on offense and the defense has looked incredible. With the maturation of Sean White, the sky is the limit now for Auburn. After being on the hottest of hot seats, Gus Malzahn has turned this Auburn team around and turned them into a potential conference contender. The way they dominated Arkansas shows just what this team is capable of and their biggest game is yet to come.

Next game: October 29, 2016, at Ole Miss, 7:15pm ET SEC Network

Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron celebrates with his team following a win against the Mississippi Rebels in a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi 38-21. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

LSU Tigers

5-2

Last week: W 38-21 Ole MissLast rank: 8

Welcome back Leonard Fournette. Not many teams have looked more improved over the past couple week than the LSU Tigers.

Fournette rushed for 284 yards and 2 touchdowns, in his return from injury; reminding the college football world that he is still a force to be reckoned with. LSU was in a battle with Ole Miss for the first half, but once the second half started, LSU was determined to beat down the Rebels and not let them back in the game. The defense for the Tigers pitched a shutout in the second half, never allowing the Rebels to even come close to scoring. While the LSU offense has come a long way, the defense has come along way as well and looks championship worthy like many originally thought it would in the preseason.

Next game: November 5, 2016, vs Alabama, time and channel TBD

Oct 22, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (93) sacks Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight (8) during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M Aggies

6-1

Last week: L 33-14Last rank: 2

No, Texas A&M is not all of a sudden a bad team, they just ran into the buzzsaw that is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Had this game been in College Station, the outcome might have been a little different, if not outright different and ended in a win for A&M. Going into Tuscaloosa is never easy, but the Aggies did better than one might think. The defense did well in holding Alabama to its lowest point total of the year, and A&M had opportunities to score on offense and just never could convert anything. Texas A&M is still a dangerous team and will be in the playoff hunt, but the loss to Alabama will obviously hurt them if Alabama does indeed win out.

Next game: October 29, 2016, vs New Mexico State, 7:30pm ET ESPNU

Oct 22, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) scores against Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide

8-0

Last week: W 33-14 Texas A&MLast rank: 1

At some point, I wonder if another team will claim the top spot in the SEC, but I doubt it. Alabama looks as strong as ever after dispatching of their latest highly ranked, foe.

If defense is indeed what wins championships, then every team will be looking for to have a defense as good as the 2016 Crimson Tide defense. They make plays when it matters and the are constantly scoring. Not only that, but this defense has a habit of shutting down offenses that were otherwise incredible and hard to stop. Jalen Hurts, the dynamic freshman quarterback continues to make plays and has to have every SEC West team upset at the fact that he is only a freshman and will be there for at least two more seasons. The Tide now have a bye week to get ready for their next monumental matchup with the LSU Tigers.

Next game: November 5, 2016, at LSU, time and channel TBD