SEC Football Power Rankings after Week 11

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With just three weeks left in college football’s regular season, the races for the College Football Playoff are in full force. And the Southeastern Conference has six teams all in the mix.

Oklahoma and Texas, two teams incidentally tied in the US LBM Coaches Poll rankings released Sunday, have an outside shot at making it, but likely can’t afford another loss. Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Georgia, on the other hand, could likely fall once more and still be OK.

But “likely” is doing a lot of work there. Alabama will host Oklahoma on Saturday in a game with massive implications, much the same for Texas-at-Georgia. If the home teams sleep in their own beds following wins, the window closes for the Longhorns and Sooners.

Meanwhile, in the race to the bottom, Arkansas appears to be leaving everyone else behind. After Kentucky’s win over Florida, the SEC has just three teams left with one SEC victory. South Carolina is the clear class of the group, while Auburn and Mississippi State both own wins over the Razorbacks.

Here’s how the SEC looks on the whole in early November.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (1)

Alabama did what it needed against LSU, avoiding a disappointing showing against arguably its biggest rival over the last 20 years. If the Crimson Tide can hold the course against Oklahoma, they should be a force come Playoff time.

2. Georgia Bulldogs (2)

For the first time in a month, Georgia won by more than 10 points. But Texas’ defense will provide a stiffer challenge than most the Bulldogs have faced this year. Plus, with Georgia Tech looming at the end of the season, UGA looks to have the toughest road to hoe as far as the expected teams go.

3. Texas A&M Aggies (3)

Is Texas A&M this good or have the Aggies been fortunate to have one of the easest schedules an SEC team has had in recent years? It doesn’t matter, really, as A&M finds itself with breathing room as it remains undfeated after nine games. With South Carolina, Samford and Texas to finish the season, the Aggies are practically a lock.

4. Ole Miss Rebels (4)

Ole Miss, too, seems to be a guarantee for the Playoff. The Rebels have just Florida, fresh off a dfeat at the hands of Kentucky, and Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. It would likely take two losses to knock the Rebels out of the picture.

5. Texas Longhorns (5)

Texas has to beat Georgia to feel good about its Playoff chances. The Longhorns aren’t guaranteed ‘out’ if they lose, but with games against two rivals – albeit one of them Arkansas – to finish the season, the margin for error in Austin is small.

6. Oklahoma Sooners (6)

Win and stay alive. It’s really that simple for Oklahoma at this point. The good news for the Sooners is that they’re coming off a bye week whereas Alabama played a physical game against LSU.

7. Tennessee Volunteers (8)

Poor New Mexico State has to face the Volunteers on Saturday as Tennessee is coming off a bye and should be ready to take out some frsutration on the Aggies after another season of disappointment. The Vols are good. They’re not great.

8. Vanderbilt Commodores (7)

Yes, Vanderbilt moved down despite winning on Saturday. Auburn is a bad football team and the Commodores needed overtime to win. Welcome to being taken seriously, Vandy.

9. Missouri Tigers (9)

Mizzou sits 6-3 after nine games and yet it feels like a disappointing season in Columbia. That happens when you’ve lost three of four, though. Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Arkansas will finish out the Tigers’ season. It should be three wins, but if the disappointment sticks, could Mizzou actuall lose two of them?

10. South Carolina Gamecocks (12)

As a matter of fact, we are, indeed, putting a team with one SEC win here above loads of teams that have more. Too bad. South Carolina has not deserved its record and are legitimately better than every team below, record inferior or not.

11. LSU Tigers (11)

LSU put up a fight against Alabama, but the Tigers are a team in turmoil. The end.

12. Mississippi State Bulldogs (13)

MSU finishes with Missouri this week and then Ole Miss at the end of the month. If the Bulldogs split, they’re headed back to a bowl game. That’s big news for a team that owns just one SEC win over the last two years.

13. Kentucky Wildcats (14)

Don’t look now, but Kentucky, too, needs just two more wins to make a bowl. Tennessee Tech on Saturday should be one, then Vanderbilt and Louisville. It doesn’t seem likely, but, hey, a win over Florida didn’t seem likely, either.

14. Florida Gators (10)

Hey, at least, the Gators aren’t LSU.

15. Auburn Tigers (15)

Would you rather be a fan of Auburn, LSU, Florida or Arkansas right now? It isn’t that those teams are bad, but the chaos surrounding the programs is unbelievable.

16. Arkansas Razorbacks (16)

Three weeks left, three rivalry games: at LSU, at Texas, home to Missouri. Expect an 0-3 finish and the third winless SEC season since 2018.

This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Week 11 SEC Football Power Rankings

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