SEC Power Poll Ballot -- Week 9
by Glenn Logan on Nov 4, 2009 1:19 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Football
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As we all know, and have said over and over, Kentucky took a big step back on Saturday versus Mississippi State, the second time in three years that the Bulldogs have come into Commonwealth Stadium and left with a Wildcat scalp.
Naturally, that did not help Kentucky in the Power Poll ballot, but some other teams' poor performance did (or in the case of Vanderbilt, lack of sustained performance). The top spot keeps flip-flopping back and forth between Florida and Alabama, and Florida's abuse of the Bulldogs in the World's Largest Cocktail Party makes it hard not to put them in the top spot, even if the Elephants did not play last week.
South Carolina also benefits from the failure of other teams recently even though they were bitten in the hind parts by Ol' Smoky, and Auburn returns to the top half of my ballot with an impressive win over the Ole Miss Rebels on the Plains. All in all, the entire thing is a mess south of the top three teams, and there is very little separating 4-7 and 8-11 as discrete subgroups. Vanderbilt is clearly the weakest team, and Florida or Alabama clearly the best with LSU remaining in the conversation. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess.
The aggregated results from all voters are at Team Speed Kills, as always. My ballot follows the jump.
My ballot:
| Team | cWL | W-L | bWL | SoS | This week | MoV | PF-PA | Next opponent | Polls | Remarks |
| Florida | 6-0 | 8-0 | 6-0 | 47.11 | Vanderbilt | 25.0 | 288-88 | at South Carolina | 1,[1!] | Tebow took away the Dawgs bone, and sent them home from Jacksonville without any supper. |
| Alabama | 5-0 | 8-0 | 6-0 | 48.51 | LSU | 20.4 | 254-91 | at Mississippi State | 3,(3) | Open date, drop a spot. |
| LSU | 4-1 | 7-1 | 5-1 | 45.68 | at Alabama | 14.3 | 211-97 | Louisiana Tech | 9,9 | Beat up on Tulane, but next week they get to pick on a pachyderm their own size. |
| South Carolina | 3-3 | 6-3 | 4-3 | 41.80 | at Arkansas | 2.9 | 197-171 | Florida | 37,31,35 | Okay, so they got ambushed on Rocky top. But the Gamecocks have to go somewhere, and I can't see them behind Auburn yet. |
| Auburn | 3-3 | 6-3 | 4-3 | 48.37 | Furman | 5.8 | 287-235 | at Georgia | 28,29 | Big win by the Plainsmen over a fading Rebel squad. |
| Tennessee | 2-3 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 50.72 | Memphis | 11.4 | 233-142 | at Mississippi | 35,37,32 | Had some Palmetto State pullet for dinner, and now they get a weak CUSA squad. |
| Arkansas | 1-4 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 49.93 | South Carolina | 8.5 | 287-219 | Troy | 45 | This team can score, but can they stop an SEC team from crushing their defense? |
| Georgia | 3-3 | 4-4 | 4-4 | 52.09 | Tennessee Tech | -3.6 | 206-235 | Auburn | After the debacle at the Cocktail Party, the Dawgs are in a bad way. Is it possible that they could wind up with a losing conference record? | |
| Kentucky | 1-4 | 4-4 | 2-4 | 53.92 | Eastern Kentucky | 1.9 | 207-192 | at Vanderbilt | Kentucky has no excuse – You have to hold serve in the SEC against similar foes. Kentucky must now work hard for a Pizza bowl bid. | |
| Mississippi State | 2-3 | 4-5 | 2-4 | 54.96 | open | 2.3 | 242-221 | Alabama | Anthony Dixon trod the Wildcats into the grass beneath his cleated feet. | |
| Mississippi | 2-3 | 5-3 | 2-3 | 41.77 | Northern Arizona | 12.9 | 231-128 | Tennessee | 41 | It's a long way down from where the Rebels were back in September to where they are now. |
| Vanderbilt | 0-5 | 2-7 | 0-6 | 41.33 | at Florida | -3.8 | 164-198 | Kentucky | For a half, I thought the 'Dores were going to deliver a shocker. But alas, the Yellowjackets insisted on playing that pesky second half. |
So there you have it. Some might quibble with my placement of a few teams here, and I am not at all sanguine about many of them, but I really don't care that much. Most of the teams in the SEC this year could as easily wind up in the bottom third as the middle.
Your comments are welcome and encouraged.
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No major complaints
I think there might be some viewing the SEC through rose colored glasses with respect to Kentucky’s placement, but I can’t fault you for that.
I know I wouldn’t be able to move them any lower with a clear conscience.
as much as it pains me....
i would have to put UT above AUB and UK below MSU. i would also put ole miss above MSU…
however:
Most of the teams in the SEC this year could as easily wind up in the bottom third as the middle.
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
Vols Are #3
And IMO it’s not even close. Plus they’ll get better. Destined to be a powerhouse in a couple of years.
"Learn(ing) without thinking begets ignorance. Think(ing) without learning is dangerous."
-Confucius
Heh.
The former is ridiculous, in my opinion. The latter is yet to be seen, but could be.
What’s UT’s record in the SEC, anyway? Oh, yeah – 2-3. That’s so much better than 4-1 LSU, or 3-3 Auburn (who beat UT, by the way) or USC, I must have been out of my mind to put them down there. :-P
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Today They're Better
Key to UT failure/success has been and is Johnathan Crompton. In last 3 games he is realizing potential. UT has played Gators and Tide better than anyone else, demolished ‘Cocks and Dawgs. Peaking at opportune time. Not that it matters in this week’s poll but Vols have #6 recruiting class nationally with 20 commits and 3.55 average. Fresh start, new faces, exuberance (perhaps irrational early), publicity campaign (bad pub is better than none) and outstanding sales pitch to young men, add it up and you have measurable improvement. Maintain it and you have a contender.
"Learn(ing) without thinking begets ignorance. Think(ing) without learning is dangerous."
-Confucius
All
their losses have been close. The only game that wasn’t decided in the last few minutes was Auburn and that was decided in the last quarter. I don’t think its laugable.
Kentucky bretheren united once again! Thanks Cal!
Well ...
… maybe you can both explain to me how they deserve to be ranked higher than 4-1 LSU.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
I don't
have fault with your placement of the Vols especially over LSU but I just took some offense to the tone of not taking the Vols seriously :P
Kentucky bretheren united once again! Thanks Cal!
Oh, I do take them seriously.
They seem to be rising. But then again, they have seemed that way before this season.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Not so sure we have a case for being ranked above MSU after they
beat us….but the rest seems right on the surface……personally 6-11 is a toss up…..any of those teams could beat each other on any given saturday….UT is probably the strongest of the group, but hey…..none of them are head and shoulders above the rest…..I know we better beat Eastern and Vandy, otherwise we may end up in that basement spot ourselves….lol
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
you’e looking at it wrong. You have to figure in the temperature at game time, who wins the toss, and whether Louisville wins or not. There is a lot of factors behind the scene us peions don’t know to figure in when it comes to polls.
And as far as Ole Miss, their coach is a Nutt. There fore he isn’t ready to crack until after Thanksiving and that means any wins they get before the leaves fall in Vermont don’t count.
But if you live in Kentucky you can count any game we are within a touchdown a win if it isn’t against a Spurrier coached team or one who has lost to him.
Its way over our head. Just be satisfied we have Eastern next on the schedule and we don’t have to go to option two which would required us to play the winner of the Alabama-LSU game to get to bowl eligibity.
.
I have be correctly accused of having a 'football fetish'. You know, someone who doesn't think football is the warm up sport to basketball season.
I am curious about one thing though, I was under the impression that Vandy was
improved this season…….what happened???
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
They Play In SEC
Where they’re 0-5, soon to be 0-6. Like UK, Vandy fans are talking BB, rumor has it that ’Dores beat Tarheels 82-69 in the recent game that was never played.
"Learn(ing) without thinking begets ignorance. Think(ing) without learning is dangerous."
-Confucius
A nice score, IMO, for a 'rumored' game that was never played :-)
I wonder if any details of the ‘scrimmage’ will surface?
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Yeah,
what’s the scoop on that rumored game, anyway? Is it legit?
You know, I heard or read (I really don’t remember exactly which) something along the lines of Kevin Stallings arranging a “very special” scrimmage or something similar to that. At the time I remember thinking “oh god, who really cares what the ’Dores are doing, I hate Vandy”. But, now you mention this and obviously it peaks my interest. Inquiring minds want to know. Is it for real?
Rumor or no — details, Weasel, I want details! : )
The Scrimmage Was Definitely Played 11/2 In Nashville
As for other details, it depends on where you read and how much of a skeptic you are. A Vandy outscore wouldn’t surprise me, they’re a veteran team while UNC is replacing 4 starters.
"Learn(ing) without thinking begets ignorance. Think(ing) without learning is dangerous."
-Confucius
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