Penultimate SEC Power Rankings

After 15 weeks of tackles, passes, sacks, runs, picks, kicks, and Gatorade baths we’ve officially reached the end of the season (well, except for Army-Navy, but you know what I mean).

Four SEC teams have played a cut above the rest this season and each week earned grades that separated them from the pack: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and LSU.

The Bulldogs went a perfect 12-0 and while they had some close calls against weak competition, they always found a way to seal the deal. Alabama and Tennessee each took two hits, but the Tide only lost to other teams in the top four while Tennessee took a slightly worse loss to the red-hot South Carolina Gamecocks, eliminated at the cut to eight.

The results of the Georgia-LSU SEC Championship and all four of these teams’ bowl/CFP appearances will determine our SEC Power Rankings champion in early January.

They’ve played the games and the grades are in—here are your SEC Power Rankings at the end of the regular season:

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs only held a 10-7 halftime lead over the Rambling Wreck, but did what they do every year in the second half and just slowly squashed the Yellow Jackets. Grade: B+

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

A bit different than the last couple Iron Bowls, eh? Grade: A+

3. Tennessee Volunteers

I guess last week’s loss made the Vols pretty angry, because despite not having Hendon Hooker they laid waste to Vanderbilt like almost no other team has! Grade: A+

4. LSU Tigers

While not enough to knock them out of the top four, LSU’s loss with their playoff hopes on the line to the 4-7 Texas A&M Aggies was a disaster in the final week. What a way to trip two feet from the finish line. Still, they are heading to the SEC Championship game—not Alabama. They earned that. Grade: F

Eliminated: Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats, Florida Gators, Arkansas Razorbacks, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas A&M Aggies, Missouri Tigers, Vanderbilt Commodores, Auburn Tigers