Mississippi State Bulldogs

SEC Power Rankings: Week One

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

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Dec 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; The SEC logo on the playing field at the Georgia Dome in preparation for the SEC Championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators Saturday. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

As we prepare to kick off the 2016 college football season this weekend, let’s rank all fourteen teams in the SEC.

The SEC is the most dominant conference in all of college football. Period. The conference went a combined 9-2 in 2015 bowl games capped off by the Alabama Crimson Tide winning another national championship. There is no reason why the SEC shouldn’t continue this type of dominance.

There is no shortage of story lines around the SEC to follow as we crank up the 2016 season. Several teams are looking to knock off Alabama as the king of the jungle. Can LSU and Les Miles fix their marriage and return to dominance? Can Tennessee take the big step everyone expects them to and win the East? What will come of the allegations surrounding Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss? And how will that affect what should be a promising year for the Rebs?

Three new head coaches look to make a big splash in the league while more tenured guys like Mark Stoops and Gus Malzahn could be coaching for their jobs. Can Kevin Sumlin recapture the lightning in a bottle he had when Texas A&M first entered the SEC? How will Mississippi State replace Dak Prescott? Can Arkansas use some late season momentum for 2015 to contend in the West?

These are just the major questions surrounding the teams of the SEC and for now we can only speculate until the season actually starts.

Now let’s dive into the rankings from 14 to 1:

Missouri Tigers

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Simply put, Missouri was just not good in 2015. Quarterback Maty Mauk was suspended, reinstated, and suspended again. His replacement and the 2016 starter, Drew Lock, didn’t show very much promise in Mauk’s absence. The Tigers do return a few starters on defense including Charles Harris and Terry Beckner.

Even worse than their performance on the field was the off field issue the Tigers faced. In November of 2015, as many as thirty African-American football players announced that they would not participate in football activity due the their concern over how issue of racism had been handled by then president Tim Wolfe. Wolfe stepped down and the players returned but that didn’t help much on the field. In addition, 15 year head coach Gary Pinckel retire due to an illness and the university hired defensive coordinator Barry Odom.

By all accounts, coach Odom is a good coach who players and boasters both like but he will have a hard time equaling Missouri’s 5-7 2015 record.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Before 2015, South Carolina had been a major player in the SEC East. The Gamecocks won eleven games three seasons in a row from 2011-2013 but 2015 was a different story. Legendary head coach Steve Spurrier retired mid season and the team won a disappointing three games. In the off season SC hired former Florida head coach Wil Muschamp to be their new head coach. I would imagine after how his tenure at Florida ended, Muschamp will only have a couple years to get South Carolina back to prominence.

Jul 11, 2016; Hoover, AL, USA; Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason speaks to the media during SEC media day at Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

It seems like a lifetime ago that Vanderbilt was on the verge of competing in the SEC East. But that was 2013 and James Franklin had his Commedores coming off consecutive nine win seasons and three straight bowl games. Franklin left for Penn State that year and took all of that momentum will him. Derrick Mason was hired to replace Franklin but has been unable to capture the same lightning in a bottle type success.
There may be hope on the horizon however, as the 2015 Vanderbilt team was a play or two away from winning four conference games. Coach Mason has built a more than solid defense that finished 28th in the nation last season. That unit returns seven starters and will determine Vandy’s success in 2016. The Dores also return a 1000 yard rusher in Ralph Webb. While I don’t expect much of a step up, if they can get consistent play from the quarterback position Vanderbilt could be a surprise in 2016.11

Kentucky Wildcats

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

It feels like Kentucky has been a year away from competing for the past few years now. Mark Stoops has supplanted the Wildcats firmly in the middle of the SEC East pack and hopes 2016 is finally “the” year. If it is in fact the year UK takes a step up, it’ll be due to the experience on offense. Nine starters return for the offense including four on the offensive line. That should bode well for sophomore QB Drew Barker and junior RB Stanley Williams. With Patrick Towles out of the picture, Barker is the guy for the Wildcats.
Kentucky returns an All-SEC freshman team member in corner back Chris Westry to a defense that was lack luster in 2015. While I don’t expect UK to compete for the SEC East title, I do think it’s entirely possible the Cats make a bowl game in 2016. With teams like South Carolina and Missouri expected to be down, I look for Coach Stoops to finally get over the five win plateau.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Arkansas ended the 2015 by winning six of their last seven including a Liberty Bowl victory over Kansas State. Their only loss in that stretch came against Mississippi State when Benqiuez Brown blocked a game winning field goal. It could be possible that the Razorbacks carry that momentum into 2016, but I don’t think that will be the case.
Bert Bielema has to replace his starting quarterback and running back with the departure of Alex Collins and Brandon Allen. Arkansas teams under Bielema have one thing in common. One of the biggest offensive lines in the country. This will be true again in 2016 and should help develop new starting QB, Austin Allen. Arky returns nine starters on defense which could keep them in some games. I still don’t think it’s enough for them to take a step forward. Arkansas finds themselves in the bottom of the SEC West in 2016.

Auburn Tigers

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

The Auburn Tigers were the sexy big to make a big splash in 2015. Auburn was also the wrong pick to make a big splash in 2015. Quarterback Jeremy Johnson was supposed to contend for the Heisman. He was benched after three starts. Sean White took his place but he wasn’t able to lead the Tigers to the extremely high bar that the preseason predictions had set for them.
Auburns offensive is still a huge question mark as both 2015 quarterbacks return and are joined by highly touted JUCO transfer John Franklin III. Running back is also a mess as projected starter Jovon Robinson was kicked off the team for “not meeting team standards.” The defensive should keep Auburn is some games. They return projected first round draft pick Carl Lawson as well as a few other stud players. You better believe Gus Malzhan will be desperate as he might be coaching for his job in 2016.

Nov 7, 2015; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Christian Kirk (3) carries the ball as Auburn Tigers defensive back Stephen Roberts (14) defends during the second quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M Aggies

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Texas A&M took the SEC by storm a few years ago. Kevin Sumlin’s high flying offense and Johnny Manziel’s theatrics catapulted the Aggies into one of the most popular programs in the country. Since then Manziel has become a sideshow and Sumlin has struggled to find any consistence. One thing no one can deny about the 2016 Aggies is that they are super talented all over the field. They are without a doubt the team most likely to outplay these predictions.
Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight steps in as quarterback and he may have the deepest wide receiver corp in the SEC. Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil, Josh Reynolds, and Christian Kirk could all start for any team in the nation. The talent isn’t limited to offense either. There is a few names of note on the A&M defense but the biggest name in defensive end Myles Garrett. Some experts are already talking about the talented pass rusher as the number on pick in the draft. Until I see Sumlin put it all together without Manziel, I’ll put this team in the middle of the SEC West pack.

Florida Gators

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Consistency is the key for the 2016 Florida Gators and Luke Del Rio is the face of that consistency. The Gators showed a ton of improvement in 2015 under Jim McElwain but once quarterback Will Grier was suspended for the year for using performance enhancing drugs the offense came to a screeching halt. After all the issues, the Gators snuck out enough wins to play in the SEC championship game. I believe they have a good shot to do so again.
The Gators return stud defensive back Jalen Tabor, who was over shadowed by Vernon Hargrave III last season. They also return three starters in the defensive front seven which should provide a good nucleus for them to lean on. Antonio Callaway is one of the top receivers in the SEC and coach McElwain is an offensive guru. I expect the SEC East to be a three headed monster in 2016 and Florida is a definitely a real player.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Mississippi State is one of the biggest question marks in the SEC. Not only do the Bulldogs lose Dak Prescott, the heartbeat of the team for the past two years, but four key starters are gone off the 2015 defense. Add to those departures the loss of the only two cornerbacks with any experience due to injury and it’s hard to know what to expect from this year’s Dawgs.
Nevertheless, Dan Mullen has built this team into a program capable of being competitive in the SEC year in and year out. The 2016 MSU defense should be pretty solid, especially the front seven. Led by linebacker Richie Brown and defensive end AJ Jefferson, I expect the defense to keep State in most games. Either Nick Fitzgerald or Damien Williams will need to step up in order for the offense to have a chance. I don’t think Mississippi has what it takes to win the west in 2016 but I expect a solidwin total.

Georgia Bulldogs

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Georgia is another team with a ton of intrigue in 2016. Longtime head coach Mark Richt is gone and in comes highly touted Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs have been a very good program just on the edge of greatness for quite a while now. Given the talent already there and the recruiting hot bed they’re located in, Coach Smart should have UGA competing in the east immediately.
The 2016 offense is loaded with talent. Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason is supposed to be the real deal and could be the league’s best passer by the end of the season. His development will surely be helped along by the two headed monster UGA has at running back. Nick Chubb is returning from injury in 2016 and looking to regain his standing as one of the nation’s best runners. His backup is Sony Michel, who could be a starter for most other teams. If Kirby Smart can lift up the play of the defense, Georgia could be headed to Atlanta.

Jan 1, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) runs with the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half in the 2016 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 45-6. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Vols

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

The 2016 Tennessee Volunteers are almost identical to the 2015 Auburn Tigers. They’re the sexy pick and for good reason. Butch Jones has a ton of key players returning to lead the Vols. It’s not often teams have a one two punch on offense as talented as Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurd. Dobbs is a real deal playmaker at quarterback who is capable of elevating the entire team’s play. Hurd is a do all running back who is as dangerous as they come with the ball in his hands.
The defense is not lacking in talent either. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and cornerback Cam Sutton are the leaders of the unit. The front seven led by Derek Barnett at defensive end is as good as it gets in the league. The biggest thing between this UT team and the SEC east title is the off field issue. Butch Jones has about as many recruiting violations as he does big time recruits. Of course everything is allegation at this point but it could affect the focus of these players. I’m not quite ready to hand out Heisman Trophies or National Championships but the Tennessee team has what it takes to compete.

Ole Miss Rebels

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

Another team looking to make it to the SEC Championship game amidst allegations is Ole Miss. Hugh Freeze has recruited a slew of talent to Oxford and that may very well be what leads to his demise. Most of the success is on the shoulders of quarterback Chad Kelly. The Rebels have restocked the receiving group. Damore’eaStringfellow and QuinceyAdeboyjo will look to reap the benefits of Kelly’s arm. If Kelly can match his 4000+ yards 31 touchdown output from 2015 the Rebs will go far.
No doubt the talent is there for OM but two major questions remain. Someone will have to step up at Running back. The favorite to start in 2016 had been Jordan Wilkins before was ruled academically ineligible early this month. Freeze will rely on unproven runners like Akeem Judd for production. The other question mark is the defense. They have the potential to be very could with the return of safety Tony Connor but having to replace a ton of key starters could take its toll on the Landshark defense.

LSU Tigers

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

It’s hard to believe a program with the caliber of LSU almost fired their coach last season but that’s what happened in Baton Rouge. Entering 2016 LSU has a couple key factors working in their favor. One, Les Miles is still the head coach. Two, Leonard Fournette is still a beast. Fournetter rushed for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2015. Barring injury, he should be firmly in the Heisman race at seasons end. LSU is always known to have a great defense and 2016 in no different. The unit returns ten starters and is in their second year under current defensive coordinator, Dave Aranda.
The one unknown for LSU is the quarterback position. Brandon Harris will be the guy but I’m not sure that’s a good thing for the Tigers. If Harris cannot be better than is 2015 campaign LSU will struggle against the tough SEC defenses. His lack of production won’t be due to lack of weapons as Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural are studs at wide receiver. We could find ourselves again talking about Miles’ job security if the QB can’t produce.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Last week: N/ALast rank: N/A

this point, no logical person should pick against Nick Saban until further notice. Alabama is nothing short of a dynasty and that should continue in 2016. Most NCAA programs take a dip to rebuild the program but Bama is the exception to that rule. No matter who graduates or leaves the next guy up is just as good.Its unknown who will be the starting QB for the Tide and honestly it probably won’t matter.
The 2016 offensive line is loaded, led by All-American Cam Robinson. The skill positions are loaded headlined by Calvin Ridley and OJ Howard. And Bo Scarbrough is the next in a long line of outstanding running backs. The defense is equally as loaded. Tim Williams and Reuben Foster will man the middle while Eddie Jackson leads the secondary. I won’t be surprised if the Tide win another National Title in 2016.