SEC Football Power Rankings After Week 6
This weekend in the SEC, we saw the impact of losing your starting quarterback. We also saw who are now the contenders to make it to Atlanta. Let’s take a look at where they fall in the power rankings for Week 6.
14. Vanderbilt (Lost to #9 Ole Miss 52-28)
Vanderbilt had Ole Miss right where they wanted them…for a quarter and a half. The Commodores led the Rebels 20-10 after 5 yard Ray Davis touchdown run. Afterwards, Ole Miss scored 28 straight points and never looked back. A.J. Swann looked good for Vanderbilt, throwing for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Davis added 105 rushing yards to his touchdown, to lead the Commodores on the ground. Jayden McGowan and Will Sheppard each had a receiving touchdown for Vanderbilt.
13. Missouri (Lost to Florida 24-17)
Missouri lost to Florida in similar fashion to how they lost to Georgia. They were in the game at the half, while making it close again in the fourth quarter. Brady Cook looked bad against the Gators, with 220 yards passing, but had two interceptions. Nathaniel Peat was a bright spot for Missouri, adding 117 rushing yards to his rushing touchdown. Cody Schrader added a rushing touchdown, as well.
12. Auburn (Lost to #2 Georgia 21-17)
The Tigers were overmatched against the Bulldogs. Georgia ran at will against a weak Tiger defense, with Daijun Edwards scoring three times on the ground. Tiger quarterback Robby Ashford was a bright spot for Auburn, throwing for 165 and touchdown, while adding 52 yards rushing. The Tigers simply could not stop the Bulldogs offense, specifically on the ground. Bryan Harsin’s seat is extremely warm now.
11. LSU (Lost to #8 Tennessee)
The Louisiana State University Tigers were never a threat in the game. Fumbling the opening kickoff, they allowed Tennessee to score five plays later and the Vols never looked back. Jayden Daniels had 300 yards passing, with one touchdown and one interception. Daniels was also the Tigers leading rusher, adding 38 yards on the ground. LSU’s highlight of the day was the 54 yard average for punter Jay Bramblett.
10. Arkansas (Lost to #23 Mississippi State 40-17)
The Razorbacks never looked like a threat, as Mississippi State dominated from the opening kick. Playing without K.J. Jefferson, the Razorbacks were lackluster in the passing game. Malik Hornsby had 234 yards passing, with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Arkansas ground game was good, racking up 241 yards against the Bulldogs. Hornsby contributed 114 yards to the rushing attack, but Raheim Sanders was the only Razorback to get into the end zone on the ground.
9. Texas A&M (Lost to #1 Alabama)
The Aggies played a tough game against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Haynes King had the chance to beat the Crimson Tide on the last play of the game, but his pass fell incomplete has time expired. King had 253 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception for the Aggies. Devon Achane had 62 yards on the ground, but the Aggies struggled to run the ball against a good Crimson Tide defense.
8. Kentucky (Lost to South Carolina 24-14)
Kentucky struggled without starting quarterback Will Levis against SEC East foe South Carolina. With Kaiya Sheron on in relief, the Wildcat passing attack sputtered, with Sheron throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns, as well as one interception. Most of those yards came after the running game was abandoned in the second half. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had 126 yards, with 97 of those coming before halftime. Wide receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key had crucial drops and Tayvion Robinson left the game injured. The Wildcats never looked in sync offensively and special teams were once again an issue.
7. South Carolina (Won against #13 Kentucky 24-14)
Benefitting from the absence of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, the Gamecock defense held the Wildcats passing attack in check. The Gamecocks had an effective running game, led by MarShawn Lloyd, who had 110 yards and one touchdown. The score came after a Wildcat turnover on the first play of the game, giving South Carolina a short field. Spencer Rattler underwhelmed again, with 177 yards passing and one interception, but added a timely touchdown to seal the victory for the Gamecocks.
6. Florida (Won against Missouri 24-17)
Anthony Richardson was once again mediocre in the Gator win against the Tigers. Coming off an injury, Richardson threw for just 66 yards and one touchdown, with one interception. He added 45 yards on five rushes. He also lost a fumble. Jaydon Hill had a 49 yard interception return for touchdown for the Gator defense. Montrell Johnson Jr. was the leading rusher for Florida, with 86 yards and a touchdown. Trevor Etienne added 83 yards on ten carries.
5. Mississippi State (Won against Arkansas 42-24)
Bulldog quarterback Will Rogers had another impressive day, with this one coming against Arkansas, completing 31 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns against the Razorbacks. Rogers completed passes to eleven different receivers. Jo’Quavious Marks led the way with eleven catches for 80 yards receiving. Dillon Johnson had 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns for Mississippi State. The Bulldog defense forced two interceptions.
4. Ole Miss (Won against Vanderbilt 52-28)
After a lackluster opening quarter and a half, the Rebels finally looked good against a Vanderbilt team that showed fight against a superior team. Vandy had a 20-10 lead midway through the second quarter, but the Ole Miss offense woke up and systematically outscored the Commodores 28-0 over the following quarter and a half. In typical Lane Kiffin fashion, the Rebels added a very late touchdown, even when the result was decided. Quarterback Janson Dart had 448 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions. Zach Evans had 80 yards and one touchdown, while Quinshon Judkins added 46 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Tennessee (Won against #25 LSU 40-13)
Tennessee looked absolutely dominant against the home standing LSU Tigers. The game started out well for the Vols, with a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff. Five plays later, Jabari Small ran in a touchdown and the Vols never trailed afterward. Quarterback Henson Hooker had a good day, with two passing touchdowns and 239 yards passing. He added 56 yards on the ground, aiding a dominant rushing attack for Tennessee. Jabari Small had 127 yards and two touchdowns. The Tennessee defense added an interception, to go along with the fumble recovery, to stay in total control of the Tigers.
2. UGA (Won against Auburn 26-22)
Georgia once again looked like a national championship contender, throttling the Auburn Tigers. Bulldog quarterback Stetson Bennett had an average game passing, with 208 yards, but no touchdowns or interceptions. He did have a touchdown and 64 yards rushing, as part of a powerful Bulldog rushing attack. Daijun Edwards had three touchdowns and 83 yards, while Kenny McIntosh and Branson Robinson each added a rushing touchdown. The Georgia defense forced a fumble and held the Tigers to 258 total yards of offense.
1.Alabama (Won against Texas A&M 24-20)
The Crimson Tide finally got themselves a game Saturday night. The Texas A&M Aggies had an opportunity to score the game winning touchdown on the final drive, but quarterback Haynes King threw an incomplete pass into the end zone as time expired, sealing the Crimson Tide win. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was a satisfactory replacement , starting in place of the injured Bryce Young. He threw for 3 touchdowns, but only 111 yards and an interception. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was impressive again, rushing for 154 yards on 21 carries.