By Brett Daniels
Week 11 of the College Football Season produced upsets in the Top 5 in what has become a weekly occurrence. The level of parity in college football is unlike any season we have ever seen with the exception of 2007 where a 2-loss LSU team defeated Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game.
Specifically in the SEC, the championship picture is still muddy as eight teams are still mathematically alive for the trip to Atlanta. The nightmare scenario for the league is also closer to becoming reality with the two one-loss teams (Tennessee, Texas) having multiple conference games to finish the season while many of the two loss teams will be playing the lower half of the conference to finish the season.
Week 11 SEC Power Rankings
1. Tennessee Volunteers (8-1)
Tennessee gets the nod over Texas for the top spot since the Volunteers have a win over a ranked team (Alabama) while the Longhorns do not. A win by Tennessee at Georgia on Saturday night would almost guarantee the Vols a spot in Atlanta provided they get past Vanderbilt at the end of the season. A loss wouldn’t eliminate them from contention. but would make the path more difficult.
Next Up: Saturday at Georgia
A top-10 showdown with Playoff and SEC title stakes 😤
Athens, we'll see you soon for Tennessee-Georgia‼️ pic.twitter.com/a5SQFaRqRM
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 10, 2024
2. Texas Longhorns (8-1)
The Longhorns pummeled a Florida team that gave Georgia a game the week before. QB Quinn Ewers finally looked like his old self, throwing for 333 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win. Texas will finish the season with three straight conference games at Arkansas, home versus Kentucky, and at Texas A&M. If the Longhorns win out, they are in Atlanta for the Championship Game.
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Next Up: Saturday at Arkansas
3. Texas A&M Aggies (7-2)
The Aggies had the best weekend of anyone without playing. With LSU and Georgia both losing, the Aggies have a share of the conference lead at 5-1 and control their own destiny for a trip to the SEC Championship Game. Notre Dame continuing to win makes that loss also looks better to the CFB Playoff committee. Texas A&M will step out of conference for a cupcake this week vs. New Mexico State before finishing the season at Auburn and home vs Texas.
Next Up: Saturday vs New Mexico State
4. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-2)
Saturday night in Death Valley looked like the Alabama we all expected to see at the beginning of the season. The Tide completely annihilated LSU in their own building, winning 42-13 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Jalen Milroe was electric on the ground running for 185 yards and four touchdowns while the defense held Garrett Nussmeier and the Tiger offense largely in check forcing three turnovers. Alabama will get a breather this weekend against FCS Mercer before traveling to Oklahoma and hosting Auburn to finish the season.
Next Up: Saturday vs FCS Mercer
NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE BUT FOUR RUSHING TDS FOR JALEN MILROE 😱
ABSOLUTELY TERRORIZING THE LSU DEFENSE 😳 pic.twitter.com/XuXOsCkLLC
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2024
5. Ole Miss Rebels (8-2)
The Rebels beat Georgia on Saturday in a way that the Bulldogs haven’t experienced in several seasons. Jaxson Dart through an interception on the games first possession that led to a Georgia touchdown but after that, it was all Ole Miss. The defense harassed Carson Beck all night and limited the Dawgs to 245 yards of total offense while causing three turnovers.
Offensively, the Rebels gashed the Georgia defense over the middle repeatedly en route to the upset. Ole Miss will have the week off before a trip to the Swamp to face Florida and the Egg Bowl at home against Mississippi State.
Next Up: 11/23 at Florida
6. Georgia Bulldogs (7-2)
The Dawgs have shown cracks on both sides of the ball all season and against Ole Miss on Saturday night the dam finally burst. Spotty offensive line play was exploited for 5 sacks and only a 1.8-yard per-rush average against the Rebel defense. The drops by receivers continued and an already thin RB room lost Trevor Etienne after the first drive to a rib injury.
Defensively, the Dawgs couldn’t get pressure on either Ole Miss QB and were gashed on mismatches over the middle repeatedly. Georgia’s season will come down to the game Saturday at home against Tennessee. The Dawgs have won seven in a row and have a 12-2 record against the Vols since 2010. Georgia has also not lost a home game since October 12, 2019, against South Carolina which is a good sign for the Bulldog faithful.
Next Up: Saturday vs Tennessee
7. LSU Tigers (6-3)
“Big Game” Brian Kelly strikes again as the Tigers were run out of their own stadium against Alabama on Saturday night. LSU’s defense had no answer for the legs of Jalen Milroe as he ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns on the evening.
Offensively, the Tigers turned the ball over three times (two interceptions, one fumble) and couldn’t get anything going against the Alabama defense. The Tigers have a trip to the Swamp against Florida on Saturday before two home games against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to end the season. LSU is still alive for the conference championship game with 2 conference losses but would need a lot of help to make it to Atlanta.
Next Up: Saturday at Florida
When Brian Kelly loses, America wins. pic.twitter.com/waoQ9Y8gdE
— Josh Reynolds (@joshjreynolds) November 10, 2024
8. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3)
Coach Shane Beamer should be in the running for SEC Coach of the Year with the improvement of his Gamecock team from the beginning of the season until now. South Carolina started off shaky against Old Dominion and could have tanked after losing three out of four to LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama but instead went on a three-game winning streak and is currently a team that no one really wants to play.
The defense has been stifling and LaNorris Sellers is growing into a superstar before our eyes. The Gamecocks will finish the season with two ranked matchups against Missouri and Clemson with FCS Wofford in between. With 3 conference losses, South Carolina is not in contention for the SEC Championship Game unless complete chaos happens in the next three weeks.
Next Up: Saturday vs Missouri
9. Missouri Tigers (7-2)
Saturday’s last-second win against Oklahoma again proved that this edition of the Missouri Tigers is a very mediocre team with an easy schedule. After the game Missouri Head Coach Eli Drinkwitz remarked that they were in the playoff hunt, as shocking as it sounds, but it’s doubtful. Missouri could win out (spoiler alert: they are going to lose to South Carolina on Saturday) and they still won’t sniff the Top 12 of the Playoff rankings with no good wins.
Next Up: Saturday at South Carolina
Eli Drinkwitz on miraculous win over Oklahoma:
“This keeps us in the Playoff hunt.
“That’s right, I said it, Playoff hunt!”
pic.twitter.com/CxB1WzfL6y— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) November 10, 2024
10. Vanderbilt Commodores (6-4)
The “Vandy Pimp” from SEC Shorts was in attendance on Saturday in Nashville for the game against South Carolina, but it wasn’t enough as the Gamecock defense stifled the Commodore offense and Diego Pavia to the tune of 274 total yards. The Dores’ will have the week off before finishing the season on the road against LSU and home versus Tennessee. Regardless of how the year ends for Vanderbilt, this team has exceeded expectations and provided a base to build off in the future.
Next Up: 11/23 at LSU
The Vanderbilt pimp from @SECShorts just got his own entrance with the mascot 😂 pic.twitter.com/MFVPtE4IUn
— Billy Derrick (@billyderrick10) November 9, 2024
11. Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4)
The Hogs had the week off after the massacre against Ole Miss last week. Texas is coming to Fayetteville hitting on all cylinders after a blowout win against Florida.
Next Up: Saturday vs Texas
12. Florida Gators (4-5)
In the same week that Head Coach Billy Napier was informed he would return for the 2025 season, the Gators were down 35-0 to Texas at halftime. To be fair, the Gators have suffered a lot of injuries over the course of the season, none bigger than the injuries to QBs Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway. Florida will welcome a reeling LSU team into the Swamp on Saturday.
Next Up: Saturday vs LSU
13. Oklahoma Sooners (5-5)
The first year in the SEC isn’t going so well for the Sooners as they sit at 1-5 with two more conference games to play. A largely inept offense and a late turnover allowed Missouri to squeak out a win over the Sooners on Saturday. Coach Brent Venables will be feeling the heat if the Sooners can’t win one of their last two games a make it to a bowl.
Next Up: Saturday vs Alabama
Bob Stoops said he chuckled when he heard Eli Drinkwitz mentioned him in the postgame press conference.
When asked if he had any other reaction than chuckling, Stoops said:
“Not a bit. I guess, keep following me on Twitter, I guess.” pic.twitter.com/0g1UGiqJJX
— The REF (@KREFsports) November 11, 2024
14. Auburn Tigers (3-6)
The Tigers had a week to regroup after a 17-7 loss to Vanderbilt and will welcome Louisiana-Monroe to the Plains on Saturday. Auburn will need to beat ULM and pull two upsets against Texas A&M and Alabama to make the postseason.
Next Up: Saturday vs UL-Monroe
15. Kentucky Wildcats (3-6)
The close loss against Georgia and upset win over Ole Miss seem like such a long time ago. After the loss against Tennessee, the Wildcats had a week to regroup and try to figure out a competent offensive strategy. Kentucky will host instate FCS program Murray State on Saturday before a trip to Texas and home against Louisville to round out the season.
Next Up: Saturday vs Murray State
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-8)
The Bulldogs continue to play hard for Coach Jeff Lebby and QB Michael Van Buren shows improvement with each game rep he takes. An upset win over Missouri in two weeks or against instate rival Ole Miss would give the program some momentum going into the offseason.
Next Up: 11/23 vs Missouri
SEC Championship Scenarios
The Championship Game picture became both clearer and muddier at the same time after Saturday’s results. There is an easy scenario, a slightly muddier one, and then the nightmare scenario.
- The Easy Road: Texas and Tennessee both win out to finish 7-1. The Longhorns and Vols would meet in Atlanta to decide the SEC Championship.
- The Slightly Muddier Option: Texas wins out to finish 7-1, Tennessee loses to Georgia and beats Vanderbilt to finish 6-2, and Texas A&M loses to Texas to finish 6-2. Texas and Texas A&M would rematch the next week in the SEC Championship Game based on Texas A&M’s losses (Texas and South Carolina) being higher in the conference standings than Tennessee’s losses to Georgia and Arkansas.
- The Nightmare Scenario: Texas loses to Arkansas, Tennessee loses to Georgia, Texas A&M loses to Texas. Alabama, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU all win out. Eight SEC teams would be tied for the conference lead with a 6-2 record. In this case, the tiebreaker would go to strength of conference record which would result in an SEC Championship of LSU vs Alabama. Both of these teams played a conference slate where their opponents combined to go 34-30, for comparison Georgia was 3rd with an opponent’s conference record of 28-36 while Tennessee and Texas played the easiest SEC schedules with their opponents finishing 23-41.
