<
>

SEC Week 1 Power Rankings: Alabama sits atop at No. 1

The first weekend of college football is finally in the books. And you thought it would never come.

Let's see how all 14 SEC teams rank coming out of Week 1:

1. Alabama (1-0): Quarterback competition figured out? Check. Heisman Trophy contender at running back? Check. Dominated a ranked Power 5 opponent at a neutral site in front of the entire nation? CHECK! Jake Coker asserted himself as the starting quarterback and Derrick Henry will get well-deserved Heisman love after the Tide rolled over No. 20 Wisconsin 35-17.

2. Georgia (1-0): Nick Chubb was so destructive that they had to call the game against UL Monroe early in the fourth quarter with it 51-14. Officials said it was because of "weather" but something tells me his 120 yards and two touchdowns brought the thunder. Sony Michel's 120 total yards of offense brought the lightning.

3. Texas A&M: (1-0): John Chavis really does make a difference. After ranking last in the SEC in defense the past two years, A&M's defense gave up just 291 yards and 3.5 yards per play to offense-happy and 15th-ranked Arizona State while accumulating nine sacks. The Aggies had some QB yips in the second and third quarters, but cruised to a 38-17 win in Houston.

4. Auburn (1-0): The Tigers started fast, especially on defense, but the offense just couldn't get into much of a rhythm because Jeremy Johnson was wildly inconsistent with his throws. He tossed three awful interceptions and just never looked comfortable. The defense lagged some in the second half, but it showed much more fight under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.

5. Ole Miss (1-0): Ole Miss' 76 points against Tennessee-Martin were the most the Rebels have scored since dropping 92 against West Tennessee Teachers College. The Rebels found their quarterback in Chad Kelly (211 passing yards and three total touchdowns) and DT Robert Nkemdiche blocked a field goal and had a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

6. Arkansas (1-0): What we took from Arkansas' blowout of UTEP was the fact quarterback Brandon Allen threw for a career-high 308 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes. New offensive coordinator Dan Enos said he wanted to have more passing success and Allen made sure that happened.

7. Tennessee (1-0): Well, the defense certainly wasn't ready to start the season, giving up an SEC-high 557 yards to lowly Bowling Green. However, the offense was great. Especially running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, who combined for 267 yards and five touchdowns. Still, that defense MUST get better.

8. LSU (0-0): Thanks to Mother Nature -- or Tropical Storm Chubb -- the Tigers' game with McNeese State was canceled. LSU wasn't in danger of losing the game, but it would have been beneficial for Brandon Harris to get some work under center as the Tigers' starter again with Mississippi State looming.

9. Missouri (1-0): Another cupcake was devoured by this set of Tigers. Mizzou went all in on defense against Southeast Missouri State, allowing just 191 yards and 3.1 yards per play. The Tigers allowed 135 rushing yards, but made the pass gaming irrelevant, allowing just 56 yards through the air.

10. Mississippi State (1-0): The score might have read 34-16 in favor of the Bulldogs, but they let Southern Miss hang around for waaaaay too long. Dak Prescott didn't look sharp until the second half and the secondary remains an issue, allowing 311 passing yards (6.6 yards per pass). Maybe it was just a hiccup, but Mississippi State has some cleaning up to do before LSU comes to town.

11. Florida (1-0): Coach Jim McElwain injected the Gators with some offense -- 606 total yards and 61 points to be exact. Both Treon Harris and Will Grier looked good at quarterback, and the defense allowed just one yard in the second half. But before the Swamp overflows with celebration, let's remember that the Gators scored 65 in last season's opener, too. Let's give them some time.

12. South Carolina (1-0): A defense starving for quarterback pressure registered four sacks and forced two end zone interceptions in an ugly 17-13 win against North Carolina. However, there were still way too many missed tackles and the Gamecocks surrendered 440 total yards and 7.0 yards per play. Connor Mitch was erratic for most of the night, but the hope was that it was just from first-start jitters.

13. Kentucky (1-0): At one point, Kentucky led UL Lafayette 33-10. Then, the Cajuns came ragin' back to tie it late. Kentucky needed a last-minute drive to win what shouldn't have been that close of a game at 40-33. Coach Mark Stoops will certainly take a victory, which stopped a six-game losing streak from last season, but his team better wake up fast.

14. Vanderbilt (0-1): One thing is certain: This Derek Mason-coached defense is much better than what the Commodores had last season. Vandy held Western Kentucky's high-flying offense to two touchdowns and 246 total yards. But Vandy's stagnant offense, led by an inconsistent Johnny McCrary at quarterback, couldn't help the defense out until it was too late.