Preseason Edition
I’ve never been a big fan of simply looking at somebody else’s preseason poll and rearranging a few teams. If I’m going to put my name on a power ranking, I want there to be some thought and some football behind it.
So here is how I’m looking at the SEC.
My rankings are based on six things: roster talent and depth, quarterback play, the line of scrimmage, proven performance, coaching and development, and difference-makers.
And here’s the question I’m trying to answer:
If these teams lined up and played on a neutral field this Saturday, who do I think is better?
Schedule has nothing to do with it. Schedule matters when I predict records. This is about how good I think the football team is right now.
Here is my preseason SEC Power Ranking.
1. GEORGIA
Until somebody consistently knocks Georgia off the mountain, I’m not moving them.
Kirby Smart has built the most dependable program in the SEC. They recruit, develop, play defense and usually control the line of scrimmage. Gunnar Stockton gives them experience at quarterback, and Georgia doesn’t need him to be Superman.
They just need him to run the machine.
JB Power Score: 94
2. TEXAS
There may not be a more talented roster in the conference from top to bottom.
The big question is whether Arch Manning takes the next step from talented quarterback to dominant quarterback. If he does, Texas has everything necessary to win the SEC and compete for a national championship.
The ceiling here is enormous.
JB Power Score: 92
3. TEXAS A&M
This may be the team I’m watching most closely near the top.
Mike Elko has continued building this program the right way, and Marcel Reed gives A&M an experienced, athletic quarterback who can create problems with both his arm and his legs.
They’re physical enough to play SEC football and talented enough to beat anybody on the schedule.
I think A&M is a legitimate playoff team.
JB Power Score: 90
4. OLE MISS
I’m not ready to dismiss Ole Miss simply because Lane Kiffin is gone.
Trinidad Chambliss is one of my favorite quarterbacks in the country, and Kewan Lacy gives this offense another legitimate weapon. Pete Golding inherits a program that knows what winning football looks like.
The question is whether Ole Miss can maintain what it built under Kiffin.
I think they can.
JB Power Score: 89
5. LSU
Now things start getting interesting.
Lane Kiffin inherits a roster with plenty of talent, and I believe he’s one of the best offensive minds and recruiters in college football.
Sam Leavitt is going to have weapons around him, and I expect LSU’s offense to be dangerous.
My concern is how quickly everything comes together. New coach. New quarterback. New system. Plenty of new pieces.
By November LSU might be considerably better than No. 5.
JB Power Score: 87
6. OKLAHOMA
I think Oklahoma is dangerous.
John Mateer gives Brent Venables an experienced quarterback, and this is a program that should once again be very good defensively.
They aren’t flashy enough for some people, but Oklahoma can win football games in the trenches and make you uncomfortable for four quarters.
That’s a formula that travels.
JB Power Score: 86
7. SOUTH CAROLINA
Here’s where I’m probably going to get some arguments.
I like South Carolina more than most people do.
Why?
Because they have three players who can dramatically change a football game: LaNorris Sellers, Dylan Stewart and Nick Harbor.
Sellers is capable of taking over a game. Stewart can wreck an offensive game plan from the edge. And Harbor gives South Carolina a physical mismatch that very few defenses have an answer for.
The Gamecocks attacked their weaknesses through the portal, particularly along the offensive line.
There are questions about depth and the receiving corps, especially with injuries, and that’s what keeps me from putting them higher.
But their ceiling is considerably higher than people think.
JB Power Score: 84
8. ALABAMA
This feels strange.
Alabama at No. 8?
But power rankings aren’t supposed to reward the name on the helmet.
There is still an incredible amount of talent in Tuscaloosa, but there are enough questions—particularly at quarterback—that I’m not putting Alabama in the top five simply because they’re Alabama.
If the quarterback position settles down, they could climb this ranking quickly.
JB Power Score: 83
9. TENNESSEE
Josh Heupel’s system is always going to give Tennessee a chance offensively.
But quarterback is too important for me to ignore uncertainty there.
Tennessee has talent and they’re going to score points. The question is whether they’re complete enough to beat the better teams in this conference consistently.
Right now I’ve got them just outside my top eight.
JB Power Score: 81
10. FLORIDA
This is another team I may eventually have too low.
I love the Jon Sumrall hire.
Florida has talent. They’ve recruited well enough that the cupboard isn’t empty, and I think Sumrall will bring a toughness and identity to Gainesville that has been missing.
The question is how quickly he can get everything put together.
Florida could be one of the biggest movers in these rankings during September.
JB Power Score: 79
11. MISSOURI
Missouri is one of those teams that probably won’t scare anybody when you look at the logo on the schedule, but you’d better show up ready to play.
Eliah Drinkwitz has built a solid program.
I’m just not convinced Missouri has enough elite difference-makers to put them with the top half of this conference right now.
JB Power Score: 77
12. AUBURN
Auburn is another reset.
There’s talent there, and Alex Golesh is an intriguing hire, but we’re talking about another program trying to establish a new identity.
I need to see it before I move them higher.
JB Power Score: 74
13. VANDERBILT
We’re past the point where Vanderbilt can automatically be penciled in at No. 16.
Clark Lea has changed the expectations around that program.
They may not have the roster depth of Georgia, Texas or LSU, but Vanderbilt has become the kind of football team that will make you earn everything you get.
Nobody should overlook them anymore.
JB Power Score: 72
14. MISSISSIPPI STATE
Jeff Lebby continues trying to rebuild this roster and establish what Mississippi State is going to be.
There are pieces I like, particularly offensively, but competing week after week in this conference requires depth.
That’s still my concern.
JB Power Score: 69
15. KENTUCKY
Kentucky is beginning a new era under Will Stein, and I think this one is going to take some time.
There are some interesting pieces, but right now I’m looking at the total roster compared with the rest of this conference.
It’s difficult to put them much higher.
JB Power Score: 67
16. ARKANSAS
Somebody has to be No. 16.
Ryan Silverfield has a major rebuilding job in Fayetteville. Arkansas still has SEC-caliber players, but when I compare the quarterback situation, overall depth and proven difference-makers against the other 15 teams, this is where I land.
That doesn’t mean they’ll stay here.
That’s the beauty of power rankings.
JB Power Score: 65
JB’S PRESEASON SEC POWER RANKINGS
1. Georgia — 94
2. Texas — 92
3. Texas A&M — 90
4. Ole Miss — 89
5. LSU — 87
6. Oklahoma — 86
7. South Carolina — 84
8. Alabama — 83
9. Tennessee — 81
10. Florida — 79
11. Missouri — 77
12. Auburn — 74
13. Vanderbilt — 72
14. Mississippi State — 69
15. Kentucky — 67
16. Arkansas — 65
The important thing to remember is that these aren’t predictions of where everybody finishes.
They’re power rankings.
If South Carolina starts 3-0 and that offensive line looks better than expected, they’re moving up. If Alabama solves its quarterback situation and starts looking like Alabama again, they’re moving up. If one of my top-five teams struggles in the trenches, they’re coming down.
Nobody gets to keep their spot because of recruiting rankings, preseason hype or the logo on their helmet.
You want to move up in JB’s Power Rankings?
Show me on Saturday.
