The weekly SEC Power Poll results are in, and the Tide's loss to Georgia has allowed The Bulldogs themselves and even Auburn to pass us by. Auburn is only ahead by one point, a direct result of Roll 'Bama Roll's own ballot, in which Alabama and Auburn were reversed at the behest of user comments. Seeing as LSU is a lock for 12th even if they win out, the good news for us is that there's nowhere to go but up from here....
1. Kentucky (120, unanimous #1) - The Cats are coming off a pivotal week of road games in which they gutted out wins against two of the league's top teams in the final seconds. The win at Vandy all but wrapped up the SEC championship, as the Cats now only need to win two of their last four to clinch the title. They return home Thursday night for a chance to avenge their only loss of the season against South Carolina before traveling to Knoxville on Saturday for a huge showdown with the Vols.
2. Vanderbilt (110, unanimous #2) - The Dores got a big road win in Oxford before falling just short of tying Kentucky for the top spot in the standings. With their chance of winning the championship all but gone, they can begin to shore up their resume in preparation for their tournament run. They host Georgia on Thursday night before traveling to Fayetteville on Saturday.
3. Tennessee (100, unanimous #3) - The Vols rebounded nicely last week with two solid wins, erasing any doubts about their status as an NCAA lock. They have two crucial games this week that will go a long way in determining their seeding for the Dance. They travel to Gainesville tonight before rounding out the week at home against #2 Kentucky.
4. Florida (89) - The Gators are still a bubble team, but their two wins last week--especially the close win in Oxford--have put them on the good side of the bubble for now. They can't afford a letdown this week, as they host #17 Tennessee tonight before traveling to Athens on Saturday.
5. Mississippi State (81) - The Bulldogs are another bubble team, and right now they are about as squarely on the bubble as you can be. They had #2 Kentucky all but beaten on Tuesday before losing in overtime, and then narrowly avoided catastrophe by inching winless LSU by a single point over the weekend. They will have a chance to avenge an earlier loss when they host Alabama on Wednesday before traveling to Columbia on Saturday.
6. Arkansas (68) - Losing to Auburn all but buried the Hogs' NCAA hopes, but they are still tied for 1st in the West and are looking good to earn a bye in the SEC tournament. An NIT bid would also be a positive step for the program. They travel to Baton Rouge on Wednesday before hosting #20 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
7. Ole Miss (59) - The Rebs are currently in free fall mode after dropping two big games at home last week. Despite it all, they are still on the bubble, albeit on the wrong side for now. They have a chance to improve their standing with two very winnable games this week. They host Auburn on Wednesday night before traveling to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
8. South Carolina (52) - Speaking of free fall, the Cocks have all but disappeared after their upset of Kentucky. They dropped two more last week and are in danger of being passed by Georgia for the last spot in the East. At this point even an NIT bid is in doubt for a team that was projected to be tournament-worthy most of the year. Things won't be easy this week, as they travel to Lexington on Thursday for their rematch with the Cats before hosting MSU on Saturday.
9. Georgia (34) - The Dawgs got a big comeback win over Alabama last week, and are looking to finish strong enough to snag an NIT bid. They have a tough week coming up, though, traveling to Nashville on Thursday before hosting Florida on Saturday.
10. Auburn (29) - The Tigers finally moved from the #11 spot after several weeks there following their win over Arkansas last week. They'll have a chance to move into the middle of the SEC West pack if they can capitalize on a couple of opportunities this week, traveling to Oxford on Wednesday before hosting LSU on Saturday.
11. Alabama (28) - The Tide proved yet again that no opponent should fret a double-digit deficit when they're going up against this bunch, dropping another heart-breaking loss to Georgia last week. The Tide must now travel to Starkville on Wednesday before hosting Ole Miss on Saturday to try and salvage what they can from this season.
12. LSU (10, unanimous #12) - The Tigers were oh-so-close to picking up that elusive first SEC win on Saturday, when they fell by only a point to MSU. Thier opportunities this week will come in the form of a home game against Arkansas on Wednesday and a road trip to Auburn on Saturday. Only four chances remain now to avoid the ugly distinction of being the first SEC team to go winless since....Georgia Tech. Yes, that's right: Georgia Tech.