1) Alabama (8-0): It seems as if neither Alabama nor Florida want to be #1, but I've got to put somebody up there. As of right now, the Tide have the more complete team, but they can only hide the ineptitude of McElroy for so long. They need to get a competent passing game going, and fast. Alabama has an improving LSU next; a team that may be able to kick field goals over the line.
2) Florida (7-0): All of a sudden Tim Tebow is human. And all of a sudden there are some very big games left on the Gators' 'easy' schedule. The Gators play Georgia next week and have to travel to Columbia in November to face a tough defense. Maybe people were talking about the the SEC Title game a little too soon?
3) LSU (6-1): LSU is improving and absolutely throttled Auburn at home last Saturday. The Tigers control their own destiny. If they can defeat the Tide this week it could be the Bayou Bengals who end up in Atlanta.
4) South Carolina (6-2): The Gamecocks held on to defeat Vanderbilt over the weekend. Carolina racked up over 430 yards of offense while Garcia enjoyed a 300+ yard passing day, but the Gamecocks only managed fourteen points. This was, in part, due to horrible field position throughout the entire game; starting inside the ten four times is not ideal. The Gamecocks have a tough test in Knoxville this weekend. The question still remains: can they finish strong?
5) Ole Miss (5-2): Houston Nutt and the Rebels used Dexter McCluster properly for the first time all year in the game against Arkansas in my opinion. The result was a big win. Jevan Snead looked like the quarterback we all thought he could be coming into the season. Can the Rebels finish strong and make it back to the Cotton Bowl?
6) Tennessee (3-4): The Volunteers might have the best sub .500 team in the country. They, like South Carolina and Ole Miss before them, forced bad throws from Greg McElroy all day. The difference, Tennessee was able to score a TD and make a game out of it. The Tide escaped by the skin of their teeth, but the Vols showed that Lane Kiffin might not be as bad of a coach as everyone originally thought. The South Carolina-Tennessee game next week may be one of the best in the SEC all year long. How will the Vols react to losing a heartbreaker to the Tide?
7) Georgia (4-3): All of a sudden, what many thought may be a blowout in Jacksonville is looking like a winnable game for the Dawgs. They'll have to play their best game of the year and they'll need to get some productivity out of their running game. This game will have a huge impact on how Dawg fans view the 2009 season.
8) Arkansas (3-4): After playing so tough in the Swamp the Arkansas defense got burned in Oxford. This was a key game for both the Rebels and Razorbacks. The goal for Arkansas now should be bowl eligibility. South Carolina, Mississippi State, and LSU are all left on the schedule. These are all winnable games for the Razorbacks, but they're also all loseable games.
9) Kentucky (4-3): The Wildcats have a key game this weekend against Dan Mullen's Bulldogs. Mississippi State has played LSU and Florida tough, extremely tough. If Rich Brooks and co. want a shot at an eight-win season this is a must-win game.
10) Auburn (5-3): The downward spiral continues for Auburn. The lack of a defense is killing the Tigers. Gene Chizik has his work cut out for him with Ole Miss, Georgia, and Alabama all left on the schedule.
11) Mississippi State (3-5): Miss State continues to come up just short against some pretty good football teams. Give Mullen a few years and a quarterback and the Bulldogs could be competing for the SEC West.
12) Vanderbilt (2-6): This isn't the same Vanderbilt team that went to a bowl game last year. The reason why: they lost to South Carolina. It was close and they fought hard, but the Commodores mustered nearly 200 yards less than the Gamecocks. They've got Georgia Tech upcoming.