In the end, it’s still Nick Saban.
Despite the detractors who freaked out when he hired Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator and lost their minds when he lost his second Southeastern Conference game of the season, Saban and his team never wavered. It emerged from the most difficult SEC West in history with one loss, and playing for the league it in Atlanta is their reward.
No other team survived the gauntlet of the SEC this year. Teams with College Football Playoff aspirations heading into Thanksgiving lost to their rivals, and the winner of the East still has a devastating loss to Indiana on its résumé.
1. Alabama, Prev. 1 (11-1, 7-1 SEC)
You can’t beat the Crimson Tide in a shootout anymore. Junior receiver Amari Cooper changed the Tide’s narrative this season.
Alabama kept up with a fast-paced Auburn team and then sped past it with a 55-44 win in Tuscaloosa. Cooper had 224 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and the Auburn defense appeared more confused and helpless every time the Tide got the ball.
Alabama plays Missouri in SEC Championship, and the Tide may have to revert back to its old way of winning. Mizzou has a far better defense than Auburn, but the offense is incredibly young and susceptible to turnovers.
2. Mississippi State, Prev. 2 (10-2, 6-2 SEC)
The Bulldogs’ miracle season fell apart in Oxford, where a swarming defense was too much for Heisman candidate Dak Prescott. The offense that crushed other SEC opponents appeared stagnant, giving the Rebels a chance to make some big plays of their own.
Unfortunately, this loss may have also eliminated Prescott from winning the Heisman. The junior quarterback played sensationally all season, but for voters it’s, “What have you done for me lately?” Lately, Prescott has struggled in his most important games.
MSU still has a great bowl game to go to and a chance at 11 wins. After that, it’s time to pray for the small chance Prescott returns for his senior season.
3. Missouri, Prev. 5 (10-2, 7-1 SEC)
It doesn’t have five-star recruits, and it doesn’t have prolific and confusing offenses. Missouri just has a team with a boxer’s mentality — taking its punches and waiting to make its move to win the round.
The best example of that was last Friday, when Arkansas dominated the first half against Mizzou. Mizzou stayed in the game with a couple 50-yard field goals and some turnovers and then struck with 15 points in the final quarter.
Credit coach Gary Pinkel for keeping his team together after a rough start to the season. Mizzou is doing things more talented teams can’t brag about.
4. Ole Miss, Prev. 7 (9-3, 5-3 SEC)
The chance to ruin their archrival’s national championship hopes brought out the best in the Rebels as the impressive defense and big-play offense returned in a 31-17 win. This was the team getting College Football Playoff chatter before the LSU game.
Senior quarterback Bo Wallace displayed both the good and bad parts of his game in the victory. While he misfired on more than half his passes and threw a head-scratching pick, he also had five passes of more than 20 yards and a rushing touchdown. Wallace may be a heart attack to watch, but he will be missed.
The Rebels can still record their first 10-win season in a decade, and if they play anywhere near Saturday’s performance they’ve got a good chance of getting it.
5. Georgia, Prev. 3 (9-3, 6-2 SEC)
UGA’s loss to Georgia Tech Saturday encapsulated its season — so much promise of success followed by an inevitable downfall.
Georgia had the game won after scoring a touchdown with 18 seconds left but then let the Yellow Jackets drive for a field goal in two plays. It had another chance to win the game with a touchdown and extra point in overtime, only to throw that away with a pick inside the 10.
When you make mistakes like this, it’s nobody’s fault but your own. This team had a chance to make the playoff, but simple mistakes repeatedly held it back.
6. Auburn, Prev. 4 (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
Auburn’s defense held the team back all season long, and the 55 points allowed to Alabama were the grand example. Gus Malzahn teams always will be terrors on offense, but they need help on the other side if they want to win the SEC again.
7. LSU, Prev. 9 (8-4, 4-4 SEC)
The win against Texas A&M gave the Tigers their 15th season of eight wins or more, something no other program can boast. This season has been an easy one to complain about for LSU fans, but they should at least recognize the consistency they’ve been blessed with.
8. Arkansas, Prev. 6 (6-6, 2-6 SEC)
The Hogs’ impressive run ended in Columbia, Missouri, as it lost an 11-point lead to Missouri on Friday. The loss takes away some momentum, but the team should still be proud of two wins against ranked teams and getting bowl eligibility.
9. Texas A&M, Prev. 8 (7-5, 3-5 SEC)
Aggies fans can complain about an offsides call as much as they want, but their main concern should be A&M’s putrid defense. Allowing 223 rushing yards per game for a season is unacceptable, and I heard there’s a defensive-minded guy in Gainesville in need of employment.
10. Tennessee, Prev. 10 (6-6, 3-5 SEC)
The Volunteers are the opposite of most teams in their division — on the rise and on the brink of contending instead of suffering a down year. Guys like freshman running back Jalen Hurd, junior receiver Pig Howard and sophomore receiver Marquez North will make this team a contender to win the East next season.
11. Florida, Prev. 12 (6-5, 4-4 SEC)
The good news is the Gators turned in one of their best games of the season when the frustrated Jameis Winston nearly upset Florida State. The better news is Will Muschamp has only one more game left to coach.
12. South Carolina, Prev. 11 (6-6, 3-5 SEC)
The Gamecocks’ six losses are the most a Steve Spurrier has had team in history. Hard to believe this team was the favorite to win the East, and even harder to believe people thought the defense could recover from losing Jadeveon Clowney so easily.
13. Kentucky, Prev. 13 (5-7, 1-7 SEC)
The Wildcats completed the most Kentucky thing possible, losing their last six games to finish under .500 and without a bowl bid. Mark Stoops has made this team competitive, but he still has a good deal of work to do to make it relevant.
14. Vanderbilt, Prev. 14 (3-9, 0-8 SEC)
Zero conference wins, 120th in scoring offense and 106th in scoring defense. James Franklin left at the right time.
Tommy Romanach is a 22-year old mass communication senior from Dallas, Texas. You can reach him on Twitter @troman_92.