2. Alabama
So tell me, what the hell is wrong with Saban? Much has been made about it, but the Kiffin hire just doesn’t make sense. Even if it were to go perfectly, it’ll still garner undue media attention. I know. Alabama lives under such a microscope that what’s a little more media attention?
But Kiffin brings the circus-type stuff. Which is why Saban’s jumped the shark. The Kiffin hire is proof that Alabama is a tick past their zenith. But don’t look for them to fall just yet. Who cares who the quarterback is when you can hand the ball off to so many studs in the backfield? And throw to Armani Cooper on the outside. And it’s not like they’re going to trot out some bush-league defense, either. Bama will have yet another good look at the West. But they won’t win it.
1. Auburn
Auburn will. Quarterback Nick Marshall is special, equally because of his talent and his head coach. No one’s better than Gus Malzahn at putting his players in situations that allow them to shine. And though Tre Mason is gone, people forget that for the first part of last year, Mason hadn’t separated himself from Cameron Artis-Payne (and to a lessor extent, Corey Grant). So it’s not like Malzahn doesn’t have anything to work with. He does. And they’ll be nasty. Assuming the Tiger D finds a way to stay in the middle of the SEC pack as they did last year, Malzahn will have his boys putting up enough points to make another run at the SEC Championship Game.
So that’s it for this week’s SEC Power Rankings. Be sure to tune in next week for our second installment.
