So, LSU and Alabama: Still good (though still not good enough to edge their way past Oklahoma in the coaches' poll, for some stupid reason). Florida and South Carolina: Demonstrably not, in losses to Alabama and Auburn, respectively. The situation in the SEC East has gotten so bad that Georgia, left for the vultures after their 0-2 start, can now be described as "in the driver's seat" of the division with a straight face.
Remember to check for the full Power Poll tally at Team Speed Kills on Wednesday, and as long as I'm linking to Senator Blutarsky's site, he's bringing the Mumme Poll back for 2011 and would love to have you on as a voter, whether you're a blogger, a non-blogging fan, or just some guy who wandered in from ESPN.com saying, "ARRGGGHH what the hell is Oklahoma still doing above Alabama and LSU in the coaches' poll somebody should do something about that."
Anyhoo. This week's Power Poll ballot:
1. LSU -- LSU Tigers : Kentucky Wildcats :: cat : ball of string.
2. Alabama -- I don't give Colin Cowherd credit for much, but he did sum up the Crimson Tide marvelously on Monday: Some teams are good, Alabama is so scary good that you want to just quit playing them after about a half or so. I dare say more than a few players on Florida's roster felt that way Saturday night.
3. Arkansas -- Needless to say, there's a big dropoff here from #2 to #3.
4. Florida -- All the talk for the last few days has been about John Brantley getting knocked out of the Alabama game, but that's not why Florida lost. Florida lost because Chris Rainey got held to four yards on 11 carries. And if Florida can't at least pretend to field a passing game worth respecting, with or without Brantley, that may not be the last time their offense gets handled.
5. Auburn -- I kind of think their game against South Carolina was Gus Malzahn's version of the 3-2 Auburn-Mississippi State game from Tuberville's final year. It was uglier than sin, but Malzahn still had to get it in the end zone a couple times.
6. South Carolina -- How bad was the Gamecocks' offense Saturday afternoon? They actually made Auburn's defense look competent. What the hell was Spurrier thinking only rushing Lattimore 17 times?
7. Georgia -- Won another snoozer, but a homely 3-2 is better than a hard-fought 1-4, which is where the Dawgs were this time last year.
8. Tennessee -- It won't do any good to describe them as held together by airplane glue and duct tape, because you could've said the same thing about them right before they undressed Georgia in Knoxville in 2007 and '09.
9. Mississippi State -- Look on the bright side, State fans: At least your 2-3 start means other programs are much less likely to come after your head coach.
10. Vanderbilt -- Their bye last weekend means they'll only lose to Alabama by 20 rather than 30 or 40.
11. Ole Miss -- Houston Nutt is still as fired as fired can be, but I'll give the Rebels credit for going out West and winning a game I didn't think they had it in 'em to win.
12. Kentucky -- I'll give them credit for managing not to score negative points against LSU, but be that as it may, if you put the Wildcats on the same field with Ohio State it might create a singularity of offensive ineptitude that would eventually destroy all of Division I-A.