AuburnFamilyNews.com: Power Rankings: Week 6

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Power Rankings: Week 6

You may see me go back to the shake out again because, to be honest, that’s what every week in the conference is. We get 10 weeks to figure out who the best teams are by matchups in 3 game sets. We have gotten through 2 of them and still have 8 more left to go. Remember, these ranking are my personal opinion of how the teams look and are not necessarily representative of the Composite Rankings we use here at C & M.

#1 Mississippi State – LW 1 – (22-3)

  • vs Auburn, FRI: 6-5 L, SAT: 15-2 W, SUN: 20-15 W

I don’t get to say this often enough so bear with me, I have seen this team in person for 27 innings now. This offense is really scary, after their starters (Small and Ginn), there isn’t too much behind them. James and Liebelt would definitely be the next two pitchers behind them but it’s a far cry. Auburn stole one from State Friday, which State returned with a pounding on Saturday and then showed their dominant offense on Sunday…it was a sight to behold.

#2 Vanderbilt – LW 3 – (19-5)

  • vs Florida, THU: 5-0 W, FRI: 15-2 W, SAT: 14-4 W

TALK ABOUT DOMINATION…Goodness, I think I hit a dead Gator driving back from Starkvegas this past weekend. If I wasn’t so sure that State could get hits off of almost anyone, I would have Vandy in the 1 spot again. Vanderbilt let the Gators lead for all of an inning and a half before surging ahead to never look back. This was about as beat down as a beat down can get…

#3 Arkansas – LW 2 – (20-4)

  • @ Alabama, FRI: 12-3 W, SAT: 10-0 L, SUN: 10-2 W

Just a tiny tick down because I think Alabama is showing they are better than people give them credit for. Solid road series win for the Hawgs as they are tied at the top of the West with the team right below them in our power rankings. I am going to share this gif because some enterprising gif user could have a ton of fun with this…

#4 Texas A&M – LW 5 – (21-5)

  • @ Kentucky, FRI: 5-3 W, SAT: 9-3 W, SUN: 17-5 W

Texas A&M has continued their hot streak from the non-conference into SEC play as they get the rare Road Sweep of the Cats. Look for the Aggies to be in in first place in the standings after this weekend as they host Mizzou. They really lucked out on the early scheduling here (yes, they did draw Vandy in the first week but it was at home) and should be 9-1 this time next week, 8-2 at worst.

#5 Georgia – LW 9 – (21-3)

  • vs LSU, FRI: 1-0 L, SAT: 2-0 W, SUN: 9-7 W

This was an absolute battle between two really good teams. Georgia’s bats were pretty quiet for the first 2 games but the pitching was excellent for both sides. Finally the pitching started to falter on Sunday and defense was needed to seal the victory for Georgia when Brandon Jernagan robbed Zach Watson of a 2 run bomb that probably saved the game for Georgia. I would love to attach a video of it but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

#6 Auburn – LW 4 – (20-4)

  • @ Mississippi State, FRI: 6-5 W, SAT: 15-2 L, SUN: 20-15 L

Like we detailed yesterday, pitching was the thing that faltered for Auburn this weekend, and with good reason. Auburn only trotted out 3 pitchers that had any road SEC experience to speak of this weekend. The other 9 pitchers the Tigers used all got a baptism by fire in front of somewhere between 8-12 thousand people at Dudy Noble this past weekend. I’m not trying to make excuses for Auburn, even Butch Thompson said that things must be fixed, but it is understandable with a potent offense like the Tigers were up against this past weekend.

#7 LSU – LW 7 – (17-7)

  • @ Georgia, FRI: 1-0 L, SAT: 2-0 W, SUN: 9-7 W

LSU did what it had to do but was so close to so much more on the weekend. For a silver lining on this, Zack Hess has been somewhat of a lightning rod for LSU fans this season. Some want him to be relegated to the pen, while other say he is the guy on Friday nights. Hess went complete game on Friday night and threw a gem. In the 8th, Mainieri went out to go get his starter…

Sounds like a starter to me.

#8 Ole Miss – LW 8 – (17-8)

  • @ Missouri, FRI: 2-1 L, SAT: 3-0 W, SUN: 8-5 L

I’m going to be really nice and put the Rebels here only because they have already beaten Alabama at home or this could be the Tide. This is a bad series loss, let’s call it what it is. Mizzou has no business beating this Ole Miss team. If there is a silver lining, it’s that they didn’t get swept, but the challenge gets much larger this week as the Rebels stay on the road to Fayetteville.

#9 Florida – LW 6 – (16-10)

  • @ Vanderbilt, THU: 5-0 L, FRI: 15-2 L, SAT: 14-4 L

This was bad…like really bad. I personally thought Florida just got caught against a good offense with good enough pitching and was able to salvage a game. Nope…they got plastered by the Dores. I wish I could go with a ray of sunshine but the only one I see is that they host Alabama this weekend…I mean they have to win that series…right?

#10 Alabama – LW 11 – (19-6)

  • vs Arkansas, FRI: 12-3 L, SAT: 10-0 W, SUN: 10-2 L

The Tide continues to do what they need to do, not getting swept. I really need to watch on a Saturday to see what Alabama is doing because they have now taken down Ole Miss and Arkansas in game 2 opportunities. They travel to Gainesville looking to make a statement against what is now a reeling Gators squad.

#11 Tennessee – LW 12 – (20-5)

  • vs South Carolina, FRI: 15-5 W, SAT: 3-2 L, SUN: 6-3 W

The Vols get the ship righted by getting the series win over South Carolina and getting the bats going again in a big way on Friday night. And even though Garrett Stallings got touched up a bit on Friday night, starting pitching was again solid for Tennessee just as it was against Auburn last week. It’s put up or shut up week this week, however, as the Vols travel 3 hours to Nashville…

#12 South Carolina – LW 10 - (16-8)

  • @ Tennessee, FRI: 15-5 L, SAT: 3-2 W, SUN: 6-3 L

Really don’t know what to make of the Gamecocks right now. In my mind I can still see them pounding out 14 runs against Clemson to finish that series and then I tune in and watch them strike out time after time against Tennessee. I guess we will see what gives this weekend when Auburn comes to Columbia, the Carolina slide or can they right the ship to take advantage of Auburn’s injury woes.

#13 Missouri – LW 14 – (15-9)

  • vs Ole Miss, FRI: 2-1 W, SAT: 3-0 L, SUN: 8-5 W

HOW ABOUT THAT! The Tigers get a monster series win and do it in style by getting by the Rebels. The main highlight from the weekend came in the loss by saving a solo home run…

#14 Kentucky – LW 13 – (14-10)

  • vs Texas A&M, FRI: 5-3 L, SAT: 9-3 L, SUN: 17-5 L

This is not what was expected from Kentucky. 2 sweeps to start the SEC schedule is getting behind the 8-ball more than this squad needs. Kentucky looks to be competitive on Friday nights but after that, it’s a foregone conclusion. The recipe for success doesn’t look good this weekend either as a hot Georgia squad comes up to Lexington, looking to keep hold of their lead in the East.



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