To the chagrin of SEC haters everywhere, the league is populating the top 10 like Star Trek tribbles: three of the top four, four of the top six, and five of the top 10, according to the latest CFB 24/7 power rankings. And it's not likely to change this weekend, given that the schedule this week appears to have little or no room for upsets. The debate between which unbeaten team at the top of the SEC West is better -- Ole Miss or Mississippi State -- roars on. In the East division, Georgia remains tied in the loss column with Missouri, but holds a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Tigers and has only three SEC games left to close the deal, whereas Missouri has five left.
1. Mississippi State (6-0, 3-0 in SEC)
Up next: at Kentucky, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: Rested from an idle week and returning dynamic receiver Jameon Lewis from injury, the Bulldogs are primed for the stretch run of the season. Quarterback Dak Prescott could have a big day on the ground Saturday -- UK ranks just 10th in the SEC in rush defense (173 yards per game).
2. Ole Miss (7-0, 4-0)
Up next: at LSU, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The Rebels' defense has been stellar, led by a ball-hawking secondary and a front that racked up 12 tackles for loss last week in smothering Tennessee. As long as quarterback Bo Wallace continues to limit mistakes, the Rebels will be awfully hard to beat.
3. Auburn (5-1, 2-1)
Up next: vs. South Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: Auburn returns a starting safety from suspension in Jermaine Whitehead and has piled up nearly 3,000 yards of offense already this season. Quarterback Nick Marshall looks to rebound from his worst passing performance of the season (17 of 35, two INTs).
4. Georgia (6-1, 4-1)
Up next: vs. Florida (at Jacksonville, Fla.), Saturday, Nov. 1
The skinny: Georgia has completely dominated two consecutive SEC road games, never an easy task, against Missouri and Arkansas. While suspended star rusher Todd Gurley's status remains in limbo, the UGA offense has been none the worse for it thanks to freshman star-in-waiting Nick Chubb.
5. Alabama (6-1, 3-1)
Up next: at Tennessee, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The Crimson Tide comes off its most dominant performance of the season, a 59-0 hammering of Texas A&M that could provide some much-needed confidence entering the season's final leg. Lane Kiffin's return to Tennessee figures to be a last-laugh for the Tide's offensive coordinator.
6. LSU (6-2, 2-2)
Up next: vs. Ole Miss, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The typical dynamic in this series finds LSU looking to stay in the hunt for an SEC title and Ole Miss playing for pride. Those roles this year are somewhat reversed, although LSU isn't quite dead yet. Despite continuing quarterback woes, LSU's defense is coming around.
7. Missouri (5-2, 2-1)
Up next: vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: Missouri's passing attack continues to be a disaster as quarterback Maty Mauk is mired in a slump. But if the Tigers' defense and special teams play like they did against Florida last week, beating Vanderbilt should be no problem.
8. Texas A&M (5-3, 2-3)
Up next: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Saturday, Nov. 1
The skinny: The Aggies' idle week comes at a time when the team desperately needs to regroup and try to snap a three-game losing streak. Coach Kevin Sumlin said "nothing is off the table" where potential changes are concerned.
9. Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)
Up next: vs. Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: Kentucky's surprising improvement came to an abrupt halt last week in a blowout loss to LSU. And while the Wildcats are capable of bouncing back with a better showing at home, that might not be enough to beat a top-five team like MSU.
10. South Carolina (4-3, 2-3)
Up next: at Auburn, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The Gamecocks this season have been, in a word, unpredictable. Auburn's offensive machine spells trouble for an inconsistent South Carolina defense, so quarterback Dylan Thompson might have to light up the scoreboard to keep this one close.
11. Arkansas (3-4, 0-4)
Up next: vs. UAB, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The Razorbacks were a darling pick to upset Georgia last week for Bret Bielema's first SEC win, and sputtered badly instead. Whatever restlessness fans are beginning to feel, a win over UAB won't be much of an ointment for it.
12. Florida (3-3, 2-3)
Up next: vs. Georgia (at Jacksonville, Fla.), Saturday, Nov. 1
The skinny: The Gators' season has unraveled, and this time, there aren't nearly as many injuries to blame as there were a year ago. Once again, an anemic offense is the primary culprit, something an idle week isn't likely to improve.
13. Tennessee (3-4, 0-3)
Up next: vs. Alabama, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: The Volunteers' offensive line has been a mess this season, and Ole Miss exposed it in a big way last week. Alabama's defense doesn't figure to be any kinder.
14. Vanderbilt (2-5, 0-4)
Up next: at Missouri, Saturday, Oct. 25
The skinny: New Commodores coach Derek Mason can forget about a bowl game at this point, but in Year One, he at least needs to pull off an upset to build on for Year Two.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
