Ad: Stakes: Predict Sports, Win NFTs - Stakes: Social Sports Game

SEC power rankings: Arkansas the clear No. 1, again

 Chris Lee   in Baseball

Robert Moore (1) photo courtesy of the University of Arkansas.

Here's how I rank the SEC's 14 teams this week, with each team's overall record, Southeastern Conference record and RPI listed in parenthesis.

1. Arkansas (34-8, 15-6, 1): Razorbacks are an incredible 8-1 against RPI top-10 teams--and all wins have come by two runs or more.

2. Vanderbilt (32-9, 14-7, 4): Commodores are 13-4 against top-25 RPI teams, and 11-4 overall on the road.

3. Tennessee (34-11, 14-7, 7): While Arkansas has lost no SEC weekend series, the Vols are the only team to lose just one.

4. Mississippi State (32-10, 14-7, 2): Bulldogs are national-seed good, but, a plus-12 run differential in SEC play suggests they've overachieved a bit in league play.

5. Ole Miss (31-12, 13-8, 9): The Rebels could very easily earn a national seed given they're getting healthier and have a 9-7 mark against top-25 RPI clubs.

6. South Carolina (26-15, 11-10, 15): The Gamecocks have been wobbly lately but a sweep of Florida and the fewest runs allowed in SEC games (90) are loud.

7. Florida (30-13, 13-8, 29): The Gators (5-9 on the road) probably need a series win at Kentucky this weekend to feel good about hosting.

8. Georgia (27-16, 10-11, 39): UGA's NCAA tournament-worthy today, but will they still be after the gauntlet of the next three weekends (at Arkansas, at Florida, Ole Miss)?

9. Alabama (27-17, 11-10, 27): The Crimson Tide are tied with Arkansas for the fewest unearned runs allowed (four) in SEC games.

10. Kentucky (26-15, 10-11, 45): Meanwhile, the Wildcats have allowed a league-high 25 unearned runs in conference games, despite the fifth-fewest errors (17).

11. LSU (27-17, 7-14, 24): The Tigers are 6-13 against top-25 RPI teams, and 21-4 against everyone else--and only one of 11 remaining games comes inside the top 25.

12. Auburn (19-21, 5-16, 55): Auburn is 9-20 against RPI top-100 teams; flip around that 2-8 mark in one-run games against them and they're 15-14.

13. Texas A&M (24-22, 5-16, 80): Did anybody foresee the Aggies giving up the most runs of any SEC team (151) in league play?

14. Missouri (12-29, 5-16, 123): Missouri is 6-26 agains RPI top-150 teams, and 6-3 against everyone else.