After very little thought coupled with a bit of tweaking here are our new SEC Baseball Power Rankings.
Tier A – Baby Boomers: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
There are just too many of them.
These 3 remain in the top Tier although one could give Vandy a smidgen of an advantage as they swept @LSU last weekend, Ole Miss lost a series at Florida, and Arkansas struggled to top Auburn at home.
So, we have a slight change in our Big Three's Company:
Vanderbilt is Jack, Arkansas is Chrissy, and Ole Miss is the other one whose name I can't remember.
Ole Miss plays Arkansas this weekend so one of them will likely drop out of Tier A.
Tier B -- The Silent Generation: Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida
They grew up in a Depression then saved the world from fascism.
Tennessee won a road series at Alabama and South Carolina won a road series at Georgia. So they both remain in Tier B. Florida joins them, having taken down Ole Miss.
Tier C -- Gen Alpha: Mississippi State
Too young to care, too old to sit still.
Mississippi State swept Kentucky at home last weekend and are on the verge of moving into Tier B perhaps.
Tier D -- Millennials: Kentucky
Focused.
Kentucky was swept by Mississippi State on the road so they hold steady, their ultimate fate still hard to discern.
Tier X -- Gen X: Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn
Rebels without a clue.
A&M dropped out of this group after losing a series to hapless Missouri. Alabama lost a series at home, LSU got swept at home, Georgia lost a series at home, and Auburn lost a series on the road. In short, they all lost last weekend and birds of a feather flock together.
Within this group, Auburn comes first and LSU last. One more bad weekend and LSU may drop to Tier Z. All of Paul’s crying will not make it otherwise. As Hemingway would say, “Isn’t it pretty to think so.”
Tier Z -- Gen Z: Missouri, Texas A&M
Never met an Uber they didn't share a ride in.
These two played at Missouri last weekend and Mizzou held service so there’s no reason to move them up. So we moved A&M down instead.
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Week 4 Series
There are several really big series this weekend between nationally ranked teams. The results will help a great deal in sorting things out.
Thursday-Saturday
Georgia at #1 Vandy
Vandy should handle the Dawgs and may even sweep the series. Georgia still struggles offensively and are also trying to get their pitching straight. Vandy has neither of those issues. We'll go ahead and say Vandy sweeps the series with game 3 questionable.
Friday-Sunday
#3 Ole Miss at #2 Arkansas CORRECTION: Arkansas at Ole Miss
This should be very exciting and I expect lost of bombs flying out of the park. Each team also has some good pitchers, both starters as well as relievers and especially closers. I expect 3 hard-fought and close games. The only edge I give to either team is Van Horn is a better coach than Bianco.
We'll say Arkansas prevails, 2 games to 1
#12 Florida at #6 Tennessee
How Tennessee managed to get a schedule with Florida and Vandy at home in back-to-back weekends makes me suspect something nefarious is going on at the SEC Office.
In any event, it is what it is, and we will know more about just how good UT is after these next two weekends.
These teams are evenly matched based on past results but I detect Florida is slowing getting things together. UT has had a lot of "baseball luck" in many of their SEC games -- 3 one-run wins and one extra innings victory. Even so, you mostly make your own luck, so they appear to be for real, maybe.
UT, not being used to winning and being "in the hunt", may have difficulty dealing with the pressure. Their fans can be freakishly demanding in such things. Florida has been-there/done-that many times over the last decade so they have little stress on them plus the co-eds at UF are, on the whole, more highly rated than those at UT in terms of stress-reduction.
Our feeling is that Florida wins this series 2 games to 1.
#5 Mississippi State at Auburn
Auburn is much better than their record indicates but, lordy mercy, they need more than 2 decent relievers. They blow beau coup late inning leads, typically in games 2 and 3. They've got some good pitchers, just not enough of them. Playing at home should help even though they got swept at home by Ole Miss. But Mississippi State is not Ole Miss, so this is my Big Upset of the Weekend -- Auburn wins the series 2 games to 1.
Missouri at #11 South Carolina
South Carolina's schedule eases up a lot this weekend -- they've already played @Vandy and @Florida -- and they get the Tigers to feast on. And feast they will -- the Boys from Columbia sweep the Boys from the Other Columbia.
Alabama at Texas A&M
Were this a football game it might be interesting. But it's not, so it isn't. A&M is really struggling and they aren't all that good, to boot. But they are at home and they tend to play better there. We'll take A&M, 2 games to 1.
LSU @ Kentucky
While almost no one else cares about this series, LSU sure does. Their ship is sinking and, to date, their so-called Captain hasn't figured out whether to keep bailing water or to man the life boats. Kentucky has a pretty good offense but a so-so pitching staff. LSU has neither and they lost one weekend starter for the season last weekend against Vandy so now their condition is even more dire.
We'll take Kentucky, 2 games to 1.
We (me, myself, and I) called 6 of 7 series correct last week, running our total to 17 out of 21, a winning percentage of .810 (round off.) Dare I point out Tim Corbin's lifetime winning percentage as a coach is .682?
I shant.
Tier A – Baby Boomers: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
These 3 remain in the top Tier although one could give Vandy a smidgen of an advantage as they swept @LSU last weekend, Ole Miss lost a series at Florida, and Arkansas struggled to top Auburn at home.
So, we have a slight change in our Big Three's Company:
Ole Miss plays Arkansas this weekend so one of them will likely drop out of Tier A.
Tier B -- The Silent Generation: Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida
Tennessee won a road series at Alabama and South Carolina won a road series at Georgia. So they both remain in Tier B. Florida joins them, having taken down Ole Miss.
Tier C -- Gen Alpha: Mississippi State
Mississippi State swept Kentucky at home last weekend and are on the verge of moving into Tier B perhaps.
Tier D -- Millennials: Kentucky
Kentucky was swept by Mississippi State on the road so they hold steady, their ultimate fate still hard to discern.
Tier X -- Gen X: Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Auburn
A&M dropped out of this group after losing a series to hapless Missouri. Alabama lost a series at home, LSU got swept at home, Georgia lost a series at home, and Auburn lost a series on the road. In short, they all lost last weekend and birds of a feather flock together.
Within this group, Auburn comes first and LSU last. One more bad weekend and LSU may drop to Tier Z. All of Paul’s crying will not make it otherwise. As Hemingway would say, “Isn’t it pretty to think so.”
Tier Z -- Gen Z: Missouri, Texas A&M
These two played at Missouri last weekend and Mizzou held service so there’s no reason to move them up. So we moved A&M down instead.
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Week 4 Series
There are several really big series this weekend between nationally ranked teams. The results will help a great deal in sorting things out.
Thursday-Saturday
Georgia at #1 Vandy
Vandy should handle the Dawgs and may even sweep the series. Georgia still struggles offensively and are also trying to get their pitching straight. Vandy has neither of those issues. We'll go ahead and say Vandy sweeps the series with game 3 questionable.
Friday-Sunday
#3 Ole Miss at #2 Arkansas CORRECTION: Arkansas at Ole Miss
This should be very exciting and I expect lost of bombs flying out of the park. Each team also has some good pitchers, both starters as well as relievers and especially closers. I expect 3 hard-fought and close games. The only edge I give to either team is Van Horn is a better coach than Bianco.
We'll say Arkansas prevails, 2 games to 1
#12 Florida at #6 Tennessee
How Tennessee managed to get a schedule with Florida and Vandy at home in back-to-back weekends makes me suspect something nefarious is going on at the SEC Office.
In any event, it is what it is, and we will know more about just how good UT is after these next two weekends.
These teams are evenly matched based on past results but I detect Florida is slowing getting things together. UT has had a lot of "baseball luck" in many of their SEC games -- 3 one-run wins and one extra innings victory. Even so, you mostly make your own luck, so they appear to be for real, maybe.
UT, not being used to winning and being "in the hunt", may have difficulty dealing with the pressure. Their fans can be freakishly demanding in such things. Florida has been-there/done-that many times over the last decade so they have little stress on them plus the co-eds at UF are, on the whole, more highly rated than those at UT in terms of stress-reduction.
Our feeling is that Florida wins this series 2 games to 1.
#5 Mississippi State at Auburn
Auburn is much better than their record indicates but, lordy mercy, they need more than 2 decent relievers. They blow beau coup late inning leads, typically in games 2 and 3. They've got some good pitchers, just not enough of them. Playing at home should help even though they got swept at home by Ole Miss. But Mississippi State is not Ole Miss, so this is my Big Upset of the Weekend -- Auburn wins the series 2 games to 1.
Missouri at #11 South Carolina
South Carolina's schedule eases up a lot this weekend -- they've already played @Vandy and @Florida -- and they get the Tigers to feast on. And feast they will -- the Boys from Columbia sweep the Boys from the Other Columbia.
Alabama at Texas A&M
Were this a football game it might be interesting. But it's not, so it isn't. A&M is really struggling and they aren't all that good, to boot. But they are at home and they tend to play better there. We'll take A&M, 2 games to 1.
LSU @ Kentucky
While almost no one else cares about this series, LSU sure does. Their ship is sinking and, to date, their so-called Captain hasn't figured out whether to keep bailing water or to man the life boats. Kentucky has a pretty good offense but a so-so pitching staff. LSU has neither and they lost one weekend starter for the season last weekend against Vandy so now their condition is even more dire.
We'll take Kentucky, 2 games to 1.
We (me, myself, and I) called 6 of 7 series correct last week, running our total to 17 out of 21, a winning percentage of .810 (round off.) Dare I point out Tim Corbin's lifetime winning percentage as a coach is .682?
I shant.
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