SEC Football Power Rankings, Week 14: Georgia, LSU on collision course

There are many things that hurt the Razorbacks as a program. One of those is their old Southwest Conference rivals don’t play in the SEC. The Razorbacks play Missouri which geographically could be their rival, but it isn’t exactly Texas or Texas A&M. Some Razorback fan just said we do play LSU for the boot. It’s true, they do, but let’s be honest, the ‘Hogs have won three times this decade and are in the midst of a four-game losing streak to the Tigers. It’s turning into “a rivalry that really ain’t” and in addition, they don’t play this weekend do they?

There’s something interesting about rivalries, there needs to be mutual combatants. Oddly enough, the Vanderbilt/Tennessee rivalry has been extraordinarily competitive this decade with the Commodores having the 5-4 edge. That has a lot to do with Vanderbilt having James Franklin revitalizing the program during his time in Nashville, and the Volunteer program on the decline since their national championship in 1998.

Whatever the case, the Commodores and the Volunteers have traded wins this decade in what has been a fairly competitive game. This one could salvage what has been a disappointing season for Vandy.

Without a true conference rival, the Gamecocks turn to the ACC and the No. 3 Clemson Tigers. Believe it or not, the Gamecocks dominated this rivalry in the early part of the decade, and it’s been a fairly even matchup in the 21st century. The last five years have been all Clemson.

Since the Gamecocks’ last win, it’s safe to say they’ve been passed as a program by their in-state rivals. The Gamecocks have had the best of times and the worst of times this season; they lost their starting quarterback, beat Georgia and lost to Appalachian State. This would be a great way to salvage a below average season, but even the Ol’ Ball Coach doesn’t see that one.

Is Missouri vs. Arkansas a rivalry now? If so, they definitely need a trophy. If UCF vs. UConn can have both a trophy and name (“The Civil Conflict”, really?), then Missouri and Arkansas can have both a trophy and a name. We could have a Tiger chasing a Razorback and call the game, “The Jungle War.” We recognize the Tigers are the natural predator of a Razorback, or its exotic cousin the warthog; it makes sense because Arkansas is so bad, and will be bad for while so the Tigers should eat for a while.