SEC Power Poll: Computerized Ballot Version

Like the BlogPoll Ballot, the Power Poll ballot now runs off the RTT balloting engine.  Here, we'll take the time to discuss the SEC teams in a little more depth than the BlogPoll would allow.

• Florida is the statistical beast everybody expected, even with the relatively subdued numbers against Tennessee.  They lack only in the strength of schedule department, which should come as absolutely no surprise to anybody.
• Alabama is also solid across the board.  Their strength of schedule is better than Florida, but that 3rd Down Offense of Florida is what makes the difference this week.
• LSU comes in at third thanks to a very healthy strength of schedule component.  When everybody plays cupcakes and you take on a revived Washington team, it helps.
• Kentucky has only played two games so far, so the computer has very little data for them.  What is has is an overall good set of statistics, where only the strength of schedule is a negative (and SOS is turned down in the model right now because it's so early in the season).
• Auburn is solid at five, where their run defense and total defense metrics are hampered by West Virginia.  If SOS was turned up, they'd pass Kentucky easily, so keeping their success up will help.
• Mississippi has lot of positives, but their strength of schedule is horrifically low.  A part of that is from having a bye week, so they've only had time for a couple of creampuffs so far.  Traveling to South Carolina this weekend should help clear them up.
• South Carolina has had two problems so far:  third downs (on both sides of the ball) and passing efficiency.  So far, their passing game is slightly below average, which isn't helping their cause.
• Tennessee, at 1-2, looks surprisingly good in the scores thanks to a solid SOS and a terrific defense.  Noteworthy is that the passing efficiency, while obviously not good, is not as bad as you'd initially think.  Kiffin did a decent job of downplaying the passing game against Florida, which helped things here.  (And Jones should have made that TD catch.)
  
• Mississippi State is oddly hampered on run defense, though the subpar 3rd down offense is familiar.  Mullen has helped them out, but still has a ways to go.
• Georgia at 10?  This surprised me too, but it's because the SC and Arky games have left them with horrible defensive metrics.  To be fair, they've played a tougher schedule than, say, Ole Miss, but the numbers are the numbers.
• Vanderbilt is the only other 1-2 team right now.  Compared to Tennessee, they are significantly worse at run defense, 3rd down offense, total defense, passing efficiency offense (yep), and turnovers.  Thanks to not playing Florida, their 3rd down defense is better, but it's not enough to counter all those negatives.
• Arkansas, for all their promise of improvement early on, has to be very worried about, well, everything but their passing game.  (Thank goodness for Willie Martinez, right?)

Again, this is very early in the season, but those are the numbers so far.  Kentucky's probably too high, and Georgia is probably too low, but they'll get the chance to fix that as the season goes on and conference play gives more feedback among other teams in the league.