SEC softball power rankings: Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama drop after series losses

Just when you think you know something about SEC softball, it delivers more surprising – and puzzling – results.

Georgia was holding steady in the top 2 of the conference, but a series loss at home to Arkansas isn't a top-2 team type of result. The Aggies also tumbled this week after getting swept by LSU, which seems to have figured things out without Danieca Coffey. To cap it off, Alabama lost its series against Kentucky to drop to 3-6 in SEC play.

Here's where teams stacked up in this week's SEC softball power rankings.

1. Tennessee

The Lady Vols' 20-game win streak came to an end Sunday when they suffered their first loss of SEC play in the series finale at Auburn. It was unlikely No. 6 Tennessee was going to remain unscathed in such a stacked SEC. But staying undefeated as long as it did when every other team dropped games shows just how good this team is.

Last week: 1

Record: 28-5

2. Florida

If a team is winning a game 12-6 in the sixth inning, the team leading by six runs is probably winning – unless it's Florida on Thursday. The No. 10 Gators gave up seven runs in the sixth to lose 13-12 at No. 17 Mississippi State. They recovered to win the series, though, and the Gators are off to a solid start in SEC play.

Last week: 3

Record: 31-5

3. LSU

The Tigers were due for a bounce back, and they did it in a major way. No. 5 LSU swept then-No. 11 Texas A&M at home, and it started with a gritty extra-inning win. In a conference were sweeps are rare, this was a big weekend for the Tigers.

Last week: 9

Record: 29-4

4. Arkansas

Arkansas pitcher Morgan Leinstock handled one of the best offenses in the nation not once, but twice last weekend. Leinstock picked up two wins against No. 3 Georgia, only giving up seven hits and two runs over 10 ⅔ innings. The No. 19 Razorbacks won their ninth straight ranked SEC road series – I guess there's just something about the Hogs on the road.

Last week: 8

Record: 26-9

5. Georgia

With the Arkansas series on the line Monday, Georgia's pitching didn't hold up against Hannah Gammill, who smashed two homers for five RBIs. The Bulldogs dropped the series at home to fall to 6-3 in SEC play and aren't looking so invincible now against conference foes.

Last week: 2

Record: 29-6

6. Missouri

No. 11 Missouri took a break from SEC play last weekend, and only one of its four games was finished in regulation. But one of those wasn't a run-rule, it was a 2-1 extra innings win against Hofstra, which isn't inspiring confidence.

Last week: 5

Record: 29-7

7. Texas A&M

The Aggies are the team unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of LSU hitting its stride again. No. 13 Texas A&M lost the first game on the road in extras and it only went downhill from there.

Last week: 4

Record: 28-7

8. South Carolina

It took a while for No. 22 South Carolina's offense to heat up in Oxford, but after a nine-inning win Friday the Gamecocks were rolling. They brought home a much-needed road sweep over Ole Miss, which isn't saying a lot. But after getting swept twice in SEC play already, South Carolina needs as many conference wins as it can get.

Last week: 10

Record: 26-10

9. Mississippi State

The No. 16 Bulldogs may have pulled off the comeback win of the season with a seven-run sixth inning to upset the Gators in Game 1. But the 13-12 win was all Mississippi State could muster, and Florida took the series win in Starkville. It's better than nothing, but the Bulldogs are barely staying afloat at .500 in SEC play.

Last week: 7

Record: 25-9

10. Alabama

There are respectable losses in the SEC. But losing a series to a Kentucky team that was 0-6 in SEC play before last weekend is abysmal for No. 14 Alabama. The weekend started with Patrick Murphy getting ejected in the series-opening loss and it ended in a one-run loss in eight innings. The post-Montana Fouts era is not off to a great start.

Last week: 6

Record: 26-8

11. Kentucky

The Wildcats didn't let two sweeps to open conference play get to them, stunning Alabama with a series win in Lexington. Stephanie Schoonover was massive for Kentucky, tossing two complete-game wins, the second going to eight innings to secure the series win.

Last week: 13

Record: 23-12

12. Auburn

The Tigers get the bragging rights of handing Tennessee its first SEC loss, but that's about the only thing they have going for them right now at 3-9 in conference play.

Last week: 12

Record: 16-11-1

13. Ole Miss

Welcome back to the bottom Ole Miss. We missed you here. If you're going to get swept, maybe don't do it against a South Carolina team that was 0-6 in SEC play before last weekend.

Last week: 11

Record: 20-14

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: SEC softball power rankings: Georgia, Texas A&M and Alabama drop after series losses