The order at the top of the SEC power rankings stays the same this week, with Alabama checking in at No. 1 and Florida at No. 2.

After that, it’s a jumbled mess. We could sit here for hours and argue who deserves to be where.

The reality is that there’s not much difference in the No. 3 team and the No. 9 team. In fact, if you'll notice, the No. 9 team beat the No. 3 team on the field earlier this season in Columbia.

Here’s what the pecking order looks like heading into the final weekend of the regular season:

1. Alabama: Nobody expected the Crimson Tide (11-0, 7-0) to break a sweat against Chattanooga, and they didn’t in romping to a 45-0 win. Now it’s on to the Iron Bowl and Auburn. Alabama looks to make it two in a row in this rivalry after snapping a six-game losing streak to the Tigers last season. The Crimson Tide enter the game ranked first nationally in total defense and have given up just three touchdowns in their last six games.

2. Florida: If there’s a defense better in the country than Alabama’s, it might be Florida’s. The Gators (11-0, 8-0) are ranked first nationally in scoring defense after routing Florida International 62-3 last week. They also have to get by a longtime rival, Florida State, to make it to Atlanta unscathed. Playing their fourth game in the last five weeks in the state of Florida, the Gators have never lost to the Seminoles under Urban Meyer.

3. Ole Miss: Here come the streaking Rebels (8-3, 4-3) after back-to-back wins at home over LSU and Tennessee. The latest was a 25-23 thriller over then No. 8 LSU last Saturday, giving Ole Miss at least eight wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1989 and 1990. The Rebels can lock up their first trip to play in a Florida bowl in nearly two decades by closing out the regular season with a win over Mississippi State.

4. LSU: This is where it gets impossible to rank the SEC teams this season. The Tigers (8-3, 4-3) have lost two of their last three games, but are still one of the best four or five teams in the league. Their three losses were all close and all decided in the fourth quarter against the three best teams in the league. This can still be a 10-win season for the Tigers if they can take care of business at home this weekend against Arkansas and stay away from another late-game clock management debacle.

5. Arkansas: The Hogs (7-4, 3-4) get a chance to show that they’re for real this Saturday against LSU. They’ve looked the part the last four weeks with four straight wins, and quarterback Ryan Mallett is throwing the ball like a season veteran. The only thing that’s holding this team back right now is a defense that’s been shredded through the air and on the ground. Mississippi State rushed for 231 yards in the second half against the Hogs.

6. Kentucky: The Wildcats (7-4, 3-4) make the biggest jump this week, and why not? They’ve won five of their last six games, including road wins at Georgia and Auburn, and have done so despite a rash of injuries. This has been a team long on resolve and short on excuses this season. It’s already been a solid season in the Bluegrass, but it becomes a memorable season if Kentucky can end a 24-year drought and beat Tennessee at home this Saturday.

7. Tennessee: The Vols (6-5, 3-4) are teetering right now between having a pretty good season and a disappointing season. It all hinges on the game at Kentucky this weekend. The injuries are mounting, but they managed a 31-16 win over Vanderbilt last week. The highlight for Tennessee so far has been playing well in closer than expected losses at Florida and Alabama. The Vols need a quality win on the road to punctuate this season the way they want to.

8. Auburn: The Tigers (7-4, 3-4) were off last week and hold steady at the No. 8 position. Their loss to Georgia two weeks ago looks worse every time the Bulldogs take the field. Auburn has also lost four of its last five SEC games, which explains why the Tigers aren’t ranked a little higher. Of course, they could shoot up into the upper half of the rankings by knocking off Alabama at home on Friday in the Iron Bowl.

9. South Carolina: The Gamecocks (6-5, 3-5) had a week off to get ready for their regular-season finale against Clemson. It’s a chance to stop the bleeding this season and in this series. South Carolina has lost three in a row and is trying to avoid its third straight season-ending collapse. The Gamecocks have also lost 10 of their last 12 meetings with the Tigers, who have turned this rivalry into their own little party.

10. Georgia: When did you ever think you’d see Georgia sliding all the way down to the 10^th spot in this conference? The Bulldogs (6-5, 4-4) self-destructed in the second half against Kentucky, turning the ball over four times and losing 34-27 at home. This is by far the most turbulent storm of Mark Richt’s coaching career at Georgia. The fans want major changes, and they want them now.

11. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs (4-7, 2-5) were eliminated from bowl contention with last week’s 42-21 loss at Arkansas. They can help ease some of the pain by knocking off arch-rival Ole Miss at home this coming weekend in the Egg Bowl. Close losses had tormented Mississippi State for much of this season, but the Bulldogs have lost their last two games by a 73-24 margin.

12. Vanderbilt: It’s all over for Vanderbilt in 2009, and after making so many strides last season with the seven wins and bowl victory, the Commodores (2-10, 0-8) finished winless in the league for the first time since 2002, Bobby Johnson’s first season at Vanderbilt. Injuries and an ineffective offense doomed the Commodores. Only five players started all 12 games.