Tennessee Volunteers

All for Tennessee Official Week 7 SEC Power Rankings: Vols Take a Dive

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans leaving during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers took a big drop in the All for Tennessee SEC Power Rankings following Week Seven of the college football season.

And just like that, utter chaos has taken over in our SEC Power Rankings. One huge upset by a bottom-tier team and a blowout in a game between two top-tier teams has thrown everything for a loop.

Isn’t college football great?

As we get set to bring you our SEC Power Rankings following Week Seven of the college football season, this is the first tricky one we have to do.

Like always, these power rankings are based on how people are playing at that time. But they also take into account schedule strength and head to head.

Altogether, that makes this a very difficult one to do. Well, that is with the exception of who belongs at the top.

But the bottom is an entire cluster now.

The events of the weekend left things wide open throughout the conference, and it’s likely only going to get crazier.

We truly are in the heart of football season. In fact, we have now finished the majority of the regular season already. Things go by really fast, don’t they?

Anyway, for fans in Knoxville, here’s some more depressing news about the way college football is looking on Rocky Top after last weekend. The Vols could not have received a bye week at a better time.

Here are the official All for Tennessee SEC Power Rankings following Week Seven of the college football season.

Oct 15, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Ish Witter (21) is congratulated after he scored a touchdown against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Missouri Tigers 40-14. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Missouri Tigers

2-4 (0-3)

Last week: Lost to the Florida Gators 40-14Last rank: 11th

You’d think after a bye week that the Missouri Tigers would have worked on a few things under Barry Odom. But instead, they still look like the team that gets blown out by anybody decent and then fools you by blowing out anybody that’s terrible.

Until they prove something more, they’re going to remain at the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings. The Tigers were embarrassed by a Florida Gators team that struggled to put away the Vanderbilt Commodores just two weeks earlier.

And in the process, everything encouraging people abut this team is in question. Drew Lock was a total disaster at quarterback against Florida’s secondary, gong 4-for-18 for 39 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. And giving up over 500 yards to a questionable offense calls the defense into question.

The Tigers are now 2-4 with serious questions all over the field, but fortunately for them, things are about to get easier.

They have a chance to get to a bowl game if they run the table in their next four games against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, Kentucky Wildcats, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Vanderbilt Commodores. But they have to run the table. Now we’ll find out where this team really stands.

Oct 9, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp reacts with his offense against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina Gamecocks

2-4 (1-4)

Last week: Did Not PlayLast rank: 13th

Will Muschamp’s South Carolina Gamecocks still remain right near the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings, having not moved one spot since last week after not playing.

Of course, their loss to the Georgia Bulldogs looks even worse now considering what just happened, and at the same time, they still have that embarrassing loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. This is your typical Will Muschamp-coached team. The Gamecocks have absolutely no offense regardless of if Brandon McIlwain or Perry Orth is starting at quarterback, but their defense is good enough to keep any game interesting.

Still, he doesn’t have the talent he had at Florida, so Muchamp is watching this team remain at the bottom of the SEC. And it’s not about to get much better.

They fortunately get a break at home with the UMAA Minutemen this weekend, but down the road they still have to play the Tennessee Vols, the Florida Gators, and the Clemson Tigers.

That’s probably a guaranteed seven losses, while the Western Carolina Catamounts are one guaranteed win. Then they have the Missouri Tigers to determine if they’ll be a 4-8 team or a 5-7 team. But after losing to Kentucky a few weeks ago, a bowl bid is probably out of the question.

Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) runs with the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Bulldogs

4-3 (2-3)

Last week: Lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores 17-16Last rank: 6th

Talk about a major fall in our SEC Power Rankings. Sure, the Georgia Bulldogs are rebuilding under a new head coach. Sure, they have scored some impressive wins against the North Carolina Tar Heels and by playing the Tennessee Vols close.

But there is no excuse for Kirby Smart’s team to lose at home to the Vanderbilt Commodores. They may have an elite defense, which makes it understandable that they’d hold the Dawgs’ offense to 16 points.

However, couldn’t the Dawgs then hold them to under 17 points? After all, Vanderbilt’s offense is an absolute atrocity, and a defensive-minded coach let them score a game-winning touchdown with tons of talent on his end.

That’s embarrassing. Add in the fact that Jacob Eason is your quarterback and you had Nick Chubb back in the lineup for the second straight week, and there’s no way to avoid the fact that this was an awful loss. Now, at 4-3, a bowl berth is not necessarily a guarantee for the Dawgs.

They still have to face the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. To get to 6-6 they have to win one of those games or beat the Kentucky Wildcats on the road. Considering that they just lost to Vanderbilt, that could be more difficult than you might think.

Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Derek Mason pumps his fist reacting to a defensive stop against the Georgia Bulldogs at the end of the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Vanderbilt defeated Georgia 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores

3-4 (1-3)

Last week: Defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 17-16Last rank: 14th

They still remain in the bottom tier of our SEC Power Rankings, but Derek Mason’s Vanderbilt Commodores certainly earned the right to take a significant jump after a huge road victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. It’s certainly the most impressive win that anybody in the bottom tier of the SEC has scored.

However, all that really did was move the Dawgs into the bottom tier of the SEC. Make no mistake about it, the Vanderbilt Commodores are still an awful football team, and Mason is still an awful offensive coach.

That’s not going to get any better after one lucky victory on the road.

They won this game because of one special teams play and then one 75-yard drive. Outside of that one drive, they had only 96 yards of total offense. It was a complete embarrassment, and Kyle Shurmur is still awful.

The best we can say is that he’s clutch.

Still, playing in the SEC, this win opened up the ‘Dores’ chances to reach a bowl game. After all, their schedule includes Tennessee State and Missouri. If they can somehow steal a win at Missouri, then they just need to get lucky against Ole Miss or Tennessee at home, or Auburn on the road. It’s a long shot. But it’s possible.

Oct 8, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats safety Blake McClain (24) and cornerback Chris Westry (21) celebrate during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky Wildcats

3-3 (2-2)

Last week: Did Not PlayLast rank: 10th

Without playing, the Kentucky Wildcats remain in the exact same spot of our SEC Power Rankings that they were in last week. We said three weeks ago that a 34-6 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide would not drop them too much.

And given the fact that they have sandwiched that loss in between key SEC East wins against the Vanderbilt Commodores and the South Carolina Gamecocks, this team is one of the better teams in the bottom tier of the conference at this point.

Stephen Johnson remains the key to turning around Mark Stoops’s chances of saving his job, and the defense has found a bit of a rhythm for the first time in his four years there.

Meanwhile, coming off of a bye week and playing in the SEC East, this team has the perfect chance to make a surprising run and give itself some newfound momentum.

But it’s going to have to run the table in the games it is supposed to win. The Wildcats need to beat Austin Peay at home and either the Georgia Bulldogs at home or the Missouri Tigers on the road. After all, they’re losing to Louisville and Tennessee.

That makes a bowl game possible. However, it actually all has to start this weekend in the one game to determine if they can get there. The opponent is the next team in our SEC Power Rankings.

Oct 14, 2016; Provo, UT, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Keith Mixon (23) runs for a touchdown after a reception in the first quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State Bulldogs

2-4 (1-2)

Last week: Lost to the BYU Cougars 28-21 in 2OTLast rank: 12th

We have moved the Mississippi State Bulldogs up in our SEC Power Rankings after they blew a tough Friday night game on the road against the BYU Cougars. It’s a game that they should have won against a good team, so we could even say they moved out of the bottom tier of the conference by their play.

That’s the case despite the fact that they are 2-4 and likely to miss a bowl game this year with Dan Mullen’s job status in jeopardy. Nick Fitzgerald is still a great quarterback with a lot of heart, but the Bulldogs are in trouble.

However, we are going to say here that it’s idiotic to call for Mullen’s firing. This is Mississippi State we’re talking here! Their ceiling is only so high, and with the loss of Dak Prescott, he was naturally going to have a rebuilding year.

Still, the fans are restless, and Mullen is a victim of his own success.

If they’re going to turn things around, they desperately have to beat the Kentucky Wildcats on the road this weekend. Samford comes the next week, so winning those games could get the Bulldogs to 4-4.

After that, to get to a bowl game, they have to find some way to win two games against Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. That’ll take a miracle, but this team could at least have a decent finish and sell something for next year.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones runs on to the field before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Volunteers

5-2 (2-2)

Last week: Lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide 49-10Last rank: 3rd

And we’re officially out of the bottom tier of our SEC Power Rankings. But the mood is still somber with the team we are covering.

Two weeks ago, the Tennessee Vols were riding high at 5-0 as one of the three best teams in the conference. After a close road loss to the Texas A&M Aggies, they still had lots to be proud of. But a 49-10 home loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide has taken all the air out of Butch Jones’s magical season.

The Vols got exposed due to all of their injuries up front on the offensive line and at linebacker. And the injury bug severely limited what Joshua Dobbs could do against such a loaded Alabama football defense.

That embarrassment was enough for us to drop them to No. 8 in our SEC Power Rankings. The College Football Playoff is out of reach now, and the SEC East is out of their hands. Things couldn’t get much worse with that loss.

Fortunately, this team has a bye week to recover. Then they get to the easy part of their schedule. The rest of the way, they face the bottom of the SEC East with a game against Tennessee Tech added in. They’ll be watching and hoping for a Florida loss somewhere to get to Atlanta. But they should finally get a breather after the bye.

Oct 15, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators tight end C

Florida Gators

5-1 (3-1)

Last week: Defeated the Missouri Tigers 40-14Last rank: 9th

Talk about rejuvenation! In one week, the Florida Gators and Jim McElwian have changed all their fortunes after three weeks of being a laughingstock and an embarrassment.

Remember, this team first had a horrible half against the Tennessee Vols, then they struggled in an ugly win against the Vanderbilt Commodores, and two Saturdays ago we exposed them for ducking the LSU Tigers. That’s all still true.

But then they rescheduled the LSU game and agreed to go to Baton Rouge, saving face. Then they blew out the Missouri Tigers. And Tennessee’s blowout home loss put them back in first in the SEC East.

Luke Del Rio’s return revived the offense. Despite miscues and mistakes, he still led the unit to over 550 yards and 40 points. The secondary is back to looking elite and shutting down wide receivers.

However, they still have a lot of work to do to win the East. Fortunately, the Gators get another bye this week before they get set to face the Georgia Bulldogs. But after that, they have to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on the road, their former coach in Will Muschamp and the South Carolina Gamecocks, and then the LSU Tigers, now on the road. To win the East, they likely have to win all those games. That’ll be tough.

Oct 15, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron celebrates with his team following a win against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Southern Mississippi 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

LSU Tigers

4-2 (2-1)

Last week: Defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 45-10Last rank: 7th

Just like the Florida Gators, the LSU Tigers seem rejuvenated after rescheduling that game. Of course, this team rejuvenated itself after firing Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron clearly used the off-week to perfection to get this team ready to play against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

Remember, this is a decent Southern Miss team that did beat the Kentucky Wildcats earlier in the year, and the Tigers just blew the breaks off them. Danny Etling continues to develop as a quarterback, and they have shown they can win even without Leonard Fournette.

Meanwhile, this defense is as loaded as ever, and with only one SEC loss, these guys are not out of the race to go to Atlanta.

However, the gauntlet begins for this team, as it always does with their brutal back-end SEC West schedule.

The Tigers first have to face the Ole Miss Rebels at home this weekend, then they have their bye. But then they have to face the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, now the Florida Gators, and the Texas A&M Aggies. The rest of their opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25.

So we’ll no for sure just how well Ed Orgeron has regrouped this team soon enough.

Oct 15, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 34-30. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels

3-3 (1-2)

Last week: Lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks 34-30Last rank: 5th

They barely lost a road game to a really good football team. That’s not enough for us to drop Hugh Freeze’s Ole Miss Rebels too far down in our SEC Power Rankings this week. So as a 3-3 team with one of the toughest schedules in the country, we are keeping the Rebels at No. 5 right now.

Considering the fact that the Rebels are the only team to play the Alabama Crimson Tide close at this point, we have plenty of reason to even move them higher. After all, nobody else has come within three possessions of that football team, and that was accentuated over the weekend.

Meanwhile, they clearly have an offense loaded with playmakers behind Chad Kelly at quarterback. Their only issue is a defense that has been inconsistent throughout the year.

Going forward, this could be a .500 team that is one of the Top 10 teams in the country in terms of talent. A brutal schedule is the only thing keeping the Rebels from being 5-1 right now.

And it’s not getting any easier. Fortunately, Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State are all still on the list.

But they also have to face the Texas A&M Aggies, the LSU Tigers, and another red-hot SEC West team that is next up on our list.

Oct 8, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback John Franklin III (5) Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Wyatt Roberts (13) talk with Last Chance U star and academic counselor at East Mississippi Community College Brittany Wagner after the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Auburn won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Tigers

4-2 (2-1)

Last week: Did Not PlayLast rank: 4th

The Auburn Tigers were on the verge of firing Gus Malzahn earlier in the year if their fans ran the program. But now, seven weeks into the season, they look better than ever considering the fact that their only losses are to two undefeated teams: the Clemson Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Meanwhile, they have very impressive wins against the LSU Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs. And just as Malzahn was able to adjust to his new style of offense, he got a bye week at the perfect time to correct it and perfect it.

Sean White’s new efficient approach at quarterback combined with a high-powered rushing attack is exactly what this football team needs to be able to make a run down the stretch. Add in a dominant defense, and you can see why they’re No. 4 in our SEC Power Rankings.

Remember, they are currently right in the thick of the SEC West race as well, and if the Aggies lose this weekend, they have a heck of a lot to play for.

We’ll find out more about this team now coming off of a bye week. They’ve already played a brutal schedule, and now they have a chance to really prove themselves against the Ole Miss Rebels this week. They still have the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide on the road as well. But home games against Vanderbilt and Alabama A&M assure this team six wins.

Oct 15, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman Dan Skipper (70) celebrates with teammates after the game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated Ole Miss 34-30. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas Razorbacks

5-2 (1-2)

Last week: Defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 34-30Last rank: 8th

Yes, we decided to give this team a huge jump in our SEC Power Rankings. Consider, for a second, the fact that the Arkansas Razorbacks’ only two losses are to the Texas A&M Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the two remaining undefeated teams in the conference.

Add in the fact that they have very impressive wins against the Ole Miss Rebels and the TCU Horned Frogs. All of a sudden, it is blatantly clear that this team is playing as good as anybody outside of the top tier of the conference at this point.

Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks have a level of balance before that he has not yet enjoyed since coming to the SEC behind the play of Austin Allen at quarterback, who can handle any situation, and his still dominant rushing attack behind Rawleigh Williams III and Devwah Whaley.

Unfortunately, the defense still struggles against high-powered offenses, but they may have seen the last of those after this past weekend against the Ole Miss Rebels.

Now, they have a chance to finish incredibly strong, even if the SEC West is out of play with their two losses. The Mississippi State Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers should be wins to close the season. Games against the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, and LSU Tigers will determine just how good this team is.

If they can win a couple of those games, this will be a very strong season.

Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; The Texas A&M Aggies celebrate the win over the Tennessee Volunteers at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeated the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M Aggies

6-0 (4-0)

Last week: Did Not PlayLast rank: 2nd

Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies could not have better scripted this season so far. And that’s not just because they are 6-0.

They got bloodied and bruised en route to their 6-0 record and held on for a double-overtime win in their final game of that record. Then they went straight into the bye week to get fully healthy for the SEC West stretch run.

Now, the team is right where it wants to be. Trevor Knight is clearly the perfect guy to run Sumlin’s air rad offense with his dual-threat abilities, Trayveon Williams adds a huge rushing element, and the defense is clearly where it needs to be under John Chavis.

You can’t ask for a better situation with this team heading to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend. This is where we find out how good the Aggies are.

Texas A&M’s brutal SEC stretch run just begins with Alabama, but even after that they have to face the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers at the end. Fortunately, they get some breaks in between with New Mexico State, UT San Antonio, and Mississippi State. That’s why this bye week was perfect. They can go all in for Saturday.

But regardless of what happens, this team will likely finish with a year comparable to what it had under Johnny Manziel, proving that the program was about Sumlin, not him.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide players celebrate their 49-10 victory with a traditional victory cigar after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide

7-0 (4-0)

Last week: Defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 49-10Last rank: 1st

Is there any question about this one? The Alabama Crimson Tide are far and away the best team in college football and now look invincible after last weekend’s dominating win over the Tennessee Vols in Knoxville.

Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin just reloaded all of their talent from last year, and they are rolling over everybody. Only one bad half against the Ole Miss Rebels has kept them from blowing out everybody that they face.

Still, Jalen Hurts, at quarterback represents a team that has been dominating defensively over the past few years now becoming as much of an offensive juggernaut.

How scary is that? Are they potentially the best team in college football history? Well, they’re certainly at the top of our SEC Power Rankings.

And this weekend, they face a traditionally dominant offensive team that has turned into a defensive juggernaut as well, the reverse of what they are.

So as great as the Crimson Tide are, they still have a heck of a lot more work to do. After facing the Texas A&M Aggies this weekend in a battle of two undefeated teams, they still have to face the LSU Tigers, which come the next week, and the Auburn Tigers at the end of the year.

So this team’s work is far from finished.