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

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey X during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Alabama won 49 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey X during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Alabama won 49 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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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
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 /

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.

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