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All for Tennessee Official Week 8 SEC Power Rankings: Vols Move Up

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view during the first quarter of the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view during the first quarter of the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 22, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Trent Sherfield (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee State Tigers with teammate Commodores running back Josh Crawford (22) during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Trent Sherfield (10) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee State Tigers with teammate Commodores running back Josh Crawford (22) during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

Talk about a change in program trajectory! Just four weeks ago, we had all written off Derek Mason as a head coach and considered his Vanderbilt Commodores to be dead in the water. But out of the blue, his team has gotten on a roll.

Honestly, they turned things around with their overtime victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. After that, they suffered two close and heartbreaking losses. Then they went on to shock the Georgia Bulldogs.

And a dominating win over Tennessee State may not mean much, but it has this team back at .500. Everything is turning around. So they have earned the right to slowly move up in our SEC Power Rankings.

Mason’s defense remains dominant, as we expected, Kyle Shurmur is doing just enough to be a solid game manager, and they have a dominant rushing attack led by Ralph Webb. With all of this help, the Commodores are all of a sudden in a great position to get to a bowl game.

That seemed like the most impossible feat in the world just a few short weeks ago.

To do it, they somehow have to beat the Missouri Tigers, and then they need an upset against the Ole Miss Rebels, Auburn Tigers, or Tennessee Vols. It’s going to be tough, but they certainly have a chance at getting there.

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