SEC Power Rankings following Week 11: Vols still bottom three

We can no longer defend these guys. While another team from Tennessee has gotten all the criticism for its atrocious play this year, Derek Mason’s Vanderbilt Commodores are just as worthy of ridicule now.

Vanderbilt belong at the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings as a result. This team has completely lost it on defense, evidenced by surrendering over 40 points to the Kentucky Wildcats.

That’s not okay, and a 3-0 start with a win over the Kansas State Wildcats is too far in the past. To be fair, in this game, Kyle Shurmur finally let things come apart.

After doing his part amidst a bad defense all year, he became a turnover machine and threw four interceptions against the Wildcats. A bad defense and turnover-prone quarterback is literally the opposite of the system Mason wanted to establish.

We could forgive all of this in a few games. But these guys had enough talent to beat Kentucky, the Ole Miss Rebels and the Florida Gators. And they didn’t even compete with any of them.

So now, at 4-6 and 0-6 in the conference, a bowl bid for a second straight year seems more unlikely than ever. This weekend, they’ll have a chance to get there by hosting a 5-5 Missouri Tigers team.

Although Mizzou is on a roll, they have to play in Nashville. So if Vandy can win that game, they have a shot.

But then they have to travel across the state for their final game of the year against another team in disarray and looking to get to a bowl game. They’re the next team in our SEC Power Rankings.