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SEC Power Rankings after Week 1 of 2019: Yes, Vols are tanking

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 31: The Tennessee Volunteers warm up before the season opener against the Georgia State Panthers at Neyland Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 31: The Tennessee Volunteers warm up before the season opener against the Georgia State Panthers at Neyland Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

It’s panic time in Columbia. There were concerns that the South Carolina Gamecocks cashed in on a very easy schedule in Will Muschamp’s second season en route to their 9-4 record, and it showed with them falling to 7-6 last year. Now, with Jake Bentley as a senior quarterback, this team had a horrific loss to start the season.

Okay, so it wasn’t to the Georgia State Panthers. But losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels is embarrassing. This team was 2-9 a year ago, and even though they have Mack Brown back, he’s in his first year. And nobody considered Brown a guy who works that type of one-year turnaround magic anyway.

As a result, this loss is embarrassing in so many ways. Sure, UNC is a Power Five school, but they are bad enough for us to just barely have them above the Arkansas Razorbacks in our SEC Power Rankings. At least they played UNC closer than UT played Georgia State, and UNC is somewhat of a tougher opponent.

But don’t get it twisted, this is bad. Bentley does not look like a senior. And although they get Charleston-Southern this week, the wheels could come off the program quickly with the Alabama Crimson Tide to follow that. They then will face the Missouri Tigers, but the game will be on the road.

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