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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 Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images /

Derek Mason’s team never had a chance. The Vanderbilt Commodores were destroyed by the Georgia Bulldogs in Nashville, and quite honestly, losing 30-6 wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. However, we have no idea what to make of Vandy yet. After all, UGA is so loaded in Kirby Smart’s fourth year that we knew they would dominate.

As a result, their standing in our SEC Power Rankings is not really based on anything yet. Riley Neal was okay, completing 14-of-25 passes, but he only had 85 yards. Meanwhile, Ke’Shawn Vaughn showed how great he is by managing 74 yards on 15 carries against a loaded UGA defense behind an offensive line that could not hold up against that team.

Vaughn also demonstrated his abilities by leading the team in receiving with 24 yards. So, as we predicted, he’s a star. But that still does not mean we know what to make of this program, particularly on defense, just yet.

Their next game will tell us how good they are, as they face the Purdue Boilermakers on the road. A home game against the LSU Tigers after that shows how brutal their start to the season is, so they could theoretically go 0-3. But getting to 1-2 is par and keeps everything in front of them. Northern Illinois, Ole Miss, UNLV, Missouri and South Carolina follow to define their season.

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