SEC Power Rankings following Week Two of 2019: Vols still at bottom

So Tennessee football managed to follow up its horrible loss to the Georgia State Panthers with a loss to the BYU Cougars. Considering the fact that the loss came in double-overtime, it was actually a bit of improvement for Jeremy Pruitt’s team. Hey, you’ve got to find positives somewhere, right?

Anyway, the Vols clearly belong at the bottom of our SEC Power Rankings. While they improved in the trenches, quarterback play was awful. Their path to a bowl this year was via an easy non-conference schedule, and they lost their first two games on that slate. How in the world can they get to six wins now? That seems highly unlikely in Pruitt’s second season.

With so many young players, the year is probably going to have to be about development now. That’s not what was expected with such a highly-paid coaching staff, but what else can you expect from the program? The Chattanooga Mocs this weekend are their best chance at a win. They are the only team in the conference with two losses to non-Power Five schools.

Following that, they have to visit the Florida Gators and host the Georgia Bulldogs. So 1-4 is almost a certainty. With the Alabama Crimson Tide up two games later, 2-5 is the best start the Vols can get, and that’s assuming they can compete with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, which doesn’t seem likely at this point.