SEC Power Rankings following Week Three of 2019: No change for Vols

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 14: Cedric Tillman #85 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Chattanooga Mockingbirds with Ramel Keyton #80 during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 14: Cedric Tillman #85 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Chattanooga Mockingbirds with Ramel Keyton #80 during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium on September 14, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images
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4. team. 842. . 3-0 (0-0). Previous: . Tigers

If you’re the Auburn Tigers, you should be upset. Everybody is questioning how good you are despite the fact that only one other team in the league has beaten a top 25 team to this point. Gus Malzahn’s program should be furious. They’re getting criticized for being 3-0 with a win against a ranked team and then a 55-16 blowout victory this past weekend!

Well, we’re going to give them some love here and put them at No. 4 in our SEC Power Rankings. Auburn, by any reasonable standard, has only looked bad in one game. And it was that hangover outing against the Tulane Green Wave, which came after that thrilling win over the Oregon Ducks.

Yes, there are some issues with true freshman Bo Nix starting. The offense isn’t getting everything going the way it needs to through three games. However, this defense is looking more and more elite by the day, and that has to count for something. If it does, it will show up this weekend.

The Tigers are about to have a major test as they visit the Texas A&M Aggies. They then seem to get a winnable game with the Mississippi State Bulldogs at home, but right after that, they will face the Florida Gators on the road. So this is a pretty rough stretch coming up, and if they come out of it unscathed, College Football Playoff talk will begin.