Tennessee football in top half of SEC Power Rankings after Week 4

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Defensive back Doneiko Slaughter #18 and defensive back Trevon Flowers #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers tackle wide receiver Shi Smith #13 of the South Carolina Gamecocks as defensive back Bryce Thompson #0 and defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus #88 of the Tennessee Volunteers look on during the football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Defensive back Doneiko Slaughter #18 and defensive back Trevon Flowers #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers tackle wide receiver Shi Smith #13 of the South Carolina Gamecocks as defensive back Bryce Thompson #0 and defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus #88 of the Tennessee Volunteers look on during the football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Lost to Alabama Crimson Tide 38-19

They didn’t suffer the biggest blowout of any SEC team over the weekend, and the Missouri Tigers have a chance to improve this week when they visit Tennessee football. However, Eliah Drinkwitz’s first game at Mizzou wasn’t as pretty for him as the score looked against the Alabama Crimson Tide, and the score certainly didn’t look pretty for him.

Despite losing 38-19, the Tigers actually fell behind 35-3. Jeremy Pruitt said Monday that they just didn’t have the first half they wanted to have against Missouri, but what’s more likely is that Nick Saban and Alabama took their foot off the pedal. The first team for Alabama was pulled after that 35-3 score, and the Tide fumbled on their next drive.

In fact, Missouri actually never got a legitimate stop. They trailed 38-13 late and scored a touchdown as time expired when nobody cared, but this was a bad loss. As a result, we have to keep them at the bottom of our power rankings for now. With a first-year head coach, there’s clearly a lot of growing this team has to do.

Of course, they still have to figure out their quarterback situation between Shawn Robinson and Connor Bazelak, but Larry Rountree III is an elite weapon at running back. Things at least should get easier for them now as they face the Vols and a reeling LSU Tigers team, but they didn’t look good on Saturday, regardless of how things ended.