Tennessee football near bottom of Week 10 SEC Power Rankings

Did Not Play

Say what you want about the Auburn Tigers. They may have gotten away with three bad calls to get to 4-2, meaning they probably should be 1-5. However, by hook or crook, they are 4-2, and their most recent win is a 48-11 thrashing of the defending national champion LSU Tigers, who may not be the same team but still can be dangerous this year.

Gus Malzahn’s team finally got a much-needed bye just as they were hitting their rhythm under first-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris’ scheme. Bo Nix looked like he was having a major regression early on, which is typical for a Malzahn-coached team that is playing a season the year after it beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.

As a result, Auburn’s offense coming together makes them dangerous, especially with another bye week, as the defense is still solid. They are one of five SEC teams in the top 25, and they are one of five SEC teams with a winning record. Simply put, they clearly belong in the top five of our SEC Power Rankings at this point.

Will it last? Well, Auburn is about to get two bye weeks. This week’s matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs has been postponed to the end of the year. They won’t take the field again until a likely win over Tennessee football. Then their real tests become, as they have to face Alabama and the Texas A&M Aggies to prove themselves in back to back weeks.