Tennessee football unchanged after bye in Week 9 SEC Power Rankings

Tennessee defensive backs Jaylen McCollough (22) Trevon Flowers (1), and and Theo Jackson (26) celebrate Flwoers fumble recovery during the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Ole Miss in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, October 16, 2021.Utvom1016
Tennessee defensive backs Jaylen McCollough (22) Trevon Flowers (1), and and Theo Jackson (26) celebrate Flwoers fumble recovery during the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Ole Miss in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, October 16, 2021.Utvom1016 /
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Oct 30, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) reacts after an interception against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) reacts after an interception against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

833. . 6-2 (4-2). Previous: . Wildcats . 7. team

Last week: Lost to Mississippi State Bulldogs 31-17

Just like Arkansas, Kentucky is starting to fall apart. They still belong in the top half of our SEC Power Rankings, but they’ve gone from No. 2 to No. 3 to No. 4 and now to No. 7 thanks to a two-game losing streak. There’s nothing wrong with falling to Georgia. Losing significantly to Mississippi State, though, exposes Mark Stoops’ team as pretenders.

This isn’t surprising. UK was barely squeaking by teams earlier in the year, beating Missouri, Florida, South Carolina and even the Chattanooga Mocs all by just a touchdown or less. They could easily be 2-6 right now with a bad FCS loss.

Kentucky is still in the top 25, but they have a lot they need to prove. What Stoops has done up there has been remarkable over the past eight years, but to take the next step, he needs another strong season like what happened in 2018, and that may not happen now.

Up next for Kentucky is a home game against Tennessee football coming off a bye. That is their hardest game, though, as they close out the year at Vanderbilt, against the New Mexico State Aggies and at the Louisville Cardinals. Only Louisville of those three isn’t a sure win, so 8-4 is worst-case scenario, and 10-2 is still on the table.