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Tennessee football shoots up Week 10 SEC Power Rankings with win at Kentucky

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee running back Len'Neth Whitehead (27) takes down Kentucky running back Kavosiey Smoke (0) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Kns Tennessee Kentucky Football
Tennessee running back Len'Neth Whitehead (27) takes down Kentucky running back Kavosiey Smoke (0) during an SEC football game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021.Kns Tennessee Kentucky Football /
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Nov 6, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Rara Thomas (84) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with wide receivers Caleb Ducking (17) and Jaden Walley (11) during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Rara Thomas (84) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with wide receivers Caleb Ducking (17) and Jaden Walley (11) during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

5-4 (3-3). Previous: . Bulldogs . 7. team. 893.

Last week: Lost to Arkansas Razorbacks 31-28

Talk about a heartbreaker for Mike Leach. Mississippi State suffered three missed field goals in this loss to Arkansas, which proved costly. On top of that, the game-winning score came after the Bulldogs got a 4th and 1 stop, but a bogus holding penalty kept Arkansas’s drive alive.

Combine that with what happened against the Memphis Tigers, and Mississippi State is two horrendous calls away from being 7-2, and poor time management by Leach against LSU may have kept them from then being 8-1. This team still has quality wins over Texas A&M, Kentucky and the N.C. State Wolfpack.

All of that reasoning is why Mississippi State, despite a loss and having the same record as Tennessee football, currently belongs ahead of the Vols in our SEC Power Rankings. They are still one of the top half teams in the league, but they are unfortunately stuck in the West.

Things don’t get any easier for this program either. Six wins is guaranteed since they host the Tennessee State Tigers later this month, but that game is sandwiched between a visit to Auburn and Ole Miss at home. As a result, a winning season is not yet guaranteed, and winning one of those games would do wonders for Leach’s program this year.

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