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Tennessee football reaches its peak in SEC Power Rankings after 2021 regular season

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 27, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) reaches for a pass as Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Warren Burrell (4) defends during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Will Sheppard (14) reaches for a pass as Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Warren Burrell (4) defends during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 25, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach stands on the side during the second quarter of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach stands on the side during the second quarter of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

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

Last week: Lost to Ole Miss Rebels 31-21

Mike Leach and the Mississippi State Bulldogs certainly belong in a tier above the 6-6 teams that were just mentioned. His teams usually need at least three inconsistent years before taking off, and this is Year Two. If we’re going back to hindsight, that’s something Tennessee football fans could have lived with when the hire of him was nixed for Jeremy Pruitt in 2017.

Nonetheless, Leach is in Starkville, and his team still has some work to do before taking the next step. The Egg Bowl was not what we all had hoped. Not only did the Ole Miss Rebels win pretty convincingly, but the offenses didn’t put on a clinic the way everybody expected.

Leach still finishes this season with a winning record, and he’s two bad calls away from 9-3. Take away a questionable decision against the LSU Tigers, and you could be looking at a 10-2 team. As it stands, though, they are 7-5 and will be going bowling.

Where MSU goes bowling remains up in the air, though. Reaching eight wins Leach’s second season on the job given how loaded the SEC West is would be a huge accomplishment, so there’s a lot to play for here. Also, an outside shot at the top 25 is still on the table given the fact that multiple teams have four losses currently in there.

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