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Tennessee football in top half of SEC Power Rankings for Week 1 of 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Volunteers gather and sing the alma mater after the Tennessee vs Ball State football game in Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Utvsballstate 2461
Volunteers gather and sing the alma mater after the Tennessee vs Ball State football game in Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.Utvsballstate 2461 /
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Kentucky’s Matt Ruffolo celebrates with teammate Chance Poore a field goal that was made from 50 yards against Miami of Ohio.Sept. 3, 2022Kentuckymiamigame 32
Kentucky’s Matt Ruffolo celebrates with teammate Chance Poore a field goal that was made from 50 yards against Miami of Ohio.Sept. 3, 2022Kentuckymiamigame 32 /

9. team. 833. . 2-0. . Wildcats

Defeated Miami (Ohio) RedHawks 37-13

Sticking with teams who beat FBS opponents fairly comfortably but were playing Group of Five foes and weren’t dominant enough against them, the Kentucky Wildcats remain a threat to Tennessee football. However, in typical Mark Stoops fashion, they didn’t look at all pretty in their opener against a far inferior foe.

Just like Tennessee football, Kentucky played a team from the MAC. They legitimately struggled too, as Miami scored the first touchdown, and UK only went into halftime up 13-10. It took two touchdowns early in the third, one off a kickoff return and the other off a forced fumble, to put Kentucky in control 27-10.

However, taking that long was problematic, and while Stoops’ teams have a reputation for winning but winning ugly, it keeps them in the bottom half of our SEC Power Rankings for now. This is a Miami team that isn’t bad for its level but did just go 7-6 last year, so it’s nothing special.

We’ll find out a lot more about Kentucky this week as they visit Florida. They’ve obviously had success with the Gators recently, and another win would be incredible. Until then, though, there’s no way we can have them any higher than here.

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