Lost to Georgia Bulldogs 27-13
Yes, they remain at No. 2 in our SEC Power Rankings after losing to Georgia. Tennessee football lost to the only undefeated team in the SEC this past weekend. Why would they fall below LSU just because LSU beat the same team they beat, particularly when they blew out LSU on the road at the beginning of last month?
Sure, the Vols got blown out way worse than that 27-13 score indicated, but at the end of the day, their only loss is to the best team in the league. They still beat LSU and Alabama, and Ole Miss lost to LSU without having played Alabama or Georgia yet. With those five teams the clear-cut top five in the league, that makes it clear UT is No. 2.
Also, the Vols are nowhere near out of the College Football Playoff race. In fact, their odds went up after this loss, as they won’t drop below No. 6 and could stay at No. 4 In fact, with Georgia having two road games against bowl teams up next, the SEC Championship isn’t even out of the running, even if it is unlikely.
Still, Josh Heupel has to make sure his team doesn’t overlook its own schedule. Tennessee football hosts a dangerous Mizzou team this week before visiting a South Carolina team that has already clinched a bowl. They close things out at Vanderbilt, but these next two weeks will be tough.