SEC Football Power Rankings, Week 13: Tua’s injury puts damper on season

The Rebels lost to the Tigers last weekend, but it sure was entertaining. If there’s nothing else to love about frosh sensation quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, love the fact that he’s the perfect Rich Rodriguez quarterback. He has more rushing yards 989 than passing yards 789 and he lit up LSU for 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns. That lets you know Plumlee broke some big gains against the Tigers last week.

The Rebels are off this week, and play in the annual Egg Bowl against Mississippi State in hopes of spoiling the Bulldogs’ chances of going bowling and they just might with Plumlee. Offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez might get a call or two about being a head coach again. One of those calls might come from the AD at Ole Miss.

The Tigers are in free-fall. They can’t win on the road — literally. Four of their five losses have been on the road. Florida beat them at home last week. Their season opened with a road loss to the Wyoming Cowboys. They won five straight — all home games — and followed that with a four-game losing streak and 3-of-4 on the road.

Watching Missouri play, teams have the secret sauce to defeating the Tigers; force grad transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant to stay in the pocket and dare him to get the ball downfield. He’s had difficulty these last three games because they are three of the better defenses in the SEC in Georgia, Kentucky and Florida. Even the Commodores stymied the Mizzou offense.

The Tigers have Tennessee at home and Arkansas on the road. The should beat the Razorbacks, right?

Here’s a little something interesting about the Wildcats: Lynn Bowden Jr. has the chance to lead the Wildcats in passing, rushing and receiving this season. He probably won’t throw it enough to have the passing yards, but that would be fun. We’ve had a bit of a coaching carousel theme to the rankings this week, and it might just stop in Lexington.

How can you ignore a coach who can win games with a wide receiver playing quarterback? The Wildcats have two games left; their paycheck scrimmage against Tennessee-Martin and interstate rival Louisville.

If they beat the Cardinals and win seven games in a season where they’ve been decimated by injuries, the Kentucky administration better pony up if they want to keep Mark Stoops in the Bluegrass State.

Speaking of teams that have found life, the Vols’ current three-game winning streak has them staring at a potential bowl bid for the first time since 2016. Second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the men from Rocky Top have come a long way from their early season loss to Georgia State. They travel to Missouri to take on the Tigers who are tough at home, and they end the season against their interstate rivals the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Here’s something fun: the Georgia State Panthers are 6-4. If the Vols end the season 6-6 or 7-5 could we have a rematch? The Bahamas Bowl would love to have you. If you aren’t playing for a national title, why not spend your postseason in the Bahamas?