Power ranking the SEC after week 6: Aggies continue ascent, others slide after upsets
Power ranking the SEC after week 6: #5 - Tennessee
The Volunteer offense, which looked nigh unstoppable at the beginning of the year, is now a point of real concern after two straight troublesome performances. We wrote off the OU game initially, but now after the Vols put out another dud against Arkansas, there are some real questions forming.
Yes, it was on the road at night in a hostile environment. But the Volunteers put up fewer points on Arkansas than Texas A&M did with Marcel Reed at quarterback. Nico Iamaleava, whose star shone so brightly at the beginning of the season, is having some growing pains before our eyes.
If anything, this demonstrates just how vital the Volunteer rushing game is to their success as an offense. The Vols managed only a 34% success rate on the ground in this one, way down from their 44% mark for the season—and you could see the effects.
The tools are still all there for Nico to be a star quarterback. But maybe he’s not as ready as we all thought early on.