Tennessee had a much needed bye on Saturday. However, the SEC kept rolling along without the Vols, who will be very much affected by what happened over the weekend.

There were, of course, plenty of developments over on Saturday. Here are four things you need to know about the landscape of the SEC as the Vols prepare for Arkansas on Oct. 6.

Arkansas shouldn’t be a real concern next week

The Vols are already a double-digit favorite to beat the Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday. Don’t be surprised if that number continues to rise as Arkansas looks listless, especially after losing to Texas A&M 21-17 on Saturday. The Razorbacks are now 3-2 and 1-1 in the SEC. Their best win came against Auburn in Week Four. That’s nothing grand.

With head coach Sam Pittman on the hot seat, his team seemed to give their all against the Aggies – and fell short. It’s hard to imagine them being in a good spot emotionally after that. Moreover, Arkansas has shaky quarterback play and relies on a running game that is slightly above average at fifth-best in the SEC with 212 yards per game.  As for Tennessee, the Vols allow 50 rushing yards per game, which is second in the nation. 

Barring a serious lapse, the Vols should dominate the Razorbacks up front when they try to run the ball. That would leave the game in Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green’s hands. Green is ranked 14th in the SEC among 16 quarterbacks. That’s not good.

The Vols are a lock to make the College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record

A lot of things would have had to go wrong for Tennessee not to make the 12-team College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record. Tennessee’s strength of schedule could have hurt the Vols’ chances if Oklahoma looked as bad offensively as they did when the Vols beat them 25-15 in Norman, Okla.

Now, that win doesn’t look so pedestrian.

Oklahoma has seemingly found a budding star at quarterback with Michael Hawkins, Jr., who got his chance thanks to the Vols. Tennessee disrupted the Sooners’ offense so much in the first half of the Vols-Sooners game that Sooners’ starting quarterback Jackson Arnold was removed in the first half of the Heupel homecoming. In came Hawkings. 

Hawkins not only makes Oklahoma a much better team, but after a win at Auburn and probably more significant wins to come, Tennessee’s win against the Sooners will continue to look better and better as time goes on, even though Oklahoma’s upcoming schedule is brutal.

Ole Miss also lost to Kentucky 20-17. That’s an ugly loss that will certainly be taken into account if the Vols and Rebels are head-to-head in the College Football Playoff committee’s decision-making process.

Tennessee will be underdogs in two of its remaining games this season – Part I

There was certainly a very realistic chance that Alabama, with first-year Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer, might not mesh offensively with Jalen Milroe returning at quarterback. Forget all that.

Milroe was electric for Bama in a thrilling 41-34 win over Georgia on Saturday, completing 27-of-33 passes for 374 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He was also Bama’s leading rusher with 117 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries. However, that’s not the most impressive aspect when looking back on Milroe’s big night.

The junior showed incredible poise as the game looked to be over at halftime with the Crimson Tide leading 30-7. All that Bama talent didn’t leave Tuscaloosa when former coach Nick Saban retired. With Milroe and DeBoer clicking, the Crimson Tide will be tough to beat by the Vols or anyone else in the nation. Fortunately for Tennessee, that game is in Knoxville.

Tennessee will be underdogs in two of its remaining games this season – Part II

Lost in the tide of optimism in Tuscaloosa after Alabama’s exciting win is the fact that Georgia looked fantastic for the majority of the game. While that was no surprise, the Bulldogs also showed moxie to get back in the game after taking most of the first half off. Remember, this isn’t like the old days, in which a team can lose a big game and throw in the towel because they most likely are eliminated from a national championship game.

The Bulldogs will most likely come back stronger from the loss, especially since they have an elite head coach, Kirby Smart, that won’t settle for less. In some ways, a win over Georgia, which is in Athens, may have just gotten more difficult for the Vols. Still, if Tennessee only loses to Alabama and Georgia, they’re in the College Football Playoff and will likely host a game in Neyland Stadium.