The 2015 college football season is barely over and yet we already have some “way too early” 2015 top 25 polls floating around.
But then again, who are we kidding?
There’s no such thing anymore as “way too early”. College football, much like the NFL, is now a year-round sport. In fact, I think it’s quite fun to look at where you think teams rank in January and then compare it to post-spring training camp polls, pre-season polls etc.
We, as college football fans, live and breath everything about the sport. We want to see what other folks think of our teams. We want some positive reinforcement to our fanhood.
That’s why “way too early” college football polls will always be a thing. And we’ll continue to read them and lend them credence.
With that said, LostLetterman.com posted their first 2015 poll on Monday and there are ten SEC teams ranked inside the top 25.
And the Tennessee Volunteers are one of those teams.
LostLetterman.com has the Vols as the 22nd best team in the nation in 2015.
Here’s what the site had to say about Tennessee.
"The Vols finished strong in 2014, winning four of their last five. Butch Jones seems to have Tennessee headed in the right direction and QB Joshua Dobbs will continue to improve in his junior season. Tennessee’s defense should be better behind young stars, led by SEC All-Freshman teamers DL Derek Barnett and DB Todd Kelly Jr."
The Vols are going to be a trendy top 25 pick in 2015.
And rightfully so.
Tennessee finished the 2014 season on a hot streak, including an impressive Gator Bowl win against Iowa. The Vols have nearly their entire roster returning and a wealth of fresh talent coming in the form of a star studded 2015 recruiting class.
But the important thing for the Vols to remember is that they’ll have to live up to the lofty expectations that will be put on team 119.
Simply starting the season as a ranked team isn’t a sign that you’ve arrived. A lot of promising young teams have started the season in the top 25, only to see their star quickly fade.
A ranking inside the top 25 would be a huge sign of progress for the Volunteers. But at the end of the day, it should only serve as a source of motivation for Butch Jones and his Vols.