Tennessee football reaches top 10 of both polls but should be top five
If you’re basing the rankings off a combination of preseason polls and what’s been done so far, Tennessee football is top 10. However, if you’re basing them solely off what’s been done this year, the Vols are top five and maybe have a case to be higher.
For the first time since their 5-0 start in 2016, UT is top 10 in both polls. After their 38-33 win over the Florida Gators, the Vols moved up to No. 8 in the AP Poll, their highest ranking in that poll since 2006, and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.
Such milestones are worthy of celebrating. After all, anybody who has followed the Vols the past 15 years did not see this coming Josh Heupel’s second year on the job. However, Tennessee football should easily be ranked higher in both.
The Vols jumped three spots in both polls, surpassing the Arkansas Razorbacks and Oklahoma Sooners in both polls since those two teams lost. They also leapfrogged the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the AP Poll and the N.C. State Wolfpack in the Coaches Poll, although all three teams are undefeated.
Still, if you break down the schedule and ignore what happened last year, the Vols should be top five. This is a team with two Power Five wins now, and one of them is on the road. Both were in the top 25 when Rocky Top beat them.
That’s a better resume than the Kentucky Wildcats, whose only win is over the Florida Gators, the team UT beat Saturday. Sure, Kentucky won by more and won it on the road, but if you followed the flow of each game, the Vols were more dominant in theirs.
Add in UT beating the Pittsburgh Panthers on the road, and they have a better resume than Kentucky. Oklahoma State’s best win is against an Arizona State Sun Devils team whose staff was allegedly undercutting its head coach. That’s hardly a Power Five win.
As a result, Tennessee football should at least be No. 7. The USC Trojans just barely beat the Oregon State Beavers over the weekend, winning 17-14. If you break down schedule strength and style points, the Vols beat USC on both, so they should be No. 6.
Then there are the Michigan Wolverines. Michigan just played its first Power Five game and beat the Maryland Terrapins by only a touchdown. Obviously the Vols have a better resume than them and, despite the hype, should be higher.
At this point, they’re No. 5. Ahead of them would be the Clemson Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs. Clemson, Georgia and Ohio state all h ave two Power Five wins. However, the Vols should be ahead of Alabama.
Yes, Alabama may be the better team, but they don’t have the better resume. The Tide have two Power Five wins, but one is over the Vanderbilt Commodores. The other is by one at a Texas Longhorns team that just lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Next. Five takeaways from Vols' 38-33 win vs. Florida. dark
Taking that into account, if you break down resumes, Tennessee football is a top four team and should be a clear-cut top five team. However, Vol fans will take the win with Heupel. Being top five is a huge accomplishment given what they were supposed to be.