What do the haters have to say now? Not much, as Tennessee made Alabama look nothing like the No. 6 team in the country, with the No. 14 Vols taking care of business 26-10. Because of that, it's safe to say the voters are going to give UT a handsome bump once the Top 25 comes out. So, how far will Tennessee move on up?
That's a great question, but with some other wild results in the Top 10 on Saturday, it's safe to assume the Vols are going to climb up at least five spots. However, there's a chance that they could climb even further. Without further ado, we've got our Top 25 predictions for once the AP Poll comes out, with Tennessee checking in at No. 7 once 2 p.m. ET on Sunday gets here.
AP Top 25 prediction after Week 7, with a new No. 1 after Georgia blew it vs. Auburn
1. Miami
2. Ohio State
3. BYU
4. Georgia
5. Indiana
6. Notre Dame
7. Tennessee
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas Tech
10. Utah (assuming it beats Colorado - game still in progress as of this writing)
11. Alabama
12. Kentucky
13. UCLA
14. Iowa
15. LSU
16. Houston
17. Wake Forest
18. USC
19. Texas
20. Missouri
21. Oklahoma State
22. Boise State
23. SMU
24. Northwestern
25. Florida
Georgia and Kirby Smart entered the week holding the top spot, but the Dawgs straight up blew it against Auburn. It was a shocking result. Notre Dame would have ended up No. 1 in the land, but the Fighting Irish went down on the road in BYU in controversial fashion. Come on, that was pass interference to end the game.
Because of that loss, Miami will take over as the new No. 1 team, but the Canes got everything they could handle against Mike Norvell and Florida State. The same could be said for Ohio State going up against Indiana, with the Buckeyes escaping with a close win in Bloomington.
Back to the Knoxville playmakers, while we would have loved to move Tennessee into the Top 5, slipping them in at No. 7 feels right at this point. We would have gone as high as No. 6, but credit to BYU for getting things done vs. Notre Dame. As for the upset in Knoxville, fans can't get enough of the sensational performance from the defense, with Jim Knowles putting together an incredible game plan to help lead the way for the Vols.
I would say Jim Knowles has been worth every penny Tennessee paid him. The Vols' defense has yet to allow more than 20 points in a game this season and held Alabama to 54 rushing yards and 2-of-13 on third down.
— Chris Low (@Clowfb) October 17, 2026
Offensively for Tennessee, the Vols were led by the fantastic running of DeSean Bishop, who recorded 159 yards on 32 carries -- oh, and his two touchdowns in the second half were incredible to see too. Following the win over Alabama, Tennessee will get back on the road come Oct. 24 to take on South Carolina in Columbia.
The Vols will be heavy favorites for that one, as it's been a disappointing season once again for Shane Beamer. Then, a BYE will be on the way come Week 9 before Tennessee hosts Kentucky for what could end up being a Top 10 matchup on Nov. 7. Credit to Will Stein for back-to-back wins against LSU and Oklahoma. Before anyone even starts to think about the Wildcats, Tennessee will need to take down SC first, but it's understandable if Heupel and his players/coaches want to take a couple of days to keep lightin' up some cigars after humbling the Crimson Tide at Neyland.
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