After a long wait, the first College Football Playoff rankings will arrive on Tuesday night, but that's not something that Josh Heupel or any of his Tennessee players are going to worry about... for now. In terms of the CFP, all that matters is once the final rankings come out letting teams know whether or not they've made it in.
This is something Heupel is keeping in mind moving forward, while also making sure that his guys are staying focused on the task at hand. Right now, all the attention is on facing No. 8 Kentucky. When asked about distractions in November, Heupel said there's always going to be a ton of chatter outside of the locker room, but it's on him to make sure his playmakers block it all out.
Josh Heupel is doing everything he can to make sure his Tennessee players remain focused on Kentucky
"There's always a ton of noise outside of your building," Heupel said while speaking to the media. "There can be a lot of things that you can get caught up in. If you get caught up in things that don't matter, rankings coming out, whatever it might be, you have no chance to go finish and play the way you need to every single week."
The Tennessee head coach really didn't hold back there, which is great to see. He made a fantastic point. All that matters for Tennessee is taking on Kentucky, with Will Stein having the Wildcats ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll, which is not something many people expected for UK leading into the Week 10 action.
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel:
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) November 2, 2026
"Dark Mode, Homecoming. First SEC night game for us. Excited for us to get back in our stadium with our fans."
Heupel essentially saying he doesn't care about these first rankings is a feeling that must be shared by everyone else in Knoxville. If the Vols get caught up in where they're ranked, it will take some focus away from trying to take down a Top 10 team at Neyland Stadium. That's wasted energy, and Heupel simply isn't going to allow it.
After what we all saw against South Carolina in Week 8, too, the Vols can't afford to not be fully mentally prepared to go to battle against the Wildcats. Yes, you've probably been reminded of the 12 penalties for 90 yards countless times already, but those infuriating mental lapses simply cannot be repeated against Kentucky.
The Vols may be favored by 6.5 points right now, but Kentucky is going to have a ton of motivation to make sure everyone in the stands leaves Neyland with a sour look on their face. On the flip side, it's going to be on George MacIntyre, DeSean Bishop, Xavier Gilliam, Arion Carter, and so many others to lock in to power UT to a victory.
With a win, Tennessee will improve to 7-2, while also keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive. You already know the season will essentially be over with a loss. That's why Heupel is treating this matchup like a title game on its own. Tennessee must go all-in to record a win, and if that happens, they can start to worry about the CFP rankings at a later date. Now? Absolutely not.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Add us as a preferred source on Google