If you needed another reason to get excited for the Week 3 showdown between Georgia and Tennessee football, the AP Top 25 just delivered it. Next week, there's going to be a Top 15 battle on the way at Neyland Stadium.
With the new rankings just dropping for everyone to enjoy, Tennessee has gone from No. 22 in the country to No. 15. Yup, the Vols moved up seven spots after they absolutely dismantled East Tennessee State 72-17. The Dawgs and Kirby Smart will head to Knoxville as the No. 6 team in the land. Get your popcorn ready for this one, everyone:
Kirby Smart gives Tennessee bulletin-board material ahead of Week 3
BREAKING: College Football AP Poll🚨https://t.co/tJG9HZsTML pic.twitter.com/J0Qv4jkQuc
— On3 (@On3sports) September 7, 2025
Tennessee is now the No. 15 in the country in the new AP Top 25 rankings
Earlier in the week, plenty of Vols fans were a bit upset when Tennessee checked in at No. 22 after taking down Syracuse. This time around, however, plenty of UT supporters are going to agree that No. 15 is pretty darn fair of a spot for Josh Heupel and his players.
On Saturday, Neyland Stadium was rocking for the home opener of the 2025 campaign. We only got to see Joey Aguilar for one half, as the matchup with ETSU was pretty much over after the second quarter. In his 30 minutes of play, the App State/UCLA transfer tossed for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
The day at Neyland was made even better for Aguilar knowing that more than 20 of his family members were on hand, including his mom and grandma. Aguilar's day was no doubt highlighted by an incredible TD pass to Mike Matthews.
Come next Saturday, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs will be headed to town and this is a game that people can't wait for. The Vols and Aguilar have the chance to make a statement to the rest of the SEC if they can pull off an upset win. Should Tennessee take care of business, we could see the Vols make a leap into the Top 10.