Tennessee #11 in the AP

[Jeff Clark]

let’s not forget how refreshing it is to argue about being ranked in the top 10. In year 2, we finally have a coach most of us really like, who has a great and exciting offense, and is recruiting well. He also, in year 2, won the first “red flag” game. It wasn’t pretty. But we did the typical vol rebuild mistakes x2 and still won on the road to a ranked team. Rankings are relative at the time. It looks great and feels even better to be ranked where we are with a truly beatable Florida team coming to town with gameday. Big time exposure in year 2. Saturday is going to be the day for Huepel to show the world what he is doing is legit. I hope we have the loudest and most epic gameday Knoxville has ever seen. Huepel and this team deserve to have it swing in our favor finally.

At least Coach Heupel isn't talking about cornbread and not knowing what asparagus is.

 

[NighthawkVol]

It doesn't tend to work that way in the polls as we get into the season. It turns more into a process of elimination: lose, and drop. Survive, and slide up to fill the gap.

Consider the case where we beat Florida. We're #11, and we just beat Florida. Meanwhile,

#1 UGa beats Kent State something like 60 to 0.
#2 Bama beats Vandy just as badly.
#3 Ohio State beats Wisconsin solidly.
#4 Michigan beats Maryland by 30 points.
#5 Clemson destroys #21 Wake Forest.
#6 Oklahoma beats Kansas State by a score of 52-14.
#7 USCw thrashes Oregon State.
#8 Kentucky wins over Northern Illinois something like 60-3.
#9 Oklahoma State beats #17 Baylor handily.
#10 Arkansas beats #23 A&M by three touchdowns.

Tell me...under those circumstances, who do we leapfrog for beating #20 Florida? You say at least two spots. Pick the two teams we pass, and explain how us beating #20 Florida is that much more impressive to all these poll voters than whatever the other teams did.

Okay? Go.

These results aren’t all certainties. Upsets happen. KState has been a thorn to OU in the past. aTm just beat Miami and Arkansas just escaped Missouri State. So assuming Arkansas beats aTm at all, much less by 3 TDs, is tenuous. But yes, if all of those things happen, Tennessee stays put.

Regardless, Tennessee gets a bye week after Florida. So there is another week in which teams could lose while Tennessee doesn’t play. The odds of Tennessee going into the LSU game in the top 10, while not certain, are favorable.

 

[pharmDvol11]

Gotta be the guy that says this: none of this matters against Florida. Beat Florida. That’s all that matters. For all I care they can flip UT and Florida in the polls. The Gators will give the Vols everything they can handle. No sense in getting too confident bc of the way things look on paper.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Not sure the Vols deserve this ranking. They beat two of the worst MAC teams known to mankind and a depleted Pitt team with a good defense. VOLS need to go into the Florida game hungry and pissed off, rankings and accolades mean nothing until this game is won.

 

[Russdaddy2027]

VOLS D has to be aggressive after QB, but not so aggressive that they will require the services of whomever their back up post game Heisman worthy QB is....Then we crack TOP 10

 

[TennMan101]

Only if Arkansas gets beat by A&M, or Oklahoma State struggles against Baylor.

Both are entirely possible.

Go Vols!

We will most definitely move into the top 10 if we beat UF! You don't beat a top 20 team when you are ranked 11th and not move up at least one spot, unless the next five or six teams in front of you are playing tough games and all of them win.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I agree with the Athlon Sports Top 25 that has Tennessee #10. I think Kentucky is extremely overrated and doesn't belong in the Top 10. I think Kentucky will go 8-4 with losses to Ole Miss,Mississippi State,Tennessee and Georgia.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

We will most definitely move into the top 10 if we beat UF! You don't beat a top 20 team when you are ranked 11th and not move up at least one spot, unless the next five or six teams in front of you are playing tough games and all of them win.

Make you a bet. If all of the five or six teams in front of us win their games, I bet you we don't move from #11.

I'm sincerely hoping we can't test this bet, because I'm hoping A&M beats Arky and Baylor beats Oklahoma State.

But should the #6 through #10 teams all win their games, I bet you that we don't leapfrog any of them.

Okay?

 

[Jeff Clark]

Make you a bet. If all of the five or six teams in front of us win their games, I bet you we don't move from #11.

I'm sincerely hoping we can't test this bet, because I'm hoping A&M beats Arky and Baylor beats Oklahoma State.

But should the #6 through #10 teams all win their games, I bet you that we don't leapfrog any of them.

Okay?

I think Kentucky will be falling out of the Top 25 soon when they lose the Ole Miss on October 1st and Mississippi State on October 15th. It wouldn't shock me if Kentucky gets upset by South Carolina at home on October 8th. It would be nice having Kentucky heading to Knoxville on October 29th with a 3 game losing streak going into the Tennessee game.