Vols up to 8th in the AP rankings

[sechamp2012]

Here’s how I rank our remaining games from hardest to easiest
1. UGA AWY
2Bama
3LSU= Away
4.Kentucky
5. USCe= Away
6 Missouri
7. Vandy Nashvile neutral
8 UTM
Should stay in Top 10 if we can go 6-2

 

[vols2345]

Here’s how I rank our remaining games from hardest to easiest
1. UGA AWY
2Bama
3LSU= Away
4.Kentucky
5. USCe= Away
6 Missouri
7. Vandy Nashvile neutral
8 UTM
Should stay in Top 10 if we can go 6-2

be number 1 if we go 8-0

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Should be 6th. Should've jumped USC and UK.

We will jump UK when we beat them and USC will soon fall below us

 

[I Love Lamp]

We will jump UK when we beat them and USC will soon fall below us

USC will get beat by Washington State.

 

[IndianaVol]

When's the last time there were four SEC teams I'm the top ten and one was Tennessee???!!!

 

[LittleVol]

Texas A&M was the week before Alabama. The poster asked when was the last time Tennessee was ranked as high as 9. So 2016 Alabama would be the correct answer.

They lost to Texas A&M.
So they weren't ranked 9th when they played Bama...

 

[walkenvol]

Clemson has to win in ot yet they don’t drop any?

 

[vols2345]

Clemson has to win in ot yet they don’t drop any?

They play nc state this week. Also going to ot vs a top 25 team isnt a reason to drop

 

[Boston Vol]

They lost to Texas A&M.
So they weren't ranked 9th when they played Bama...

Yes they were. They remained #9 after the A&M loss.

 

[Volmac2022]

Probably top5. May be a couple losses for top10 teams between now and bammer.

I doubt it as there is a serious talent drop from top 3 to the rest of the schools in the top 25 it's unreal on how much talent drop their is.

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

That's not the voice of reason.

Because "reason" is about rationalism. And rationalism is about reaching well-supported conclusions based on empirical evidence.

Well, here's the empirical evidence you missed: we are #8 in the AP poll. That means, by reason, we are in fact a Top 10 team.

What you gave us wasn't reason, it was more like anti-Volunteer pooh-poohing.

p.s. "floundered horribly" is your terminology for "won"? You have some weird vocabulary skills, dude.

We squeaked by, IN OVERTIME NO LESS, a Pitt team that was barely functioning on a 2nd string QB for more than half the game. Our vaunted offense had 1, yes 1, more yard of total offense than a team working with a backup QB because our D is still that bad.
We nearly let FL steal the game at the end. A FL team with a first year coach...... on our home field. The only reason we beat Florida was because their coach made incredibly bad decisions(going for 2, not kicking field goals). They put nearly 600 yards of offense on us. We actually made FL look good on the field. Top 10 teams don't give up 600 yds of offense to anybody, much less a barely top 20 team.
Take off your orange colored glasses. We have great team this year, but not elite. Top 10 is elite. Some of y'all are in for a rude awakening.....

 

[TnScooby]

OMG! Can't folks just enjoy 4-0 and a #8 ranking?? I bet booing Santa Claus because he only works 1 day a year is common too..Sheesh, IMHO it's time to lighten up and enjoy it......

 

[vols2345]

We squeaked by, IN OVERTIME NO LESS, a Pitt team that was barely functioning on a 2nd string QB for more than half the game. Our vaunted offense had 1, yes 1, more yard of total offense than a team working with a backup QB because our D is still that bad.
We nearly let FL steal the game at the end. A FL team with a first year coach...... on our home field. The only reason we beat Florida was because their coach made incredibly bad decisions(going for 2, not kicking field goals). They put nearly 600 yards of offense on us. We actually made FL look good on the field. Top 10 teams don't give up 600 yds of offense to anybody, much less a barely top 20 team.
Take off your orange colored glasses. We have great team this year, but not elite. Top 10 is elite. Some of y'all are in for a rude awakening.....

never lost. Undefeated. Should be number 1 honestly

 

[VolBallGuy]

Yes they were. They remained #9 after the A&M loss.

Almost said something myself. Looks like you one upped a couple of us.

 

[sona]

Then we would still be in the top 10?

We would be a legit threat to take out anyone at that point.

 

[MemphisVol77]

we nearly let FL steal the game at the end. A FL team with a first year coach...... on our home field. The only reason we beat Florida was because their coach made incredibly bad decisions(going for 2, not kicking field goals).

Horrible decisions by Napier going for 2, I agree with. Complete supposition suggesting that's why we won. They got lucky to be in the game despite those bad decisions.

If they had converted their first 2 point conversion or just kicked the extra point, it would have been a 9/10 point game.
I'm betting Heupel would have put more points on the board in that scenario. Florida hadn't forced a punt all game. Heupel made a mistake taking his foot off the gas and trying to run out the clock.

Because of Heupels bad decision they came within a miracle of pulling a win out their a$s. Hopefully Heupel learns from this. Not completing a miracle hailmary after getting a miracle quick score (they hadn't had a scoring drive in under 3 minutes) and an onside recovery does not diminish our win.

FL & PITT were solid wins.

take off your orange colored glasses. We have great team this year, but not elite. Top 10 is elite. Some of y'all are in for a rude awakening.....

You don't think our defense can or will improve? I think maintaining a top 10 ranking will come down to 4 games. Stay competitive into the 4th against AL/GA, split LSU/KY, and we'll end up 9-3 with a top 10 ranking.
Or get annihilated by AL/GA but beat both LSU/KY and we'll end up 10-2 with a top 10 ranking.
Or many other scenarios.

our vaunted offense had 1, yes 1, more yard of total offense than a team working with a backup QB because our D is still that bad.

FL may very well have been the worst match up stylistically for our defense this year.
Give us the defensive performance we had against Pitt to compliment the presently top offense in college football, and I like our chances of a top 10 finish.

It may not happen, but that will hardly be a rude awakening. I think there's about 15-20 teams after GA/AL/OH State with a realistic chance of finishing in the top 10. I think we're better than at least half of them, they just don't play our schedule.

 

[ruger1234]

2016

This team is nothing like 2016. Ray Charles could see that

 

[xpsyclonex2002]

never lost. Undefeated. Should be number 1 honestly

I stand corrected. Vols beat Alabama in the National Championship 63 to 0. Book it......

 

[Defcon5]

New AP poll is out and we are #8

Let’s turn it into a top 8 recruiting class? Hopefully we’re back.

 

[BowlBrother85]

We squeaked by, IN OVERTIME NO LESS, a Pitt team that was barely functioning on a 2nd string QB for more than half the game. Our vaunted offense had 1, yes 1, more yard of total offense than a team working with a backup QB because our D is still that bad.
We nearly let FL steal the game at the end. A FL team with a first year coach...... on our home field. The only reason we beat Florida was because their coach made incredibly bad decisions(going for 2, not kicking field goals). They put nearly 600 yards of offense on us. We actually made FL look good on the field. Top 10 teams don't give up 600 yds of offense to anybody, much less a barely top 20 team.
Take off your orange colored glasses. We have great team this year, but not elite. Top 10 is elite. Some of y'all are in for a rude awakening.....

Didn't we also put up nearly 600 yards? Don't we have a 2nd year coach, who faced a mass exodus of players following the wholesale dismissal of the previous staff? It just looks like you are trying a little too hard to downplay Tennessee's win here. What Heupel has done is amazing. He has had every bit the amount of turmoil and attrition to deal with as Napier.

There is nothing wrong with taking some satisfaction with where we currently sit. This could not have been anticipated last September. Heupel is way ahead of where any realistic expectation could have had this program.

 

[Defcon5]

We are 8th in the AP

A lot of teams barely winning by a TD. Hopefully we’re focusing on LSU. We give up 600 yds to them & we’re coming home with a loss.

 

[Defcon5]

Checking list...

Where's Florida?

Oh, there they are at 23.

No, wait. That's Florida STATE.

Checking again...

Nope, Florida is nowhere to be seen.

GBO!

The fact we only beat FL by 5 does not bold well for us. We made AR look like a Heisman candidate. D couching sucked. Banks & Martinez need to go.

 

[90 Vol]

I'll be the voice of reason.

We aren't a top 10 team yet. Top 15 is realistic. We've destroyed 2 cupcakes and floundered horribly against two top 25 teams. Offensively we are a top 10 team for sure. But our D isn't a top 25 D. I'll take the good press like everyone else but we need to ctfd......
We are going to finish this season ranked in the top 20. We're moving the program in the right direction. We've found our coach. But we are at least 1 more recruiting cycle and portal transfer class away from being a true top 10 team from week 1 till the end of the season.

You lost me at "floundered horribly" against ranked teams when we won both of those games with one being a road win.

 

[BowlBrother85]

The fact we only beat FL by 5 does not bold well for us. We made AR look like a Heisman candidate. D couching sucked. Banks & Martinez need to go.

It bodes incredibly well for the future of this program that we are even competitive at all right now. Sanctions could derail us for sure... but we finally have a coach.

 

[BowlBrother85]

I'll be the voice of reason.

We aren't a top 10 team yet. Top 15 is realistic. We've destroyed 2 cupcakes and floundered horribly against two top 25 teams. Offensively we are a top 10 team for sure. But our D isn't a top 25 D. I'll take the good press like everyone else but we need to ctfd......
We are going to finish this season ranked in the top 20. We're moving the program in the right direction. We've found our coach. But we are at least 1 more recruiting cycle and portal transfer class away from being a true top 10 team from week 1 till the end of the season.

That is hyperbole ... not a voice of reason.