One week after smoking cigars on The Third Saturday in October, No. 11 Tennessee’s chances at another win went up in smoke.
The Volunteers were unable to build off their big victory over Alabama, losing to South Carolina on a walk-off field goal at Williams-Brice Stadium as Gamecocks fans rushed the field for the ranked win.
It was a back-and-forth battle, with South Carolina jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Tennessee responded with three second-quarter touchdowns to take the lead at halftime.
However, offensive struggles returned for the Volunteers, who mustered up just a field goal in the fourth quarter before the Gamecocks tied it with 87 seconds left. Then, South Carolina star Dylan Stewart forced Tennessee quarterback
George MacIntyre to fumble the ball on a sack in a critical error, setting up Malik Orsan to drill a 43-yard field goal on the final play.
WHAT AN ENDING‼️
— ESPN (@espn) October 24, 2026
South Carolina beats No. 11 Tennessee on a kick with no time remaining 😮 pic.twitter.com/j6GorK47Qh
While it’s not necessarily a big upset, considering South Carolina was the favorite going into the game, it still impacts the rankings and national title picture after the Volunteers jumped to No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
So, where will Tennessee drop in the next batch of rankings, and how will it affect its title hopes?
Where will Tennessee fall in college football rankings after loss vs. South Carolina?
Tennessee is likely to see a noticeable drop in the polls, given the fact this was a loss to an unranked team that came into the day 3-3.
After being No. 11, the Volunteers will likely fall into the No. 16-22 range. What may help Tennessee from having a dramatic fall is the fact the game went down to the wire and it was on the road, which typically benefits SEC teams and keeps them from suffering major drops.
The Volunteers will have to hope other ranked teams lose so they don't have to worry about teams leapfrogging them in the rankings. Regardless, a second loss is pretty tough to absorb for a team trying to get in the College Football Playoff picture. This will require Tennessee to pick up more notable wins to get back in the frame.
Final projection: No. 19.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tennessee football rankings: How far will Vols drop after loss to South Carolina?
