Man, what’s a team got to do to get a little bit of respect nowadays? Apparently do better than win on the road against a team that should have been ranked coming into the game.
The AP and Coaches Polls are out after Week 5, and Tennessee held firm at 15 in both polls after their 41-34 overtime win at Mississippi State on Saturday evening.
Mississippi State had a pretty decent resume coming in with a win over a good Arizona State team and a 4-0 mark. Pretty much a resume that anyone with the logo of Alabama or Michigan on their helmets would have them well up the rankings.
But the bottom line is Tennessee took care of business and moved to 4-1 going into a much-needed bye week. Coming up on the other side of the bye is Arkansas, who will come into Neyland Stadium with their old head coach Bobby Petrino back in charge as interim head coach after the university fired Sam Pittman on Sunday morning. Nothing is a given in SEC play, but Arkansas is reeling after a 56-13 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.
Of course, after that is Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and that serves as an opportunity to convince voters to finally give Tennessee a bit more respect if the Vols can deliver a stunner in Tuscaloosa on the third Saturday in October. Just gotta keep winning.
