The Tennessee Volunteers got a week of rest and relaxation, and after a chaotic Saturday came to a close, they served to benefit from that in the polls.
Tennessee moved up two spots in both polls, going
from 23 to 21 in the AP Poll and 22 to 10 in the Coaches Poll.
A number of teams in the bottom of the poll or just outside of it lost on Saturday. Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri all lost, as did Memphis. Louisville and Virginia lost at home to unranked California and Wake Forest, respectively, but both just managed to stay ahead of Tennessee in the AP Poll; Louisville dropped below the Vols in the Coaches Poll.
As noted before, with the College Football Playoff rankings out, the polls have been watered and don’t matter as much. But I still think they’re kind of a feeler for what the playoff committee could end up doing on Tuesday night.
So, for those hoping that a 2007-esque chaos of teams falling apart in November opens the door up for the Vols to perhaps sneak into the playoff at 9-3, a two-spot bump doesn’t really move the needle that much.
We’ll find out where Tennessee, who debuted at #25, ends up in Tuesday’s second version of the 2025 playoff rankings.
