Tennessee’s late-season stumble couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Vols, who were holding steady at No. 19 in last week’s College Football Playoff rankings, fell completely out of the top 25 after a stunning 45-24 home loss to in-state rival Vanderbilt. That defeat not only capped an 8-4 regular season but also snapped a 22-week streak of CFP rankings appearances dating back to the 2022 season - a stretch that began with Tennessee debuting at No. 1 under head coach Josh Heupel.
This wasn’t just a bad loss - it was a gut punch. The Vols had been a fixture in the rankings for two straight years, and while the program has made undeniable strides under Heupel, the loss to Vanderbilt - at home, no less - was a major setback.
It also marked Tennessee’s fourth loss of the year, all of which came against teams currently ranked in the top 15: No. 3 Georgia, No.
8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Alabama, and now No.
14 Vanderbilt. What’s more, three of those defeats came at Neyland Stadium - a place that had been a fortress for Heupel’s squads until this season.
To put that in perspective, Tennessee had lost just four home games in Heupel’s first four seasons combined. They matched that total this year alone.
Meanwhile, the new CFP rankings saw a bit of a shuffle as the regular season wrapped up. Iowa, despite also sitting at 8-4, managed to climb into the rankings at No. 23, becoming the only four-loss team to make the cut.
The Hawkeyes were one of four programs to crack the top 25 this week after being unranked previously, alongside Houston (No. 21), North Texas (No. 24), and James Madison (No.
25).
Their entry came at the expense of Arizona, SMU, and Pittsburgh - all of whom dropped out following losses in the final week of the regular season.
Here’s how the top of the rankings shake out: Ohio State and Indiana both remain undefeated at 12-0, holding down the top two spots. Georgia, despite a single loss, is still sitting strong at No. 3, followed by Texas Tech and Oregon, each at 11-1, rounding out the top five. Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Notre Dame complete the top 10 - all with either one or two losses but boasting strong resumes down the stretch.
Vanderbilt, Tennessee’s conqueror, made a significant leap to No. 14, and rightfully so. They’ve put together a 10-2 season and now have a marquee win on their résumé. It’s a big moment for the Commodores, who have often played in the Vols' shadow but flipped the script in a major way this year.
For Tennessee, the path forward is about regrouping and reloading. The talent is there, the coaching staff has shown it can compete at a high level, and the fan base remains one of the most passionate in college football.
But this season's ending - especially the way it unfolded at home - will sting for a while. The Vols will have to use that as fuel heading into bowl season and beyond.
College Football Playoff Rankings (December 2)
- Ohio State (12-0)
- Indiana (12-0)
- Georgia (11-1)
- Texas Tech (11-1)
- Oregon (11-1)
- Ole Miss (11-1)
- Texas A&M (11-1)
- Oklahoma (10-2)
- Alabama (10-2)
- Notre Dame (10-2)
- BYU (11-1)
- Miami (10-2)
- Texas (9-3)
- Vanderbilt (10-2)
- Utah (10-2)
- USC (9-3)
- Virginia (10-2)
- Arizona (9-3)
- Michigan (9-3)
- Tulane (10-2)
- Houston (9-3)
- Georgia Tech (9-3)
- Iowa (8-4)
- North Texas (11-1)
- James Madison (11-1)
The regular season may be over, but the drama is far from done. With bowl games and the playoff looming, the next few weeks will separate contenders from pretenders - and for teams like Tennessee, it’s a chance to prove that one bad loss doesn’t define a season.