Tennessee’s stay in the top 20 took a hit Sunday, even if the Vols made Texas work for every inch in Knoxville.
After a 20-17 loss to the top-ranked Longhorns at Neyland Stadium, Tennessee slid three spots in the AP Poll and four in the Coaches Poll. The Vols landed at No. 17 in both rankings.
The final score doesn’t really capture how tight this one was for most of the afternoon. Tennessee hung around within a one-score margin until late in the fourth quarter, when Texas pushed the lead to 20-10.
The Vols answered with a touchdown and then got another shot after recovering an onside kick, but the offense never found enough rhythm to finish the job. A Hail Mary toward DaSaahn Brame fell incomplete.
The punishment from pollsters was noticeable, though maybe not devastating. Tennessee’s drop came after a home loss to No.
1 Texas by three points, a result that may have felt a little steep at first glance. Still, Ohio State also took a similar tumble after losing by one at Texas, so the movement wasn’t out of line with the rest of the week’s rankings shakeup.
Elsewhere, Florida was the biggest mover in the AP Poll, surging 13 spots from No. 21 to No. 8 after a 52-28 rout of Ole Miss. The Rebels fell from No. 4 to No. 9.
One thing Tennessee won’t have to worry about this week: a ranked opponent. Auburn stayed out of the polls after beating Vanderbilt on Saturday, so the Tigers will arrive in Knoxville unranked.
Kickoff is set for shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET, with ABC carrying the game.
In Other News...
Texas Had To Address A Tennessee Celebration Vols Fans Wont Forget
Texas left Neyland Stadium with a hard-earned 20-17 win over Tennessee, but some of the attention afterward centered on behavior rather than the final score. Head coach Steve Sarkisian met separately with Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown to address celebrations that crossed the line, including the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Simmons drew after a touchdown. For a road win that already carried plenty of weight, it became clear the postgame conversation had to include discipline as much as execution.
Sarkisian made clear he was not brushing it off, especially with Simmons viewed as a potential first-round NFL draft pick and expected to carry himself accordingly. The message was about professionalism and setting a standard moving forward, the kind of correction that can linger long after the scoreboard is forgotten. Tennessee fans may not have liked the result, but they certainly noticed the celebration, and Texas had to answer for it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Gave Vols Fans A New Respect Debate
Tennessees narrow 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas at Neyland Stadium left the Vols with the kind of mixed review that tends to linger. The defense and special teams did enough to keep the game tight, but the offense never fully found its rhythm, and that imbalance showed up again when the latest 247Sports SEC poll landed after Week 4.
Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot, Texas settled in at No. 2 and Tennessee slid to No. 8, a drop that adds another layer to the ongoing respect conversation around the program. Florida and Mississippi State made noticeable climbs, while Texas A&M and Ole Miss also moved down, but for Tennessee the bigger question is how much a close battle with the nations top team actually changes the conference view of the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Gets A Charged Auburn Test After One Ugly Wake-Up Call
Tennessee gets back on the road Saturday, Oct. 3, and the timing of Auburn could hardly be more instructive. Both teams are 3-1, and for Josh Heupels group, the trip comes with a quick chance to reset after the offense sputtered in the loss to Texas, a game that forced the head coach to talk openly about what needs cleaning up.
Champions Weekend adds another layer to the afternoon in Auburn, with Tennessee honoring past championship teams and individuals while the current roster tries to restore some momentum. The Vols do not have much margin for another clunker this early, and this matchup should say plenty about how quickly Heupels offense can respond to the wake-up call it just got. [Read more 🡒]