Tennessee’s spot in the Coaches Poll nudged up during its bye week, even as the Vols sat idle and waited for a huge November test.
After opening the week at No. 17, Tennessee moved to No. 16 in Sunday afternoon’s updated rankings.
The Vols are 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, and they’re coming off a rough loss at South Carolina. Next up is Kentucky, a matchup with serious College Football Playoff implications.
The climb to No. 16 puts Tennessee seventh among SEC teams in the poll. Ahead of the Vols are No.
2 Georgia, No. 7 Kentucky, No.
9 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No.
12 Ole Miss and No. 15 LSU.
Missouri is the only other SEC team in the rankings at No. 19, while South Carolina and Florida landed just outside the top 25, receiving the 26th and 27th most votes.
Both Tennessee and Kentucky are coming out of bye weeks, which gives each side extra time to reset and prepare. Josh Heupel said the week has been about sharpening the details while also beginning work on Kentucky.
“A little bit more fundamental time, but still getting started on Kentucky as well at the same time,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on the bye week. “Opportunity for everybody in the building to kind of reset on some of the fundamental things that go into playing this game at a really high level.
The margins are small, it’s a six-inch step up front, it’s your pad level. It’s quarterback reversing out at the right angle, whatever it might be that goes into the execution of the play.”
Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN. Tennessee enters the week as a 6.5-point favorite on FanDuel, and the over/under is 50.5 points.
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Ohio States loss to USC is the kind of result that ripples well beyond one box score, especially with the College Football Playoff race already tightening. USC, New Mexico, South Carolina and Iowa all have a chance to climb, while other teams sit idle and wait for their own opportunities to make a statement, which only adds more weight to LSUs place in the rankings before a meeting that could carry serious stakes for Tennessee. [Read more 🡒]
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Two Former Vols Add Extra Tension To Tennessees Kentucky Showdown
Saturday nights meeting with Kentucky already carries the usual SEC edge, and now there is a little more familiarity mixed into the rivalry. Tennessee will see two former Vols on the other sideline in Knoxville, with offensive linemen Lance Heard and Max Anderson making their return after transferring to Kentucky this offseason. Heard has settled in as the Wildcats starting left tackle and has started all eight games this season, while Anderson is part of the depth behind him.
For Tennessee, it adds another layer to a game that already matters plenty in the standings and in-state atmosphere around Neyland Stadium. The matchup is set for 6:15 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN, giving the Vols a chance to handle a familiar opponent while also facing a pair of players who know the program from the inside. [Read more 🡒]