Tennessee’s road win over Georgia Tech didn’t just move the Vols up in the AP Top 25. It also sharpened the picture for what could be one of the biggest games on the September calendar.
Josh Heupel’s team jumped three spots to No. 15 in the new poll, and that rise comes at the same time Texas has taken over the No. 1 spot after its stunner against Ohio State in Austin. Put those two results together, and suddenly the Sept. 26 matchup in Knoxville looks even bigger than it already did.
Barring a major surprise, Tennessee and Texas should both arrive at that Week 4 showdown unbeaten at 3-0. Texas gets UTSA next week, while Tennessee hosts Kennesaw State, setting up a top-15 clash at Neyland Stadium with a whole lot more weight behind it now that the Longhorns are sitting at the top of the rankings.
That game already had the feel of a headline event. Now it has the AP Poll to match.
Tennessee’s performance at Georgia Tech wasn’t spotless, but the Vols still handled business with a 21-point road win. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon did what was required to help get the job done, and DeSean Bishop added a career-high 147 rushing yards. That kind of physical running could matter again when Texas comes to town.
The Longhorns, meanwhile, are coming off a wild finish of their own. Texas erased a 20-3 deficit in the fourth quarter and pulled off an improbable comeback against then-No.
1 Ohio State. That’s the kind of win that changes the conversation fast, and now it has them in the top spot entering the stretch before Knoxville.
For Tennessee, the challenge will be bringing its best across the board when Sept. 26 arrives. Heupel will also be leaning on the home crowd to make Neyland Stadium as loud and disruptive as possible, with the hope of unsettling Arch Manning and the Texas offense.
That’s easier said than done, but the stage is set. What was already a game plenty of people had circled is now an even juicier matchup thanks to the new rankings.
In Other News...
Josh Heupel Is Closing In On Another Tennessee Coaching Milestone
Josh Heupel keeps stacking up the kind of wins that matter in Knoxville history, and his latest milestone pushed him past Doug Dickey for sixth on Tennessees all-time coaching list. Since taking over in 2021, Heupel has built a 47-20 record and continued to give the Volunteers the kind of steady success that has made his tenure one of the more productive stretches in the programs modern era.
The next landmark is within reach, too, with Bowden Wyatt sitting just ahead of him in fifth place. Heupels perfect mark against opponents with losing records has helped Tennessee stay on pace, and with three more wins this season he could climb again on a list that still carries plenty of weight around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Faizon Brandon Passed Tennessees First Road Test Now Comes The Real Challenge
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon handled his first road start with the kind of calm Tennessee could reasonably ask for, helping the Volunteers leave Georgia Tech with a 45-24 victory. Brandon completed 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, added 22 rushing yards and, most importantly for a young quarterback in a tough setting, kept the game under control without turning the ball over.
Now the test gets more interesting. Brandon has already shown he can navigate a hostile environment and make enough plays to back up the rest of Tennessee's talent, but the next stretch will ask for more than poise and caution. For a quarterback still settling into the job, the challenge is no longer simply surviving a road game. It's doing it again, with teams starting to adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees First Road Win Still Left Vols Fans With One Concern
Tennessee left Bobby Dodd Stadium with its first road win of the season and a 45-24 result that gave the Vols a 2-0 start, but the box score still told a story of a team easing into its identity. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon helped settle things early enough, and Tennessee spent much of the middle stretch of the game in control while both sides of the ball found a groove away from home.
Even so, the finish left a familiar unease for fans who watched Georgia Tech keep pressing late. Tennessee backed off into a more conservative approach as the Yellow Jackets tried to chip away at the margin, and for a moment it felt like the game might get tighter than it had any business being. The Vols still handled the comeback push, but the way the closing minutes unfolded offered a reminder that there is still a little polishing left to do. [Read more 🡒]