No. 14 Tennessee’s offense spent most of the afternoon under siege in its loss to No. 1 Texas, and the numbers from Pro Football Focus paint the same picture.
Faizon Brandon was dropped 10 times as the Longhorns’ pass rush repeatedly blew up Tennessee’s rhythm, and the Vols managed just 221 yards of offense in the defeat. After the game, PFF went back through the film and assigned grades to Tennessee’s performance.
That grading process comes from a large staff that reviews game film across the country, and PFF says its system is built to account for every snap, not just the plays that stand out. The company describes its approach this way: "Taking every play into consideration allows for a larger sample size of data to tell the proper story rather than just a highlight reel of plays that we tend to remember, for better or worse," Pro Football Focus defines about its grading process.
"We also work to eliminate bias by not caring about the level of player who is being graded, so whether it's the best tackle in the league missing a block or one of the worst, the same grade is given. Preconceived level of ability has no impact on the grading system.
This style has worked well in unlocking undervalued gems through the years, while also not being swayed by player hype if it is undeserved."
PFF’s grades run on a 1-100 scale. A 90-100 grade is considered elite, 85-89 is all-conference level, 70-84 signals starter quality, 60-69 is backup quality and anything below 60 is viewed as replaceable.
Even so, those grades should be read with some caution. PFF does not know each Tennessee player’s assignment on every snap, and its evaluations may not match the coaches’ grades.
Still, for fans looking for a film-based snapshot without grinding through the entire game themselves, it offers a useful lens on how Tennessee held up in the loss to Texas.
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 🡒]