Tennessee doesn’t play football for another two weeks, but the Vols have managed to climb up the rankings in the Coaches’ Poll and the Associated Press Poll following results around college football over the weekend.
The Vols are ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll, moving up nine spots from their preseason ranking of No. 24. Tennessee was one of seven SEC teams in the AP Poll. Jeremy Pruitt’s squad was joined by Alabama (2), Georgia (4), Florida (5), LSU (6), Auburn (8), Texas A&M (10) and Kentucky (23).
The Associated Press began its college football poll on Oct. 19, 1936, and it is now the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 62 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly.
In the Coaches’ Poll, Tennessee is ranked No. 17. The Vols were one of seven SEC teams ranked. They were joined by Alabama (2), Georgia (4), LSU (5), Florida (6), Auburn (9), Texas A&M (10) and Kentucky (25).
The Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at FBS schools. The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the American Football Coaches Association their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.
Tennessee is scheduled to begin its season on Sept. 26 against South Carolina on the road at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Vols will return home a week later for their first game in Neyland Stadium, against Missouri at 4 p.m. ET.
