Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg released his future power rankings for college football. The list ranks the 25 best teams over the course of the next three seasons.
Tennessee made the list, coming in at No. 9.
The Vols are the fourth and final SEC team in the top ten, behind No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama and No. 5 LSU. The Big Ten and SEC each had four teams in the top ten (counting USC as B1G), while the ACC had two (No. 7 Clemson, No. 10 Florida State).
Who will be the top teams over the next three years? 👀@ESPNRittenberg breaks down his Future Power Rankings 🔗 https://t.co/imdJpKgilb pic.twitter.com/CpbcVoWxy2
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) June 21, 2023
Four other SEC squads made the Top 25. Oklahoma came in at No. 12, Texas was slotted at 15th, and South Carolina and Ole Miss rounded out the SEC’s representation at No. 22 and No. 25, respectively.
Of the eight SEC teams on the list, Tennessee will play three in 2024 (Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma).
The full list can be seen here. (Must have ESPN+ subscription)
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A summary of what Rittenberg said about Tennessee in the article is below:
“The excitement is real on Rocky Top after an 11-2 season in which the Vols finished No. 6 in the polls. Coach Josh Heupel’s challenge is to sustain success in the relentless SEC. Tennessee hasn’t recorded consecutive 10-win seasons since 2003 and 2004, and last had back-to-back AP top-10 finishes in 1998 and 1999. Heupel’s offense will always give the Vols a chance, though, as they rank second nationally in scoring during the past two seasons… Joe Milton III is very talented and looked good in relief of Hooker late last season, but must show he can consistently perform as the starter. The Vols’ post-2023 QB outlook is strong with Nico Iamaleava, ESPN’s No. 4 pocket passer and No. 23 overall player in the 2023 class, and decorated 2024 commit Jake Merklinger….
“How high Tennessee rises will depend on whether its defense makes the necessary personnel upgrades. The recent recruiting and portal gains are encouraging, as Tennessee signed six ESPN 300 defenders in the 2023 class… The Vols should be better up front, especially with (Chandavian) Bradley, Caleb Herring (ESPN’s No. 102 recruit) and others entering the mix.”
After a 7-6 2021 season in year one under Josh Heupel, the Vols had a breakout 2022 campaign, finishing 11-2.
In year two of the Heupel era, Tennessee achieved heights they hadn’t achieved in well over a decade. Outside of being the best offense in the country, Tennessee was the No. 1 seed in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, won the Orange Bowl, throttled future SEC West champion LSU, beat Alabama for the first time in the Nick Saban era and went undefeated at home for the first time in 16 years.
Additionally, quarterback Hendon Hooker was among the Heisman favorites until he tore his ACL in the penultimate week of the regular season.
Taking all of those accomplishments from the 2022 season into account, it’s not difficult to see how Tennessee would be a top ten team over the next three seasons.
The amount of success the Vols have had in just two years under Heupel is a strong indication the Big Orange won’t return to mediocrity anytime soon.
