Tennessee football made a big jump in the final Associated Press poll of the season, landing at No. 17 in the rankings. The Vols entered bowl season ranked 25th nationally and was the highest riser in bowl season after its Citrus Bowl victory.
Josh Heupel’s third season ended with his second bowl victory as Tennessee dominated now-No. 24 Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava turned in an impressive performance in his first-career start, completing 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and one touchdown as well as 27 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Iowa entered the Citrus Bowl as the Big 10 West champions and with a 10-3 record. Tennessee handed the Hawkeyes their most lopsided loss of the season including the national champion Michigan Wolverines.
More From RTI: See Where Tennessee Football Lands In Way-Too-Early 2024 Rankings
Tennessee is one of six SEC teams in the final AP poll, coming in behind No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Missouri, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 12 LSU. The final AP poll and the way-too-early college football rankings show the challenges of the new expanded SEC as Texas (No. 3) and Oklahoma (No. 15) both came in ahead of Tennessee in the rankings.
The Vols ended their 2023 season with a 1-3 record against ranked teams, falling to top 10 foes Georgia, Alabama and Missouri and capping off the season with a win over Iowa. Tennessee’s lone non top 25 loss came at Florida while the Vols recorded solid SEC wins over bowl teams Kentucky and Texas A&M.
There’s an abundance of excitement for Tennessee football entering the 2024 season in large part due to Iamaleava and a defense that’s looking to take a step forward as they continue to recruit better on the defensive side of the ball.
