Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers are back in the AP Top 10 after a one-week hiatus.
Tennessee spent five straight weeks in the Top 10 from Week 3 to Week 7 but fell to No. 11 in the poll following a loss to Arkansas and a narrow victory over Florida.
Tennessee’s win over Alabama on Saturday night has them right back in the Top 10 on Sunday morning, though.
The Vols jumped from No. 11 to No. 7 in the rankings on Sunday, taking the exact spot that Alabama held when they lost to the Vols in Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Tennessee was also ranked No. 7 in the country after defeating NC State in Week 2.
Tennessee also moved up two spots from No. 10 to No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll on Sunday morning.
Here’s a look at Tennessee’s history with both polls so far this season:
Tennessee Football AP/Coaches Rankings – 2024
- Week 1: #15/#15 (Result: Defeated Chattanooga 69-3)
- Week 2: #14/#12 (Result: Defeated #24/#23 NC State 51-10)
- Week 3: #7/#9 (Result: Defeated Kent State 71-0)
- Week 4: #6/#7 (Result: Defeated #15/#13 Oklahoma 25-15)
- Week 5: #5/#6 (Result: BYE)
- Week 6: #4/#4 (Result: Loss to Arkansas 19-14)
- Week 7: #8/#9 (Result: Defeated Florida 23-17 OT)
- Week 8: #11/#10 (Result: Defeated No. 7 Alabama 24-17)
- Week 9: #7/#8 (Up Next: BYE)
7️⃣ in the AP Poll#GBO 🍊 | @AP_Top25 pic.twitter.com/CmycEhs6U7
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 20, 2024
More from RTI: Tennessee Bolsters 2026 Class With Four-Star Commitment Brandon Anderson on Sunday
Tennessee is the third highest-ranked team from the SEC in the Week 9 rankings behind No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Texas. Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Crimson Tide fell eight spots to No. 15 in the rankings, one spot behind the Texas A&M Aggies. LSU trails Tennessee by one spot at No. 8 in the rankings.
The Vols have their second and final open date coming up this weekend before staying in Knoxville for two more conference games in Neyland Stadium. The Vols will host Kentucky (11/2) and Mississippi State (11/9) in back-to-back weekends before traveling to Athens to take on Georgia (11/16) after that. Tennessee then closes out the season with a home game against UTEP (11/23) before the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt (11/30) in Nashville.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football news, notes, and coverage through the open date.
Check out the full Week 9 AP Poll by clicking here.
