Tennessee Jumps Key Big Ten Team in AP Rankings Update

Tennessee jumped Ohio State in the Dec. 1 AP Rankings released on Sunday afternoon.

The Vols moved up one spot to No. 6 after defeating Vanderbilt 36-23 while Ohio State dropped five spots to No. 7 after a loss to unranked Michigan at home.

All eyes will now turn to the CFB Playoffs selection committee on Tuesday night for a highly-anticipated update.

The question heading into Tuesday is whether or not Ohio State’s loss to Michigan slides the Buckeyes behind Tennessee in the rankings as two-loss teams. Clearly the AP voters believe that Tennessee is the better two-loss team which is why Ohio State’s slide stopped one spot after the Volunteers.

The Coaches Poll has a similar trend. Tennessee bumped up two spots to No. 6 in the Coaches Poll while Ohio State fell six spots to No. 8.

Will the committee follow that trend with Tennessee ranked higher than Ohio State? We’ll have to wait until Tuesday night to find out. But that could very well be the difference between Tennessee hosting a game in the first round versus going on the road to start the playoffs.

As usual, the AP Poll is not indicative of anything playoff-related and is not the poll that is used for television broadcasts. That being said, though, Tennessee won’t have another game until said playoffs.

With a win over Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon, Josh Heupel’s group punched its ticket to the College Football Playoffs in December. The Volunteers will also not be participants in the SEC Championship game this weekend, meaning that Tennessee will have ample time to rest, recover, and practice before the first round of the playoffs.

More from RTI: Will Tennessee Football Host A CFP Game? How Rivalry Week Results Affect The Vols

Here’s a look at how Tennessee has shaken out in the rankings 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 (Result: BYE)
• Week 10: #7/#7 (Result: Defeated Kentucky 28-18)

(Playoff ranking included – AP/Coaches/CFP)

• Week 11: #7/#6/#7 (Result: Defeated Mississippi State 33-14)
• Week 12: #6/#4/#7 (Result: Loss to No. 12 Georgia 31-17)
• Week 13: #10/#11/#11 (Result: Defeated UTEP 56-0)
• Week 14: #7/#8/TBD (Result: Defeated Vanderbilt 36-23)
• Week 15: #6/#6/TBD (Next Up: Playoffs vs. TBD)

More from RTI: Josh Heupel’s Locker Room Speech Will Have Players (And Fans) Ready to Rumble in the Postseason

Tennessee is the third highest-ranked SEC team behind No. 2 Texas and No. 5 Georgia. The SEC also has No. 11 Alabama, No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Ole Miss, and No. 22 Missouri in the rankings.

Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider throughout the week for more coverage on Tennessee Football’s path to the playoffs.