KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After its first bye week of the season, Tennessee continued its climb in the polls, rising to No. 4 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and US LBM AFCA Coaches poll.
The Vols (4-0, 1-0 SEC) jumped two spots in the Coaches poll and one place in the AP Top 25. The No. 4 ranking is Tennessee’s highest since being tabbed No. 2/3 on Oct. 30, 2022.
UT is still slated to face two of the other four teams in the current top five, including No. 1/2 Alabama in Knoxville on Oct. 19 and No. 5/5 Georgia on Nov. 16 in Athens. The Vols own a victory over current No. 19/17 Oklahoma, who rallied to beat Auburn on the road on Saturday.
Tennessee has been ranked for 36 consecutive weeks in the Coaches poll, which dates back to Sept. 11, 2022. That streak is the Vols’ longest in that poll since being ranked 92 straight weeks from Nov. 27, 1994 to Oct. 1, 2000.
In addition, Tennessee’s SEC road tilt next Saturday at Arkansas has been announced as a 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC in Fayetteville. It’s the Vols’ third ABC primetime contest of the year. Their SEC opening victory at Oklahoma drew 6.3 million viewers on the network.
Tennessee heads into the Arkansas contest ranked in the FBS top five in 11 categories: scoring offense (first – 54.0), total defense (first – 176.0), yards per play allowed (first – 3.13), third-down defense (first – 17 percent), first downs (first – 11.0), scoring defense (second – 7.0), rushing defense (second – 50.8), total offense (third – 565.8), kickoff return defense (third – 5.0), pass defense (fourth – 125.3) and rushing offense (fourth – 290.0).
The Razorbacks (3-2, 1-1 SEC) fell, 21-17, to No. 24 Texas A&M on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.
Associated Press Top 25 – Sept. 29
1. Alabama (40)
2. Texas (19)
3. Ohio State (4)
4. Tennessee
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Penn State
8. Miami (Fla.)
9. Missouri
10. Michigan
11. USC
12. Ole Miss
13. LSU
14. Notre Dame
15. Clemson
16. Iowa State
17. BYU
18. Utah
19. Oklahoma
20. Kansas State
21. Boise State
22. Louisville
23. Indiana
24. Illinois
25. Texas A&M, UNLV
Coaches Poll– Sept. 29
1. Texas (29)
2. Alabama (19)
3. Ohio State (7)
4. Tennessee
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Penn State
8. Miami (Fla.)
9. Missouri
10. Michigan
11. Ole Miss
12. LSU
13. Notre Dame
14. Clemson
15. USC
16. Iowa State
17. Oklahoma
18. Utah
19. BYU
20. Kansas State
21. Texas A&M
22. Louisville
23. UNLV
24. Indiana
25. Illinois
