KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Riding a 7-1 start to the season, Tennessee football is ranked No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff Selection Committee rankings that were announced on Tuesday night. 

The Volunteers were the fifth-highest ranked one-loss team and the third-highest ranked SEC team. A nation-best eight SEC programs were ranked in the first Top 25. 

Tennessee owns a 24-17 victory over current-No. 11 Alabama and will face No. 2 Georgia in Athens on Nov. 16. The Vols are one of four top 10 teams with at least one win over the current top 12, joining Oregon (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 12 Boise State); Georgia (No. 5 Texas) and Ohio State (No. 6 Penn State).

The Vols boast a defense that has yet to allow an opponent to reach the 20-point mark in eight games this season. It’s the first time UT has done that since 1966, and the Vols are just the fifth SEC program to achieve that feat since 2000. They complement a stout defense with the SEC’s No. 1 rushing offense for the second straight year that puts up 234.5 yards per game on the ground led by the SEC’s leading rusher Dylan Sampson (122.5 ypg).

Tennessee has been ranked in now 13 straight CFP rankings dating back to Nov. 1, 2022. 

The Vols play their final SEC regular season home game of the year on Homecoming Saturday against Mississippi State. Kickoff from a sold-out Neyland Stadium is 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 5) 
1. Oregon (9-0) 
2. Georgia (7-1) 
3. Ohio State (7-1) 
4. Miami (9-0) 
5. Texas (7-1)
6. Penn State (7-1) 
7. Tennessee (7-1) 
8. Indiana (9-0) 
9. BYU (8-0) 
10. Notre Dame (7-1) 
11. Alabama (6-2) 
12. Boise State (7-1) 
13. SMU (8-1) 
14. Texas A&M (7-2) 
15. LSU (6-2) 
16. Ole Miss (7-2) 
17. Iowa State (7-1) 
18. Pittsburgh (7-1) 
19. Kansas State (7-2) 
20. Colorado (6-2) 
21. Washington State (7-1) 
22. Louisville (6-3) 
23. Clemson (6-2) 
24. Missouri (6-2) 
25. Army (8-0)