Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN's updated College Football Power Index
Tennessee Football stayed at No. 9 in ESPN’s updated College Football Power Index after Week 0. Florida State dropped five spots, from No. 11 to No. 16, after the loss to Georgia Tech in Dublin. Tech moved up 17 spots to No. 37.
The Vols open the season against Chattanooga on Saturday in a 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff (TV: SEC Network) inside a sold-out Neyland Stadium.
“(I’m) excited talking season is over,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said during his week press conference on Monday, “and we get to go play ball. So looking forward to seeing all of our fans inside the stadium. It’s been a long time.”
Vols ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s preseason power rankings
Entering the season, the Football Power Index projected Tennessee’s win-loss record to be 8.6-3.5. The FPI gave the Vols a 95.4% chance to win at least six games, a 5.5% chance to win the SEC, a 36.9% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff, a 6.0% chance to make the national championship game and a 2.7% chance to win the national title.
Tennessee is ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s College Football Preseason Power Rankings, one spot ahead of where the Vols were ranked in both the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 and US LBM Preseason Coaches Poll in recent weeks.
Tennessee was ranked No. 15 in ESPN’s final preseason SP+ rankings two weeks ago, with an overall rating of 19.2, an offensive rating of 37.7, defensive rating of 18.6 and special teams ratings of 0.2.
ESPN predicts Tennessee to be in ‘first four out’ of College Football Playoff
ESPN predicted Tennessee to be a bubble team for the first 12-team College Football Playoff, but ending up as one of the first four teams left out. LSU, Missouri and Oklahoma were also predicted to just miss the playoff.
“The Vols will show improvement from a year ago,” ESPN Senior Writer Heather Dinich wrote, “but they will be stuck on the bubble because of road losses to Oklahoma and Georgia and a possible home loss to Alabama. The biggest question remains in the secondary, which struggled last season and is under construction this year.”
ESPN’s prediction for the 12 playoff teams included first-round byes for No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Utah. The first-round matchups were No.12 Boise State at No. 5 Texas, No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Ole Miss, No. 11 Penn State at No. 6 Oregon and No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Notre Dame.
ESPN’s next four out, after LSU, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma, were Michigan, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Clemson.
