Kent State coach: Tennessee is 'a team that should compete for a national championship'
Tennessee is up to No. 4 in the ESPN’s College Football Power Index, moving up one spot in the ranking after the 71-0 win over Kent State Saturday night at Neyland Stadium. The Vols, along with Alabama and Ohio State, jumped past Georgia after Week 3.
Texas is No. 1, ahead of the Crimson Tide, Buckeyes and then Tennessee. Georgia dropped from No. 2 to No. 5 after having to hold on for a 13-12 win at Kentucky.
Tennessee (3-0) moved up to No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday afternoon, ahead of this week’s game at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ABC) at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman.
Tennessee shattered multiple scoring records in win over Kent State
The Vols against Kent State set new program records for scoring in a quarter (37), in a half (65) and in a game at Neyland Stadium (71). They also set a new total yards record with 740, while scoring nine touchdowns.
“(Tennessee is a) really good football team,” Kent State coach Kenni Burns said during his postgame press conference. “Congratulations to coach (Josh) Heupel. They are a team that should compete for a national championship. They have weapons all over the place. They play really clean.”
According to the FPI, Tennessee has a 73.0% chance to make the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The Vols have a 17.5% chance to make the national championship game and a 9.2% chance to win the national title.
Tennessee’s odds to win the national championship are down to 12/1 this week, according to BetOnline, after the Vols were at 20/1 last week. Teams with better national championship odds are Ohio State (7/2), Georgia (18/5), Texas (5/1), Alabama (9/1), Oregon (10/1) and Ole Miss (12/1).
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The Vols have rolled early this season, opening with a 69-3 win over Chattanooga on August 31, then a 51-10 romp over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic last week at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Tennessee has outscored opponents 191-13 this season, averaging 63.6 points per game
Tennessee’s +178 point differential this season is the best through three games in SEC history and the second-best by any Football Bowl Subdivision team in the poll era, dating back to 1936.
Nico Iamaleava, who is fourth in Heisman Trophy odds at 9/1, has completed 48 of 67 passes for 698 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions through three weeks. Dylan Sampson has rushed for 357 yards and nine touchdowns while Dont’e Thornton leads the team in receiving with 169 yards and two touchdowns.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly on Sunday ranked Tennessee No. 2 among the remaining 43 unbeaten teams in college football.
“I always talk about how it’s how you play that matters, not who,” Connelly wrote. “If you’re treating bad opponents like high school teams, that probably means something. And with a combined scoring margin of 191-13 so far, the Vols have treated three opponents, including NC State, like high school teams.”
