Tennessee Football stays at No. 2 in ESPN's ranking of undefeated teams
Tennessee Football stuck at No. 2 on ESPN’s ranking of college football’s undefeated teams this week, with the group cut from 43 teams to 26 after Week 4. The Vols stayed undefeated with the 25-15 win at Oklahoma Saturday night.
“In its first test against an SP+ top 50 team (Oklahoma),” ESPN’s Bill Connelly wrote, “Tennessee survived a loud Norman crowd and a strong OU defense and won comfortably.
“The Vols were content with taking few offensive risks because they knew the Sooners were never going to score enough on a defense that now ranks first nationally in points allowed per drive.”
‘Tennessee’s defensive front has dominated all (mediocre) comers thus far’
Tennessee, which moved up to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, is off this week, before going back on the road to Arkansas next week.
“Tennessee’s defensive front has dominated all (mediocre) comers thus far, though the opponent strength ramps up considerably,” Connelly wrote. “After a Week 5 bye, the Vols play Arkansas (23rd in offensive SP+), then Florida (13th), then Alabama (third).”
Tennessee has an 80% chance to make the playoff, according to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor. Only two teams have better chances, with Texas at 93% and Alabama at 84%. The Vols are ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s Football Power Index and No. 6 in ESPN’s SP+ rating.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich on Tuesday ranked Tennessee No. 3 while projecting the current top-12 teams for the College Football Playoff field. Georgia was No. 2 and Alabama was No. 8.
Up Next: No. 5 Tennessee at Arkansas, Saturday, October 5
After going to Arkansas, Tennessee plays four straight home games over a five-week stretch, hosting Florida and Alabama before a second bye week on October 26. Then it’s home dates with Kentucky and Mississippi State before closing the regular-season schedule with the trip to Georgia, UTEP at home and Vanderbilt on the road.
ESPN ranked the Vols just ahead of No. 3 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia among the unranked teams. Alabama goes to Tennessee on October 19 and the Vols go to Georgia on November 16.
“Thus far,” Connelly wrote, “Kalen DeBoer seems to know what to do with the most athletic team he’s ever coached. Alabama has gained at least 20 yards on 10.6% of its snaps (seventh nationally), while opponents have done so just 1.4% of the time (third).”
“Georgia is probably not the fifth-best team in the country,” Conelly added, “but unlike the four teams above, the Dawgs have already had to survive a genuinely disappointing performance, underachieving against projections by three touchdowns in a narrow win at Kentucky.”
