Where Tennessee is ranked in updated AP Top 25, Coaches Poll

Tennessee football stayed put in the updated Coaches Poll on Sunday, but fell two spots in the Associated Press Top 25 after its sluggish 30-13 win over Austin Peay on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

In the Coaches Poll, Georgia stayed at No. 1, Michigan stayed at No. 2 and Florida State moved up to No. 3 in the poll. Ohio State stayed at No. 4 and Southern Cal moved up one spot to No. 5. Texas jumped up 10 spots to No. 6 after beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the Crimson Tide dropped seven spots to No. 10. Penn State stayed at No. 7 and Washington stayed at No. 8. 

Texas, moving up from No. 11 to No. 4, and Notre Dame moving up from No. 10 to No. 9, moved past the Vols in the AP Top 25. Alabama dropped seven spots to No. 10 in the AP Poll.

Georgia, Michigan and Florida State are the top three in the AP Top 25 as well, with Texas at No. 4 after moving up seven spots. Southern Cal is No. 5 and Ohio State is No. 6. Penn State is No. 7 and Washington No. 8.

Tennessee trailed Austin Peay early in the game before taking control with a touchdown drive late in the first half and another one early in the third quarter. Joe Milton III accounted for three total touchdowns, completing 21 of 33 passes for 228 yards and two passing  touchdowns and ran three times for seven yards and another score. 

Jaylen Wright ran 13 time for 118 yards and Jabari Small had 13 carries for 95 yards, as the Vols (2-0) rushed for 228 yards on 32 attempts as a team. Ramel Keyton had five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown and Bru McCoy had five catches for 51 yards. 

Tight end McCallan Castles caught one pass, a 43-yard touchdown, and Squirrel White had four catches for 30 yards.

“A win? Absolutely,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after the game. “Do we need to be a whole lot better? Yes, absolutely. In particular, offensively, there’s some things that we control, give credit to them too. They played well, they played hard and they forced us into turnovers and created negative plays.

“At the end of day, there’s a lot of things that we can look at in the mirror, watch the video. And we have to take another step on the offensive side of the football. Some positive things on special teams and probably defensively a lot of positives. (Defense was) out there on the football field too much, certainly by the end of the football game.”

Milton started 1-for-6 for 11 yards and his receivers had multiple drops over the first three possessions of the game, as Tennessee was forced to punt three straight times. 

Tennessee went on a 67-yard touchdown drive to score with 15 seconds left in the second quarter, to go up 13-6, then went on a 66-yard touchdown drive to start the second half and built the lead to 14. 

“I just didn’t start my best,” Milton said after the game, “but it’s not about the start, it’s about to finish.”

Now Tennessee turns its attention to Florida. The Vols go on the road to Gainesville to start SEC play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start on ESPN.

“The game is never bigger than it is,” Milton said of the rivalry with the Gators. “I feel like when you prepare the right way, I feel like everything else is gonna take care of itself. Tomorrow you just reevaluate what happened (against Austin Peay). Monday and you go back to work. Nothing that happened tonight matters after Sunday. So go back home and you execute. No matter where we at, we’re just gonna execute.”