Boasting three wins over teams currently ranked, Tennessee sits at No. 5 in the latest edition of the College Football Playoff selection committee rankings released on Tuesday night.
The Volunteers (8-1, 4-1 SEC) come in behind top-ranked Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU. They join the Bulldogs, No. 7 LSU, No. 9 Alabama, No. 11 Ole Miss and No. 24 Kentucky as the six SEC teams in the top 25, representing the most of any conference.
Tennessee and Georgia are the only two programs with multiple victories over current CFP top 10 teams. The Vols are also the only team in the nation with six wins vs. FBS opponents that currently have a winning record.
UT beat current No. 7 LSU, 40-13, on the road in Baton Rouge for its largest win in the series since 1940. The Vols also hold a dramatic 52-49 triumph over current No. 10 Alabama, in which star quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt connected for five touchdowns. The 52 points were the most allowed by Alabama since 1907.
Hooker combined for 736 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns in those two victories over current top 10 teams.
Tennessee then throttled current No. 24 Kentucky, 44-6, two weeks ago. That was the Vols’ largest margin of victory over a ranked SEC opponent since 1990.
Tennessee is off to an 8-1 start for the first time since 2001 with three conference games remaining. They seek an undefeated record in Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2007 as Missouri comes to town for the home finale at noon ET Saturday on CBS.
Limited tickets for Saturday’s Senior Day game remain on sale at AllVols.com.
College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 8)
1. Georgia (9-0)
2. Ohio State (9-0)
3. Michigan (9-0)
4. TCU (9-0)
5. Tennessee (8-1)
6. Oregon (8-1)
7. LSU (7-2)
8. USC (8-1)
9. Alabama (7-2)
10. Clemson (8-1)
11. Ole Miss (8-1)
12. UCLA (8-1)
13. Utah (7-2)
14. Penn State (7-2)
15. North Carolina (8-1)
16. NC State (7-2)
17. Tulane (8-1)
18. Texas (6-3)
19. Kansas State (6-3)
20. Notre Dame (6-3)
21. Illinois (7-2)
22. UCF (7-2)
23. Florida State (6-3)
24. Kentucky (6-3)
25. Washington (7-2)
