Tennessee Football Receives New AP Poll Ranking

Tennessee football receives their AP Poll ranking following their win against the Furman Paladins.

Sep 5, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) and running back DeSean Bishop (18) celebrate a touchdown against the Furman Paladins during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers are fresh off their performance vs. the Furman Paladins, which resulted in a 56-9 victory for Coach Josh Heupel and his 2026 team.

This is a game that they were projected to win, and it is a shame that they had no business even being close. Tennessee’s efforts against the Paladins leave many to believe that they could have yet another great game on Saturday, as they are preparing for a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This is a game that they are projected to win, and a game that will be a great measuring stick for the Vols on the road.

Ahead of the matchup, the Vols would receive their ranking, as this is the ranking that comes after the first week of the season. They are now ranked as the No. 18 team in the nation, which comes after their debut as the No. 20 team in the country a week ago.

There was no worry or doubt about the Vols being ranked, and they will yet again be the only team ranked entering a game, as the Yellow Jackets weren't ranked after they were defeated by the Colorado Buffaloes during the first week of the season. This was a game-losing effort when former Tennessee football player Boo Carter blocked a field goal at the end of the game.

Josh Heupel Previewed Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during Tennessee’s game against Furman at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Good start today. There's a bunch that we are going to need to clean up here in all three phases of the game, but overall pleased with the performance. Defensively, we played extremely well. We don't turn it over, it’s probably a shutout. Those guys have grown, worked and competed extremely hard to go play and start the season that way. Proud of the effort there from our staff and our players. Offensively, the penalties early in the football game slowed a couple of drives down. After that, I thought we executed at a high level. Quarterbacks played smart and efficient today. All of them did. So, good start. A lot to learn from and move on to a big one next week,” Josh Heupel said.

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