Tennessee Football Receives New AP Poll Ranking After Hectic Weekend of College Football

The Tennessee Volunteers receive their ranking ahead of the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) celebrates a big play during a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 10, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers have defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, which is one of the better victories for the Vols on paper, but the win itself wasn't very pretty from a gameplay standpoint. The Vols, who were favored by around two touchdowns. were only able to win by seven points, and found themselves in real danger throughout the game.

Luckily for them, this win ultimately meant that they were moving up, after being ranked as the No. 15 team entering the week, and multiple teams losing in front of them.

The teams that lost in front of the Vols included the Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas Longhorns, and the LSU Tigers. This led to the Vols finding themselves with a new ranking, as the AP Poll was released on Sunday. The Vols are now ranked as the No. 14 team following the contest.

This seems fair as the Vols focus on the Alabama game coming up, which is arguably their biggest game remaining on the schedule.

What Josh Heupel Said Following the Win vs. Arkansas

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel after a college football game between Tennessee and Auburn at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Proud of our team. It's been a long time since this program's won here. Talked about it during the week, a four quarter ball game. And, there's a lot of things we got to do better in beginning, middle parts of the game, but I love how we finish, you know, the last, I don't know, quarter and change, win the football game, outscore them, I think 17-3. Guys were resilient, kept competing. Defense was lights out in the first half. Offensively Had some drives, missed a field goal, some things we don't execute. Just little things. We got to play smarter, not change the situation, some of the penalties offensively. Special teams were solid all day. But third quarter, both sides of the ball don't start as fast as we need to. However, at the end of it, competitive composure, keep competing, and find a way to win. Proud of the group for that. And, you can see in this league, every Saturday is a new season. Find a way to be the best team on the field and keep improving and keep on moving. “

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