Vols Rank Questionably Low In FPI Top 25

The Tennessee Volunteers are set up to have a great year. With guys like Joe Milton III, Bru McCoy, and others, the sky is the limit for the Volunteers' program. Many preseason or way-too-early rankings have had the Vols anywhere from 5th to 9th. However, in a new ranking from ESPN's Football Power Index, the Vols came in at No. 12 in the nation. Not a bad place to be at all, but possibly a ranking that slights the team a little bit.

For one, the Vols come in four spots below Clemson, a team they just handled with ease to win the 2022 Orange Bowl by a score of 31-14. The team also won that game with presumed starter Joe Milton III at quarterback, not Hendon Hooker. The Vols are not the only surprising ranking here, however. The two-time reigning champion Georgia Bulldogs came in at No. 3 in the rankings, behind Alabama and Ohio State, two teams that just lost all-world talents at quarterback.

ESPN FPI preseason top 30:
1- Ohio State
2- Bama
3- UGA
4- LSU
5- Texas
6- Michigan
7- USC
8- Clemson
9- Notre Dame
10- Penn State
11- Oklahoma
12- Tennesse
13- Oregon
14- FSU
15- Utah
16- Ole Miss
17- TCU
18- Florida
19- Texas A&M
20- Wisconsin
21- Washington
22- Texas Tech
23-…
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) April 18, 2023

Tennessee is one of seven SEC teams in the top 25, along with UGA, Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, Texas A&M, and LSU. LSU at No. 4 and Texas at No. 5 may be the two most surprising teams above the Vols. Texas is coming off of an 8-5 season that concluded with a loss to Washington in the Alamo Bowl.

All things considered, rankings don't really matter. At least not yet. What matters is what we will see on the field this fall. If Saturday's Orange and White Game in Knoxville told us anything, it's that we will see a lot of good on the field when that time comes. Until then, we wait and complain about preseason top 25 rankings.

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