Where Tennessee Football is ranked in the Pro Football Focus Preseason Top 25
Tennessee Football is ranked No. 22 in the Pro Football Focus Preseason Top 25. The Vols are the eighth-highest SEC team in the ranking, coming in behind No. 2 Texas, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Georgia, No. 9 LSU, No. 10 Florida, No. 13 Texas A&M and No. 15 South Carolina.
“It was yet another strong season for Tennessee under Josh Heupel,” Max Chadwick wrote for Pro Football Focus. “The Volunteers made the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff before losing to eventual national champion Ohio State. It was Tennessee’s third straight top-20 finish under Heupel, capping the program’s best three-year stretch of the 21st century.
“Tennessee’s defense was a major reason for the program’s success in 2024, placing third in the nation in EPA per play. That side of the ball should remain a strength in 2025 with many key players returning. There are far more concerns on offense, with superstar running back Dylan Sampson now with the Cleveland Browns and star quarterback Nico Iamaleava departing via a highly publicized transfer to UCLA.”
Tennessee is ranked No. 18 in the preseason LBM Coaches Poll. The Vols received 492 points in the poll, coming in just behind No. 17 Florida, which received 498 points. The Vols finished at No. 8 in the Coaches Poll last season, after going 10-3 with a loss at Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Tennessee is ranked No. 24 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. The Vols finished at No. 9 in the AP Top 25 last season.
Where Tennessee is ranked in ESPN’s Football Power Index, SP+
ESPN’s analytic rankings are higher on Tennessee than the poll voters.
ESPN’s Football Power Index has Tennessee at No. 8 overall with an FPI score of 16.6. The FPI has Tennessee with an average win-loss record of 9.0-3.1. It gives the Vols a 99.5% chance to win six or more games and a 43.0% chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
ESPN’s final SP+ ranking update before the 2025 season has the Vols ranked No. 12 overall and the sixth-best SEC team.
Top 10
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AP Poll
Big shakeup in Top 25
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UCLA Hot Board
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- 3Hot
Coaches Poll
Massive Top 25 movement
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Virginia Tech Hot Board
Intriguing names to watch
- 5Trending
ESPN Top 25
Rankings see big shake up
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Tennessee has a 19.4 rating in the SP+ and are ranked No. 4 on defense (12.5), No. 33 on offense (31.9) and No. 21 on special teams (0.2). It gives Tennessee an average win total of 8.9 and has the Vols ranked 24th in strength of schedule.
ESPN’s best bet for Tennessee this season: Over 8.5 wins
ESPN wrote earlier this month that the best bet for Tennessee entering the season is taking the over on the win total, which is set at 8.5.
“The Volunteers’ defense is legit,” ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado wrote, while listing the best bet for each team ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25, “one of the most disruptive in the SEC and that gives them a reliable floor in a season full of toss-up games.
“With this sneaky athleticism, Joey Aguilar might be unproven at this level, but he could bring more mobility than last year’s starter and enough upside to keep the offense functional.”
