KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Following its third ranked victory of the season over No. 25 LSU, the Tennessee Volunteers climbed in the polls once again, ascending two spots to No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 and holding at No. 8 in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll.
Tennessee (5-0, 2-0 SEC) has climbed to its highest position in the AP poll since Sept. 11, 2005, when it held the No. 5 ranking. The Vols have spent three consecutive weeks in the top-10 for the first time since Oct. 15 to Nov. 5, 2006.
Tennessee will face a ranked opponent for the third consecutive game. The Vols welcome AP No. 3 and Coaches No. 1 Alabama to Rocky Top for the Third Saturday in October. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on CBS and tickets for the contest are sold out. Season tickets for the 2023 Tennessee football season are on sale now at AllVols.com.
The rankings mark the first time the game will be between top-10 teams since the 2016 season. It’s the first time since 1989 that both teams enter the contest undefeated.
The full AP Top 25, along with the AFCA Coaches Poll, can be found below.
Vols in the Polls
Preseason: RV AP, RV Coaches
Sept. 6: 24 AP, RV Coaches
Sept. 11: 15 AP, 16 Coaches
Sept. 18: 11 AP, 12 Coaches
Sept. 25: 8 AP, 9 Coaches
Oct. 2: 8 AP, 8 Coaches
Oct. 9: 6 AP, 8 Coaches
Associated Press Top 25
1. Georgia (32)
2. Ohio State (20)
3. Alabama (11)
4. Clemson
5. Michigan
6. Tennessee
7. USC
8. Oklahoma State
9. Ole Miss
10. Penn State
11. UCLA
12. Oregon
13. TCU
14. Wake Forest
15. NC State
16. Mississippi State
17. Kansas State
18. Syracuse
19. Kansas
20. Utah
21. Cincinnati
t22. Texas
t22. Kentucky
24. Illinois
25. James Madison
Others receiving votes: North Carolina, Baylor, BYU, Coastal Carolina, Notre Dame, Florida, Tulane, Purdue, Florida State, South Carolina, Washington State, Minnesota, LSU, Maryland, San Jose State
USA TODAY AFCA Coaches Poll
1. Alabama (35)
2. Georgia (18)
3. Ohio State (10)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. USC
7. Oklahoma State
8. Tennessee
9. Ole Miss
10. Penn State
11. Oregon
12. UCLA
13. NC State
14. Wake Forest
15. TCU
16. Kansas State
17. Mississippi State
18. Syracuse
19. Utah
20. Kansas
21. Cincinnati
22. Kentucky
23. Baylor
24. Texas
25. North Carolina
Others receiving votes: BYU, Illinois, James Madison, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Tulane, South Carolina, Minnesota, Notre Dame, UCF, Maryland, Washington State, Washington, Texas A&M, Purdue, LSU, Liberty, Florida State, Pittsburgh, San Jose State