The Tennessee Vols didn't play on Saturday after beating Ball State 59-10 on Thursday night, but they still got a win.

Kinda.

Tennessee started the season as the first team left out of the AP Top 25 poll.

But that should change when the next AP Top 25 poll is released.

And it won't be just because of the Vols' impressive performance against Ball State in week one.

The Cincinnati Bearcats entered the weekend as the No. 23 ranked team in the nation. But they lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday.

Tennessee's win against Ball State combined with Cincinnati's loss all but guarantees that the Vols will be ranked inside the top 25 when the next poll is released.

To some, this might not seem like a big deal.

Who cares about rankings, right?

Well, everyone should.

Tennessee isn't going to get to where they want to be unless they quickly get into the top 25. Vols fans want to see progress in Josh Heupel's second season.

Part of making progress means being ranked in the top 25.

Of course, even if the Vols are ranked inside the top 25 next week, it won't mean much for the rest of the season. Tennessee will need to stay ranked all season for progress to truly be made.

Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports