National media outlet predicts where Tennessee will be ranked in preseason AP Top 25
The 2023 college football season is just around the corner, which means we'll soon know where each team will begin the season ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. The preseason AP Top 25 poll doesn't mean much in general. It doesn't impact who will play for a championship or how games on Saturdays will […]
The 2023 college football season is just around the corner, which means we'll soon know where each team will begin the season ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
The preseason AP Top 25 poll doesn't mean much in general. It doesn't impact who will play for a championship or how games on Saturdays will play out.
One thing the preseason AP Top 25 does, however, is provide us with a view of how teams are viewed entering the season.
Generally, the teams that are ranked inside the top five are the teams that the media believes can compete for a championship.
That means teams ranked from No. 5 to around No. 15 are essentially viewed as teams that have a chance, but they'll need to pull some upsets to make some noise in the postseason.
Tennessee will likely begin the season in that No. 5 to No. 15 range.
247Sports, in fact, is predicting that UT will be ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
From 247Sports: College football knows how favorable Tennessee is viewed within SEC circles, but where do the Volunteers fall among other AP voters? Joe Milton is the next potential superstar at quarterback in Knoxville and there's talent around him returning. This is the only SEC team that potentially starts 10 seniors on the defensive side of the football, so there's not much of a drop-off expected at a program that expects to be in the mix for a league championship and more.
I would probably have Tennessee ranked inside the top 10, but this is still a fair prediction from 247Sports. The Vols lost quite a bit of talent from last season's 11-2 squad. And while Tennessee has talented players ready to go to replace the guys they lost, those players still have to prove themselves in the SEC.
Tennessee has made it clear that they want to compete for the SEC East division crown and a national championship in 2023. They'll be looking to climb the rankings quickly in the first month of the season with big games against Florida and South Carolina looming.
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Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
