Kirby Smart gives Tennessee Vols some much deserved respect
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was one of a few coaches to give the Tennessee Vols some much-deserved respect this week. Smart voted Tennessee at No. 5 in his coaches poll, one spot ahead of Alabama. His mentor, Alabama head coach Nick Saban, voted Alabama at No. 2 and Tennessee at No. 6. (Tennessee […]
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart was one of a few coaches to give the Tennessee Vols some much-deserved respect this week.
Smart voted Tennessee at No. 5 in his coaches poll, one spot ahead of Alabama.
His mentor, Alabama head coach Nick Saban, voted Alabama at No. 2 and Tennessee at No. 6.
(Tennessee was ranked No. 6 while Alabama was at No. 5 in the final poll.)
Smart wasn't the only coach who voted Tennessee above Alabama.
Here are a few others who also had the Vols above the Crimson Tide:
- Tyson Helton — Western Kentucky (former Vols offensive coordinator)
- Sonny Dykes — TCU
- Luke Fickell — Wisconsin
- Dave Clawson — Wake Forest (former Vols offensive coordinator)
- Kyle Whittingham — Utah
- James Franklin — Penn State
- Pat Fitzgerald — Northwestern
Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi had Tennessee at No. 4, higher than most coaches had the Vols, but he had Alabama at No. 3.
I think it says a lot that Smart had Tennessee above Alabama, considering Smart's relationship with Saban. For one, it shows that Smart doesn't let biases affect his voting.
It also shows that he truly believes that Tennessee was the better team this season. And coming from Smart, regardless of what you think about him, that says a lot about the Vols and the direction of the program.
Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
