Week one is almost in the books with just TCU and North Carolina left to play on Monday night. With everyone else having at least one game under its belt, Yahoo released its opening Yahoo Top 10 rankings for teams across the country. The list is compiled by Ross Dellenger.
Before diving into the rankings, Dellenger explains the process he uses to list the teams:
“Before getting to the rankings, there is something very important to keep in mind about our Top 10. It is a Judgement-Free Zone! When ranking teams, we do NOT consider preseason polls or any past season results. What happened in the past is, firmly, in the past.
“For instance, you won’t find on here … Penn State (it played Nevada!) or Georgia (it played Marshall!). This system normally rewards teams with tougher early season opponents, but it also makes for an unusual group in the first few weeks. By midseason, our Top 10 may not be much different than many others. But for now …”
More From RTI: ESPN Now Favors Tennessee Against SEC Rival Alabama Despite It Being on the Road
In the rankings, Tennessee clocks in all the way up at No. 4 in the country. The Vols sit only behind LSU (who won at Clemson), Ohio State (who beat Texas) and Florida State (who beat Alabama). Behind Tennessee are Utah (who beat UCLA), Auburn (who beat Baylor), Miami (who beat Notre Dame), Clemson (who lost to LSU), Texas (who lost to Ohio State) and South Carolina (who beat Virginia Tech).
Tennessee powered past Syracuse in its season opener, 45-26. This came in Joey Aguilar’s first start with the program, featuring 16-for-28 passing for 247 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 34 yards on six totes.
“Joey Aguilar started his quarterback career on Rocky Top with a three-touchdown day and the Vols’ offense hummed, scoring on three of their first four drives against a Syracuse team that many predicted could challenge in the ACC,” Dellenger wrote. “The Orange could use some work on defense. Tennessee nearly shattered the 500-yard barrier and had two running backs average more than 7 yards a carry.”
Next, Tennessee will face ETSU at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN+/SECN+. The Vols are currently ranked as the No. 24 team in the AP Poll, but will likely get a boost when the next one comes out.
