RTI)
Tennessee football is off to a 3-1 start, with the only loss on the schedule coming to Georgia in overtime. Due to the solid start, the Vols are at No. 15 in the AP and Coaches Poll. However, in ESPN’s FPI, the Vols rank inside the top 10.
Tennessee is at No. 9 in the analytical rankings. This is no change from last week, following the loss to the Bulldogs. After the win over UAB, the Vols were jumped by Indiana, but had Penn State drop behind them. This led to the same ranking despite the mix-up.
Next, UT will go to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs sit at No. 34 in the rankings after a 4-0 start, featuring a win over Arizona State. This is an eight-spot jump after beating Northern Illinois. Kickoff this Saturday is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
Tennessee’s spot at No. 9 is the fifth-best mark in the SEC. The Vols are behind No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Texas and No. 7 Ole Miss. The top spots in the country went to No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State.
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According to FPI, Tennessee has a 99.3% chance to win six games and go bowling. To win out and finish 11-1, UT is listed at 2.1%. The analytics project the Vols to finish at 8.6-3.5.
To win the SEC, FPI lists Tennessee at 3%. To make the 12-team playoff, the Vols are at a 29.3% chance. UT was previously sitting around 50% for the opening stretch of the season.
The chance to make the national title game is at 29.3%. To win that game is at 2.5%. The favorite to win the national championship is Ohio State. Second place is Georgia, followed by Oregon, Ole Miss, Indiana, Alabama, Texas, Miami, USC, Penn State and then UT.
