Tennessee is the No. 10 team in college football entering the preseason, according to the latest power rankings from Pro Football Focus. PFF projects the Vols to win eight games, with an 88% chance to make a bowl game and a 26% chance to make the College Football Playoff. 

PFF has Ohio State at No. 1, ahead of No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 Notre Dame. Also ahead of the Vols are No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Ole Miss and No. 9 Miami. 

As for other Tennessee opponents, Florida is No. 18 in PFF’s power rankings, Oklahoma is No. 31, Syracuse is No. 35, Arkansas is No. 42, Vanderbilt is No. 63, Kentucky is No. 65, Mississippi State is No. 89, UAB is No. 114 and New Mexico State is No. 128.

ESPN dropped Tennessee out of preseason top 25

Tennessee is No. 10 in ESPN’s Football Power Index and is No. 13 in ESPN’s SP+ Rankings, but ESPN dropped the Vols from their preseason top 25 after Nico Iamaleava transferred. 

Tennessee was No. 19 in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 back in January, leaving the rankings after losing its quarterback. Joey Aguilar, who had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, transferred to Tennessee after the Bruins added Iamaleava. 

Penn State was ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 in May, ahead of Clemson, Texas, Georgia and Ohio State in the top five. The rest of the top 10 was LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama and BYU. Other SEC teams in the ranking were No. 13 South Carolina, No. 19 Florida, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 24 Ole Miss and No. 25 Oklahoma. 

Tennessee opens vs. Syracuse in Atlanta on August 30

Year 5 of the Josh Heupel era opens with Tennessee facing Syracuse on August 30 in Atlanta in a Noon Eastern Time start on ABC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Vols host ETSU in the home opener at Neyland Stadium on September 6 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+/ESPN+) and SEC play starts at home against Georgia on September 13 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

UAB comes to Knoxville on September 20 (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) and the Vols go to Mississippi State on September 27 in the first SEC road game of the season. After an open date on October 4, the Vols host Arkansas (October 11) then go to Alabama (October 18) and Kentucky (October 25). 

In November the Vols host Oklahoma (November 1) and New Mexico State (November 15), go to Florida (November 22) and close the regular-season schedule at home against Vanderbilt (November 29).