Tennessee Lands at No. 10 in Josh Pate's Latest JP Poll Before Week 8

Josh Pate has released his latest JP Poll ahead of the Week 8 slate, and Tennessee checks in at No. 10. The Volunteers sit at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play in the ratings, rounding out a top 10 that is led by Ohio State after the Buckeyes won at Indiana in Bloomington and improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in their league.

The JP Poll is presented as a set of power ratings rather than conventional power rankings. Its order is built around neutral-field favorability, meaning teams are sorted by who the model would favor when matched against the others on a neutral field. This week's top 25 is heavily drawn from the major leagues, with 10 SEC teams, six Big Ten teams, four Big 12 teams, three ACC teams, Boise State from the Pac-12, and Notre Dame. Six of those SEC teams are inside the top 10.

Behind Ohio State, Georgia is No. 2 despite being stunned at home by Auburn, followed by Notre Dame at No. 3 and Indiana at No. 4, both coming off their first losses of the season. Unbeaten Miami is No. 5, with LSU at No. 6, Ole Miss at No. 7, Texas at No. 8, and Alabama at No. 9 just ahead of Tennessee.

For Tennessee, a top-10 place keeps the Vols in that leading group even though Alabama sits one spot in front of them. The Alabama entry in the ratings noted how thoroughly Tennessee handled the Crimson Tide in their recent meeting, outgaining Alabama 347-201 in a 26-10 win, the Vols' third straight victory over the Tide in Knoxville. That result is part of the resume Tennessee carries into Week 8 with a rating that still views it as one of the country's strongest teams on a neutral field.