Seven ranked teams lost this week, raising the question of a Tennessee rise

It was a rough week at the top of college football, with seven Top 25 teams losing, and Sports Illustrated is asking the natural follow-up question for Tennessee fans: will the Volunteers move up as a result? Losses clustered above and around a team in the polls usually open doors, and this week opened several at once.

Whether Tennessee actually climbs depends on more than other teams' failures. Voters weigh where the losses occurred, how the teams Tennessee is competing with for position fared, and how the Volunteers' own body of work looks by comparison. A chaotic week creates opportunity, but it does not guarantee any particular team benefits.

For Tennessee, the implication is straightforward: the path upward in the polls is clearer than it was a week ago, provided the Volunteers handle their own business. The original Sports Illustrated story linked below works through the movement in full.