Tennessee football is ranked No. 18 in Phil Steele's preseason ranking of Division I teams, with Texas as the top-ranked opponent on their schedule. This ranking places the Vols in the middle of the pack, but it's a strong start to the season. Among SEC teams, Georgia leads at No. 2, followed by Oklahoma at No. 7 and Ole Miss at No. 8. Alabama and Texas A&M are also ranked highly at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively. South Carolina, LSU, and Florida follow at No. 16, No. 21, and No. 23, respectively. Auburn, Missouri, and Vanderbilt are ranked No. 29, No. 33, and No. 34, respectively. Mississippi State, Arkansas, and Kentucky are ranked No. 51, No. 55, and No. 56, respectively. Georgia Tech, who hosts Tennessee in Week 2, is ranked No. 44. The Vols' kickoff times for the first four games of the season have been set, with Furman at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+, Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Kennesaw State at 7:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network, and Texas at Noon ET on ABC. The SEC has announced kickoff windows for the other eight games, with three windows: early (Noon-1 p.m. ET), afternoon (3:30-4:30 p.m. ET), and night (6-8 p.m. ET or flex (3:30-4:30 or 6-8 p.m. ET)). The Vols' schedule includes several games in the flex window, such as the Auburn game on October 3, the Alabama game on October 17, and the LSU game on November 21. The road game at South Carolina on October 24 is in the afternoon window, and the Kentucky game on November 7 and the regular-season finale at Vanderbilt on November 28 are both in the night window. Tennessee is ranked No. 16 in the first ESPN Football Power Index update for the 2026 season, with a 20.5% chance to make the College Football Playoff and a projected 7-5 record. The Vols have the 14th-toughest schedule in college football, according to the FPI's strength of schedule ranking. This ranking places the Vols in a strong position to compete in the SEC and potentially make a run at the College Football Playoff. However, it's important to note that the Vols will face several challenging opponents, including Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma, which could impact their final record and playoff chances. In my opinion, the Vols' ranking of No. 18 in Phil Steele's preseason ranking is a strong start to the season, but they will need to continue to perform well and avoid upsets to make a run at the College Football Playoff. The Vols' schedule, including several games in the flex window, will be a test of their resilience and ability to adapt to different kickoff times and opponents. The ESPN Football Power Index ranking of No. 16 is a positive sign, but it will be up to the Vols to prove their worth and make a run at the playoff.
