Tennessee misses top 16 in FWAA-NFF poll after week one

The Football Writers Association of America and National Football Foundation released the first Super 16 poll of the 2026 season on Tuesday. Tennessee finished outside the top 16, receiving 25 votes. While the Volunteers failed to secure a spot in the primary rankings, three individual College Football Hall of Fame inductees included the program on their ballots. Toby Gerhart placed the team 16th, Mark Messner ranked them 15th, and Don McPherson slotted them 13th. The poll utilizes a combination of journalist votes and input from Hall of Fame members to establish rankings. Ohio State currently holds the top position in the poll with 32 first-place votes following the opening week of play.

• 7:40 PMYahoo Sports — College Football Hall of Famers vote Tennessee top 16 after Week 1