ESPN Moves Tennessee Up Seven Spots to No. 12 in Its Power Rankings

Beating Alabama changed how the whole sport sees Tennessee, and ESPN's power rankings show it. The network moved the Volunteers up seven spots to No. 12 in its updated rankings after their 26-10 dismantling of a Crimson Tide team that came into the game ranked in the top 10.

ESPN analyst Alex Scarborough pointed to a straightforward formula behind the rise. DeSean Bishop has averaged 172.3 rushing yards over the past three games, Jim Knowles' defense gets after the quarterback and refuses to give up big plays, and George MacIntyre played efficient football against Alabama, completing 21 of 31 passes for 197 yards. On a weekend when the SEC's three highest-rated teams all lost, Scarborough argued there is little reason to keep Tennessee out of the playoff conversation.

The jump puts the Vols squarely in both the SEC and College Football Playoff races as the schedule turns toward its back half. South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU and Vanderbilt remain, a slate described as manageable by SEC standards.

The two biggest tests left, Kentucky and LSU, both come to Knoxville. If Tennessee keeps playing at the level it showed against the Tide, this rankings climb may only be the start — ESPN's breakdown even floated a run at the program's first national championship in almost 30 years as the ceiling.