Tennessee Ranks Ninth in US LBM Coaches Poll After Kentucky Win

Tennessee climbs to ninth in US LBM Coaches Poll

The Tennessee Volunteers moved into the ninth spot in the US LBM Coaches Poll following a dominant 34-6 victory over Kentucky at Neyland Stadium, Vols Wire reported.

The win brings the Volunteers to a 7-2 record and 4-2 in Southeastern Conference play as they head into the final stretch of the 2026 season. Winning against the Wildcats, who sit at 7-2 and 5-2 in the SEC, improved Tennessee's ranking among the nation's top programs.

Tennessee Football HC Josh Heupel | Kentucky Postgame

Coach Josh Heupel highlighted the impact of the home crowd and the team’s defensive discipline after the game. He noted the specific atmosphere created by the fans during the homecoming matchup.

“Phenomenal environment,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “I knew it would be. Dark mode, homecoming, our fans were tremendous tonight and a great environment that they create for us. Proud of the way that we competed, turnovers were going to be big.

Defensively, we forced a couple and didn’t give up offensively. That’s been a huge part of our opponent’s success this year. Thought defensively, elite performance ultimately, what you end up giving up on the scoreboard, tremendous effort.”

The defensive performance was a primary driver of the margin of victory. Heupel emphasized that the ability to force turnovers while maintaining offensive stability was a key component of the win, noting that preventing opponent success through defensive stops has been a trend for the team this year.

The road ahead for the Volunteers

Tennessee enters Week 11 with three regular-season games remaining on the schedule. The upcoming stretch will test the team’s ability to maintain their top-ten ranking against diverse SEC competition.

The schedule for the remainder of the regular season is as follows:

Josh Heupel Praises DEFENSE, Talks Quarterbacks in Tennessee’s BLOWOUT WIN over Kentucky

Nov. 14: At Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5 SEC)
Week 12: vs. LSU
Week 13: At Vanderbilt (Regular-season finale)

The matchup against Texas A&M will test Tennessee, as the Aggies look to improve their standing in the conference. Following that contest, Tennessee will host LSU before closing out the year against Vanderbilt.

Tennessee climbs as Missouri and Northwestern exit top 25

The US LBM Coaches Poll, released on Nov. 8, shows changes in the top 25 rankings. While Tennessee ascended to the ninth position, other major programs saw movement or exits from the rankings. According to reports from sports.yahoo.com, Missouri and Northwestern dropped out of the top 25 entirely.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel talks after 34-6 win over Kentucky I GBO

The top of the poll remains dominated by the Georgia Bulldogs, who hold the No. 1 spot with an 8-1 record. The following table outlines the top ten teams as recognized by the coaches’ board:

Rank	Team	Record
1	Georgia Bulldogs	8-1
5	Indiana Hoosiers	8-1
6	Miami (FL) Hurricanes	8-1
7	Alabama Crimson Tide	7-2
8	Texas Longhorns	7-2
9	Tennessee Volunteers	7-2
10	Texas Tech Red Raiders	8-1

Tennessee’s rise to ninth places them ahead of Texas Tech and just behind the Texas Longhorns. The poll is determined by a board of coaches including figures such as Kirby Smart of Georgia, Ryan Day of Ohio State, and Kalen DeBoer of Alabama.

Josh Heupel REACTS to Tennessee football's DOMINANT win over Kentucky

The stability of the top five, featuring Georgia, Utah, Notre Dame, UCLA, and Indiana, suggests a highly competitive season where early-season momentum is being heavily weighed against recent performance. For Tennessee, the upcoming week in College Station will likely determine if they can solidify their place in the top ten or if they will slide toward the bottom of the top fifteen.

The Volunteers’ ability to manage turnovers and maintain defensive intensity will be the deciding factor in whether they can sustain this momentum through the final three weeks of the season.