Tennessee football narrowly misses spot in preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll
Tennessee football is on the outside looking in at the preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
The Vols received the third-most votes among teams not in the top 25, trailing Iowa and Penn State.
Alabama is the No. 1 team in the nation after receiving 54 of 66 first-place votes. No. 2 Ohio State received five and No. 3 Georgia received six. Texas, ranked No. 18, received one.
No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 21 Kentucky, No. 23 Arkansas and No. 24 Ole Miss round out the SEC teams in the Top 25. The Vols face Alabama and Kentucky in SEC play. They face No. 16 Pittsburgh in their marquee nonconference game on Sept. 10.
UT opens Josh Heupel's second season against Ball State on Sept. 1 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium. The Vols went 7-6 in Heupel's first season in 2021.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football gets votes in preseason USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll
