Wiedmer: Vols deserve better treatment from AP poll

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days on July 21, 2022, in Atlanta. Heupel is trying to rebuild a program dealing with an NCAA investigation that alleges 18 major rules violations involving recruiting issues. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days on July 21, 2022, in Atlanta. Heupel is trying to rebuild a program dealing with an NCAA investigation that alleges 18 major rules violations involving recruiting issues. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Others receiving votes?

Tennessee?

Are you kidding me?

I've never had a vote in the Associated Press college football poll. But I normally trust the judgment of the sports writers throughout the country who do. Our own David Paschall has been a voter in the past on both the AP poll and the now-defunct Harris Poll, which decided the title game participants in the BCS era prior to the arrival of the College Football Playoff.

Heck, Paschall's forgotten more college football than most coaches - Alabama's Nick Saban excluded perhaps - will ever know.

Beyond that, our wise and witty sports editor Stephen Hargis is now a proud and dedicated AP voter who was only too happy to share his preseason vote on Tuesday afternoon as it concerned the Vols.

"I voted them 17th," Hargis said, "and if they make quick work of Ball State, then win at Pittsburgh the following week, I have no doubt they'll make the Top 25 after that."

He's no doubt correct. But the Big Orange Nation shouldn't have to wait until the close of the Pitt game to see its Vols in the AP Top 25. They shouldn't have to get out their reading glasses to find Tennessee among all those "Others Receiving Votes," even if UT did receive the most points of anyone ranked outside the Top 25 in the preseason poll.

Yes, the Vols came in a respectable No. 26, some 55 votes shy of passing Brigham Young for spot No. 25. And you can always win your way up the AP ladder. Merely consider Auburn went from No. 22 in week 1 to national champs in 2010. Three years later they went from unranked to losing in the national championship game to Florida State.

photo Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker plays against Purdue in the first half of the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Dec. 30, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. Hooker goes into his sixth season as the starter. He earned the job last season after coming off the bench to set program records for a 181.4 passing efficiency and a 68% completion percentage. Hooker also threw 31 touchdowns with only three interceptions. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

So, technically, it's not where you start but where you finish that counts. And when you play in the Southeastern Conference, as Tennessee does, and your regular-season schedule includes defending national champ Georgia and national runner-up Alabama, you have plenty of chances to prove the pollsters wrong.

That doesn't mean that this year's voters - Hargis aside - got it right where the Vols were concerned. Merely consider fellow SEC East brother Kentucky, which will begin the season ranked 20th, is in the preseason poll for the first time since 1978.

By the way, that's the same UK team that UT went on the road and beat 45-42 despite owning possession of the football less than 14 minutes. These are also the same Vols who have Hendon Hooker at quarterback, who threw 31 touchdowns and just ... three ... interceptions ... all ... season.

And yet a lot of talk about who might be the second best QB in the SEC behind returning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young of Alabama centers not on Hooker, but rather Kentucky's Will Levis, who threw 24 TDs, but also 13 interceptions while seeing the field all season as opposed to Hooker, who initially sat behind Joe Milton.

Point is, the Vols just might have the best offense in the SEC behind Bama, and that's only if the Tide can swiftly rebuild its offensive line.

The voters do have a problem in choosing which SEC teams not to place in the Preseason Top 25. As is, Bama (1), Georgia (3) Texas A&M (6), Arkansas (19), UK (20) and Ole Miss (21) all made it, with UT, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina also receiving votes.

That's 12 of 14, which leaves only Missouri and woebegone Vanderbilt to wait until basketball season for something to smile about.

But when it comes to the Vols, there needs to be an apology. Hargis ranking them 17th may be about right for the middle of August. But as long as they can escape too many serious injuries, they should be much higher than that come November.

Or as UT running back Jabari Small noted on Tuesday: "Coming into the facility this fall camp in general, the environment is very good. I come with a smile on my face every day. It's a grind but I wake up and I'm like, 'I get to play football with my guys and see my coaches and teammates.' It's fun. Coach Heupel does a great job with this culture. On and off the field, it's just fun to compete."

It says here that the Vols are about to have a lot of fun proving all those AP voters wrong who couldn't see fit to rank them in the preseason Top 25.

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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