Vols looked awful against Bama. They were lucky to beat a mediocre Cesspool team. They have played to the level of their competition against Appalachian State and Ohio - both at home. They've blown out one opponent this year - oddly, it was the Hokies in Bristol...thanks mostly to the Hokies being far too kind giving the Vols more turnovers than most people have fingers on a hand.
So, UT can't really complain IMO. Having said that, their schedule eases up considerably the rest of the way. Though the Vols have that terrible habit of playing to the level of their competition, so you never know, this remaining schedule... at South Carolina, Tenn Tech, Kentucky, Mizzou, at Vandy... should (and I stress "SHOULD") have them at 10-2/6-2 just after Turkey Day. They only need some help from the Cesspool (unlikely), at Arkansas (maybe), or at LSU (maybe) to hand the Gators one more loss and the Vols will have a date at the Ga Dome in the SECCG for the first time since 2007. Where, they likely get another shot at Bama and hopefully will go better the 2nd time around (though I wouldn't expect it).
As for all the others, I quit trying to make sense out of polls for D1A CFB a long time ago...just after quitting on trying to make sense of commercial airfares I think.
Once again,
The SEC Narrative TM is expanding. 8 teams in the top 25, even though they were absolutely demolished by Alabama.
Alabama - Beat a "ranked" USC team that is now 4-3 and has lost to every decent team they've played. Beat an "ranked" Ole MIss team that is now 3-3 and has beaten only Wofford, UGA (who lost to Vandy), and Memphis. Beat Arky who has beaten only TCU of consequence and who has beaten only KU, SDSU, SMU and Iowa St. Trounced a very pedestrian UT team, who's signature win got waxed by Syracuse last Saturday.
They all feed of this this narrative using the "good loss" theory.
"Everyone" knows that the 3-3 Ole Miss is the 23rd best team because they lost to Bama by 5. Never mind that - yet again - they have only beaten Wofford, UGA, and Memphis. Likewise, "everyone" knows that UT is the 18th best team despite haveing only beaten App State, Ohio, UGA, and a VPI team that got waxed by Syracuse.
Here's a thought experiment: It's mid October. How about we wipe the slate clean and pick 25 teams that we think are the best given who they've beaten on the field.
Mine would be:
1.
Alabama (7-0) - Beat UT (5-2) and Arky (5-2), and are defending champs
2. Clemson (7-0) - Beat Louisville (5-1) and Auburn (4-2), best win of all these teams
3.
TAMU (6-0) - Beat Arky (5-2) and UT (5-2)
4. Ohio State (6-0) - Beat OU (4-2) and Wisconsin (4-2)
5. Michigan (6-0) - Beat Wisconsin (4-2)
6. Washington (6-0) - Beat Stanford (4-2)
7. Louisville (5-1) - Beat FSU (5-2), lost to Clemson (7-0)
8. Navy (4-1) - Beat Houston (6-1), lost to AF (4-2)
9. Houston (6-1) - Beat OU (4-2), lost to Navy (4-1)
10. Nebraska (6-0) - Beat nobody, lost to nobody
11. Baylor (6-0) - Beat nobody, lost to nobody
11. WVU (5-0) - Beat nobody, lost to nobody
13. Boise St (6-0) - Beat nobody, lost to nobody
14. W Michigan (6-0) - Beat nobody, lost to nobody
15.
UT (5-2) - Beat UF (5-1) and UGA (4-3), lost to TAMU (6-0) and bad to Bama (7-0)
16. FSU (5-2) - Beat Miami (4-2) and Wake (5-2), lost to UNC (5-2) and to L'ville (5-1)
17.Wisconsin (4-2) - Beat LSU (4-2), lost to tOSU (6-0) and UofM (6-0)
18.
Arky (5-2) - Beat TCU (4-2), lost to TAMU (6-0) and Bama (7-0)
19. OU (4-2) - Beat TCU (4-2), lost to Houston (6-1) and tOSU (6-0)
20.
Auburn (4-2) - Beat LSU (4-2), lost to Clemson (7-0) and TAMU (6-0)
21. UNC (5-2) - Beat FSU (5-2) and Miami (4-2), lost to UGA (4-3) and VPI (4-2)
22. VPI (4-2) - Beat UNC (5-2), lost to UT (5-2) and Syracuse (3-4)
23. Stanford (4-2) - Beat USC (4-3), lost to Washington (6-0) and WSU (4-2)
24.
Florida (5-1) - Beat nobody, lost to UT (5-2)
25. Utah (6-1) - Beat nobody, lost to Cal (3-3)
