College Football Hall of Famers vote Tennessee top 16 after Week 1
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The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was released on Tuesday after Week 1 of the 2026 college football season. 2026 marks the ninth year Vols Wire is voting in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll.
The FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was established at the conclusion of the 2013 season by the Football Writers Association of America and the National Football Foundation. Voters rank the top 16 FBS teams with results released every Sunday during the season.
Pollsters consist of FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Fame inductees who were selected to create a balanced-geographical perspective. The poll utilizes a computer program designed by TicketManager to compile rankings, and Kellner Ratings to publish individual votes.
Tennessee is the second school not ranked in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll after Week 1. The Vols are receiving 25 votes, while SMU received 53 votes and are 17 points behind No. 16 Penn State (1-0).
Three College Football Hall of Fame inductees voted Tennessee in their top 16 ballots after Week 1.
Former Stanford running back and 2024 inductee Toby Gerhart voted the Vols No. 16.
Former Syracuse quarterback and 2008 inductee Don McPherson also voted Tennessee in his top 16 at No. 13, while former Michigan defensive tackle and 2022 inductee Mark Messner voted the Vols No. 15.
The entire poll can be viewed below.
2026 FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll after Week 1
| School | Points | First-place votes |
| 1. Ohio State (1-0) | 844 | 32 |
| 2. Notre Dame (1-0) | 720 | 6 |
| 3. Texas (1-0) | 697 | 2 |
| 4. Georgia (1-0) | 673 | 1 |
| 5. Miami (1-0) | 660 | 3 |
| 6. Indiana (1-0) | 641 | 5 |
| 7. Oregon (1-0) | 597 | |
| 8. LSU (1-0) | 587 | 6 |
| 9. Ole Miss (1-0) | 373 | 1 |
| 10. Oklahoma (1-0) | 355 | |
| 11. Texas A&M (1-0) | 335 | |
| 12. Alabama (1-0) | 292 | |
| 13. USC (2-0) | 241 | |
| 14. Texas Tech (1-0) | 213 | |
| 15. BYU (1-0) | 143 | |
| 16. Penn State (1-0) | 70 |
Others receiving votes
SMU (53), Tennessee (25), Washington (20), Louisville (17), Virginia (13), Missouri (10), Boise State (9), Utah (7), Florida (5), Virginia Tech (4), Michigan (3), Auburn (3), South Carolina (2), Western Michigan (1), Arizona State (1), TCU (1), Pittsburgh (1).
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: College Football Hall of Famers vote Tennessee top 16 after Week 1
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