Tennessee football finishes outside Top 25 for first time since 2021
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Tennessee football finished the 2025 season unranked in both Top 25 polls for the first time in four years.
That's not breaking news. It was expected ever since the Vols lost 30-28 to Illinois in the Music City Bowl to finish with a 8-5 record. But it became official on Jan. 20, when the final US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 were released.
It marks the first time since Week 1 of the 2022 season that Tennessee has not been ranked in either poll. The Vols last finished a season unranked in 2021.
Notably, Tennessee was unranked in the final poll every season from 2017-21. But under coach Josh Heupel, UT was ranked in the final poll in the previous three seasons: No. 6 in 2022; No 17 in 2023; No. 9 in AP, No. 8 in coaches poll in 2024.
Here are the updated college football Top 25 polls.
Final college football rankings
US LBM Coaches Poll
- Indiana (16-0)
- Miami (13-3)
- Ole Miss (13-2)
- Oregon (13-2)
- Georgia (12-2)
- Ohio State (12-2)
- Texas Tech (12-2)
- Texas A&M (11-2)
- Alabama (11-4)
- Oklahoma (10-3)
- Notre Dame (10-2)
- BYU (12-2)
- Texas (10-3)
- Utah (11-2)
- Vanderbilt (10-3)
- Virginia (11-3)
- Iowa (9-4)
- Tulane (11-3)
- Houston (10-3)
- James Madison (12-2)
- USC (9-4)
- Michigan (9-4)
- Navy (11-2)
- Georgia Tech (9-4)
- Illinois (9-4)
Schools dropped out: No. 20 Arizona; No. 23 Tennessee.
Others receiving votes: North Texas 107; Washington 92; SMU 89; Duke 82; Arizona 79; TCU 72; Tennessee 22; Louisville 13; Wake Forest 6; Old Dominion 6; Western Michigan 5; Connecticut 4; Missouri 3; Boise State 2; Pittsburgh 1; East Carolina 1; Army West Point 1.
AP Top 25 Poll
- Indiana (16-0)
- Miami (13-3)
- Ole Miss (13-2)
- Oregon (13-2)
- Ohio State (12-2)
- Georgia (12-2)
- Texas Tech (12-2)
- Texas A&M (11-2)
- Alabama (11-4)
- Notre Dame (10-2)
- BYU (12-2)
- Texas (10-3)
- Oklahoma (10-3)
- Utah (11-2)
- Vanderbilt (10-3)
- Virginia (11-3)
- Iowa (9-4)
- Tulane (11-3)
- James Madison (12-2)
- USC (9-4)
- Michigan (9-4)
- Houston (10-3)
- Navy (11-2)
- North Texas (12-2)
- TCU (9-4)
Others receiving votes: Illinois 123, Washington 76, SMU 69, Duke 58, Arizona 54, Georgia Tech 44, Tennessee 10, Missouri 8, Louisville 7, Old Dominion 3, W. Michigan 2, Wake Forest 2, Hawaii 1, Boise St. 1.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football rankings in Top 25 polls to finish 2025 season
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