Why are coaches giving Lane Kiffin more preseason love than Josh Heupel's Tennessee Vols?
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Oh, the disrespect.
Tennessee did not earn a top-25 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, released Monday.
Six SEC teams were ranked, ranging from No. 1 Alabama, to Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels at No. 24. Also ranked are No. 3 Georgia, No. 7 Texas A&M, No. 21 Kentucky and No. 23 Arkansas.
Tennessee received the thirst-most voting points of teams not in the top 25, meaning the Vols would be ranked No. 28 if the rankings extended that far.
Why did Tennessee not receive more love?
That's the headline topic on this edition of "The Volunteer State," featuring Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams.
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Toppmeyer found it a tad peculiar to see the Vols ranked seven spots behind the Wildcats, whom UT beat last season, and four spots behind the Rebels.
Ole Miss was one of the best stories in the SEC last season, and it beat Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, but the Rebels must replace several top performers, including star quarterback Matt Corral. They fared well in the transfer portal, but Kiffin admits he's uncertain whether his "Portal King" strategy will pay off.
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But Sparks offers a reasonable explanation as to why Tennessee is unranked, and it's not a deep-state effort to smear the Vols.
Rather, he theorizes, coaches lean on the results of the previous season while logging their preseason ballots, and both Kentucky and Ole Miss are coming off 10-win seasons and finished in the top 25. Meanwhile, UT's loss to Purdue in the Music City Bowl likely cost the Vols a top-25 finish and relegated them to 7-6.
Adams agrees with Sparks' assessment of coaches' preseason voting strategy, and he thinks the Vols will be ranked in the AP poll when it is unveiled next week. Coaches spend the offseason recruiting, rebuilding their roster and coaching their team. Media members spend the offseason making projections for the season, and that focus on what may be in store for 2022 should help the Vols fare better in the media poll.
All three hosts agree that being unranked in this initial poll will not be a hindrance to Tennessee. The Vols likely would enter the top 25 if they beat No. 16 Pittsburgh on the road in Week 2.
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Later in the episode
Sparks offers three lingering questions after the Vols' first preseason scrimmage: Will the pass rush develop? Will transfer wide receiver Bru McCoy be cleared to play? Is freshman Dylan Sampson the man to beat for third-string running back?
The hosts debate Tennessee's receiver candidates to start opposite of Cedric Tillman if McCoy is not cleared, and Sparks explains why Walker Merrill is emerging as an option.
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Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel. John Adams is the News Sentinel's senior columnist. If you enjoy their coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, you can subscribe to The Volunteer State podcast for free so you won't miss an episode.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Lane Kiffin gets more preseason love than Josh Heupel in top 25 poll
