Is the Tennessee football team ranked this season? A closer look at Vols' record in 2024

Tennessee boasts one of the most storied programs in college football. This has given the team a pretty good history when it comes to the AP Poll top 25, featuring on the in-season weekly ranking on several occasions since the poll's inception in the 1930s.

The Volunteers (4-0) are the No. 4 team in the nation heading to Week 6 of the 2024 season. Thanks to its explosive offense, the team remains undefeated so far this season, convincingly winning all four games with an average of 54 points.

Tennessee was ranked 15th in the preseason AP Poll. However, the fantastic performance has seen the Vols move steadily up the ranking.

They were No. 14 after Week 1 and moved to No. 7 after Week 2. The outing in Week 3 and 4 saw them climb to No. 6 and 5, respectively. Despite being on an open week in Week 5, the Volunteers moved to No. 4 after Georgia lost to Alabama in a top 4 encounter.

The challenge ahead for Tennessee football

Following the brilliant start to the 2024 season, Tennessee appears to be a contender for a spot in the College Football Playoff. However, the team has a couple of top opponents, including Alabama and Georgia, to come up against before the end of the season.

The Volunteers face the unranked Arkansas in Week 6 as Josh Heupel hopes to continue what has been a brilliant campaign so far this season. Despite the team going into the game as a heavy favorite, Heupel believes the Razorbacks will be a tough challenge on Saturday.

“I just think they’re playing extremely well in all three phases of the game,” Heupel said. “They play smart football, don’t give up a ton of big plays defensively. They’ve been really good against the run.

“They’re big, strong, physical. I think on the offensive side of the football, the quarterback’s a difference-maker for them. As a complete team, they’re playing extremely well together. And like I said, they’re a couple of plays away from being undefeated.”

The brilliance of quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to continue to play a crucial role in Tennessee's success this season. The redshirt freshman gained the starting role this season and has proven capable of leading the offense with 892 yards and seven touchdowns.