Tennessee jumps to No. 8 in new CFP rankings

Tennessee climbed five spots to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee's second rankings, released Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The rankings reflect games played through Saturday, Nov. 7. The Vols (7-2) earned the jump after beating then-No. 6 Kentucky 34-6 in Knoxville, their second top-10 win of the season alongside an earlier victory over Alabama.

The committee named Tennessee one of the week's biggest risers. Georgia moved to No. 1, followed by unbeaten Utah at No. 2 and Alabama (7-2) at No. 3. Kentucky dropped five spots to No. 11 after the loss.

What it means for Tennessee's playoff path

Running back DeSean Bishop carried 25 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns against Kentucky, according to NCAA.com. That performance gave him his fifth straight 100-yard rushing game and made him only the second player in Tennessee history to rush for 1,000 yards in two seasons, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.

Linebacker Arion Carter, a former Smyrna High School recruit, led the defense with 13 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and two sacks against Kentucky, the News Sentinel reported.

Tennessee has three regular-season games left: at Texas A&M (4-5) on Nov. 14, home against No. 21 LSU on Nov. 21 and at Vanderbilt on Nov. 28. ESPN projected the Nov. 21 LSU game as the toughest remaining matchup, the only one where ESPN's Football Power Index gives Tennessee less than a 50% chance to win.

Roster depth tested by injuries

The Vols' climb comes despite losing eight players to season-ending injuries, the Columbia Daily Herald reported. Coach Josh Heupel confirmed Nov. 9 that defensive end Tyree Weathersby, the team's sack leader with seven sacks, is out for the season with a left knee injury.

Ten Tennessee players have logged at least 85% of the snaps on their side of the ball, the most of any SEC team still in playoff contention, according to the Herald, citing Pro Football Focus data.

"They're either prepared for their moment or they're not," Heupel said of the backups who must fill Weathersby's role, according to the Herald.

Williamson County ties on the Vols roster

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel has recruited heavily from Middle Tennessee, with 11 players from the area on his roster. That group includes defensive back Luke Thompson from Franklin, who signed with the Vols as a three-star recruit. Quarterback George MacIntyre, a former Brentwood Academy standout, started against Kentucky and went 9-for-14 for 125 yards, according to NCAA.com.

Vanderbilt eyes bowl eligibility

Nashville-based Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-5 SEC) is not ranked but snapped a five-game losing streak Nov. 7 with a 25-23 win at Mississippi State, according to Vanderbilt athletics. It was the Commodores' first win in Starkville since 1971.

Kicker Brock Taylor converted a school-record six field goals in the win, including a 55-yarder. Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis has completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,657 yards over eight games, according to Roll Tide Wire. Vanderbilt needs two more wins in its final three games to reach bowl eligibility.