Tennessee fans bundled up to keep warm as they wait for the start of the NCAA college football playoff game between Ohio State and Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Volunteers Ranked Among CFB's Most Overrated Programs Over the Past Decade

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Christian Kirby | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 8:38 AM ET

The Tennessee Volunteers have landed inside the top ten for most overrated college football programs in the past decade.

College football is home to numerous historic programs that each have thousands of passionate fans. Some of these programs have consistently delivered fantastic seasons, cementing their greatness. However, some teams have failed to meet their expectations of the past decade.

According to CBS Sports, the Tennessee Volunteers have been the tenth most overrated program in college football over the past 10 seasons. Tennessee was one of five programs from the SEC to be included in the list. T he article utilized data such as coaching salaries, program investments, historical success, and overall fanbase size to come to this conclusion.

“The Volunteers epitomized an underperforming program during the tail end of Butch Jones' tenure and during Jeremy Pruitt's three-year run,” wrote CBS Sports’ David Cobb.

While Tennessee’s program had been in disarray for many years under the Pruitt, Jones, and Dooley regimes, the team has seemingly stabilized under head coach Josh Heupel, who has delivered a pair of 10-win seasons and a College Football Playoff appearance. A continued string of successful seasons could help elevate the Vols out of the overrated category.

The Vols will look to defeat their “overrated” allegations this season as their quest for a second straigh t College Football Playoff appearance during the 2025 season. Tennessee will begin its regular season on Saturday, August 30th, against the Syracuse Orange. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for noon and will be aired on ABC.