The Tennessee Vols climbed one spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings, now sitting at No. 6 after securing a 36-23 road victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores. This move came after Ohio State dropped following a surprising home loss to Michigan.

ESPN’s Rece Davis, who has a vote in the AP Top 25 and is a prominent figure in college football, made an interesting decision this week by ranking Tennessee No. 5, just above Notre Dame and two spots ahead of Ohio State. This ranking is particularly noteworthy as Davis will play a significant role in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings discussions in the coming week. A major topic of debate will be whether Tennessee should host a home playoff game at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee is effectively competing with Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Indiana for the right to host a playoff game, with Penn State, Texas, and Georgia also in the mix, depending on the outcomes of conference championship games.

Given his AP vote, Davis believes Tennessee deserves to be ranked higher than both Notre Dame and Ohio State. It will be intriguing to see if his opinion on the CFP rankings aligns with his AP ballot. If it does, Davis could be a strong supporter of Tennessee’s bid for a home playoff game. However, if his playoff stance doesn’t reflect his AP ranking, it could be difficult to justify his voting choices.

The College Football Playoff committee is often influenced by the narratives created by national media, and having someone like Davis advocating for Tennessee could significantly boost their chances of securing a home playoff game.