AP voters this week have a tough decision to make at the top of their respective ballots. Does Tennessee, ranked No. 1 the last two weeks, get deference for being the top-ranked team and hold steady at No. 1 after a perfect week in which it went 1-0 and beat Western Carolina 84-36 to remain unbeaten? Or does Auburn, ranked No. 2 the last three weeks but destroying every team in its path, get the nod and leap the Vols?
It may come down to a philosophical discussion for voters. Tennessee has done nothing as the No. 1-ranked team to lose its status. In the last two weeks, it has defeated Miami, Illinois and Western Carolina and in the process improved to 11-0.
However, Auburn has done plenty to warrant consideration for the No. 1 spot. That includes an NCAA-leading six Quad 1 wins on the season, four wins over ranked opponents and a Saturday thumping of a good Purdue team by 18 points.
If there were no weekly AP polls and Monday was the first ranking of the season, the answer at No. 1 would likely be obvious. Auburn has a 6-1 record in Quadrant 1 games on the season; it ranks No. 1 in the NET, at KenPom and BartTorvik; and this week alone it beat Georgia State by 41 and Purdue by 18.
But the decision is not made in a vacuum. And while Auburn likely will, and should, close the gap on Tennessee this week, I expect AP voters will keep the Vols at No. 1 and Auburn at No. 2. There’s a strong case for either, and neither is necessarily right or wrong. But Tennessee has not done anything to deserve falling from No. 1. I don’t expect it will.
The below is how I expect AP voters will react to the No. 1 ranking and the rest of the Top 25 this week in our weekly Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today.
Projected to drop out: Clemson, Michigan, Memphis