In reality, it doesn’t really mean anything. Butch Jones’s staff hires, recruiting, and returning players are all more important for the Vols with the season over than a random number beside their name at the end of the year.
But for the morale of the program, finishing ranked in the AP Top 25 was a huge step forward.
Now, for the first time since the Phillip Fulmer days, Vols fans can go back to thinking about SEC and National Championships each season. That’s exactly what will be on everybody’s mind entering year four under Jones.
That Top 25 milestone meant something as a result.