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Everyone who snubbed Tennessee football in final rankings — from Rece Davis to Jim Mora Jr.
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- Everyone who snubbed Tennessee football in final rankings — from Rece Davis to Jim Mora Jr.
Jim Mora Jr. wasn't a fan of Tennessee football in November when his UConn team lost by 56 to the Vols. He still wasn't a fan in January, apparently.
The UConn coach left the Vols off his final ballot in the US LBM Coaches Pol l, one of two coaches to do so. Jon Sumrall, the former Troy coach who was hired at Tulane in December, also did not vote for the Vols.
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Tennessee finished No. 17 in the coaches poll and the Associated Press poll after pummeling Iowa 35-0 in the Citrus Bowl to finish 9-4. Seven media members did not include Tennessee on their final ballot, including ESPN's Rece Davis.
UT moved up eight spots in the AP poll and six spots in the coaches poll after its bowl win.
Jim Mora Jr. leaves Tennessee football out of final coaches poll ballot
Mora hit Vols coach Josh Heupel with a drive-by handshake after Tennessee beat UConn 59-3 on Nov. 4. Heupel looked back to Mora, who had appeared to say something to Heupel.
The Vols and Huskies had a pregame confrontation as well as UConn players warmed up on Tennessee's half of the field.
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"I am proud of our guys for the class that they showed on that football field before, during and after the game," Mora said after the game.
Two months later, Mora did not include Tennessee on his final ballot. He ranked Iowa No. 18 and three of the teams UT lost to in the top 10. Sumrall had Iowa No. 25.
Four coaches ranked Tennessee No. 14: Navy's Brian Newberry, Utah's Kyle Whittingham, now retired San Diego State coach Brady Hoke, and former James Madison coach Curt Cignetti. Cignetti was hired by Indiana in December. Hoke was on UT's staff under Butch Jones and was interim head coach for the final two games in 2017 after Jones' firing.
Rece Davis headlines seven AP Poll votes who dimissed Tennessee football
Davis, a longtime ESPN anchor and a "College GameDay" host, left the Vols off his ballot. He ranked Iowa No. 18, moving the Hawkeyes up four spots from his ballot following conference championships. The Hawkeyes finished 10-4 after winning the Big Ten West before losing to national champion Michigan in the Big Ten title game and UT in the bowl game.
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Four of the seven writers who did not rank Tennessee included Iowa in the final rankings.
Dave Preston, a radio personality in Washington, D.C, ranked Iowa No. 20. Chuck Landon, a columnist at the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia, had Iowa as No. 23. Ron Counts, Boise State beat writer for the Idaho Statesman, had Iowa No. 17.
Tennessee was ranked as high as No. 13 by an AP poll voter in the final ballot.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ ByMikeWilson . If you enjoy Mike's coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rece Davis, Jim Mora Jr. snub Tennessee in final college football rankings
