The Tennessee Volunteers have fully earned the No. 1 spot in the initial 2022 College Football Playoff rankings. That much should be extolled within the program.

There is also an expiration date on that celebration.

And it's probably, oh, Nov. 2.

In reality, the only immediate thing that matters for the Volunteers is whether they defeat the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in Athens. Because, my friends, the poll is certain to change next Tuesday, and that No. 1 status will be much less significant if UT loses.

Tennessee is still the underdog, the program that hasn't won a conference title in 24 years. The burden of proof remains on the Vols, and no reasonable person would argue that outlook.

Simultaneously, both the metrics and eye test agree that none of the other five undefeated teams can present a stronger case than Tennessee to stand atop the rankings right now.

Tennessee is 8-0 with marquee victories over sixth-ranked Alabama and No. 10 LSU. Georgia has a lone ranked win against No. 8 Oregon, as do both Ohio State and Michigan opposite No. 15 Penn State.

Clemson boasts three Top 25 wins (No. 20 Syracuse, No. 21 Wake Forest and No. 22 NC State), and TCU has a pair (No. 13 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma State). However, neither one has dominated games like UT did at LSU—or even against 5-3 Kentucky.

Ranked opponents aren't the only impactful games, of course; Tennessee's total strength of schedule (19th) is well above OSU (52nd), TCU (63rd), Clemson (72nd), UGA (75th) and U-M (79th).

Considering that highest competition level, what the Vols have accomplished is unmatched. The overwhelming offense—led by Heisman Trophy contender Hendon Hooker—is the nation's highest-scoring unit. Alabama kept it close, but Tennessee hung 52 points on the Tide anyway.

Now, I hear you, Dawgs fans. You might be trying to throw the proverbial ace in the hole.

Georgia won last season's national title and remains undefeated. Shouldn't that count for something?

Well, no! Last year is last year. Tennessee has played a tougher schedule so far and performed tremendously against that difficult slate. The rankings are a reflection of what's already occurred, not what happened in a previous season or might soon.

The takeaway is simple: Go prove it again.

That's what it's all about, right? Georgia, which steamrolled what has become a high-quality Oregon team, is favored to beat Tennessee. Do that, and—voila!—the Dawgs immediately become the team indisputably deserving to sit atop the rankings throne.

As always, these rankings will work themselves out. The on-field impact of this initial poll is very minimal.

Sure, Georgia may have a little extra motivation to beat Tennessee. You know UGA coach Kirby Smart and his staff are ready to sprinkle in the message that the reigning champs are being disrespected.

But it's not like Georgia wouldn't have been adequately motivated if the Vols had been ranked second or third instead. Let's be serious here.

Off the field, it would be unfair to suggest the ranking means nothing for Tennessee. This is a quality selling point for the recruiting trail, where prospects are destined to hear how Tennessee has proved it can reach No. 1. The future value of that for the program—considering its recent instability—should not be dismissed.

Maximizing that pitch, however, involves an actual win over UGA. Tennessee hasn't done that since 2016.

Georgia, meanwhile, is a not-so-simple victory away from a straightforward counterargument: Yeah, the Vols had a breakout year, but they couldn't beat us. We're still the champs.

This is a nice achievement for the Vols, but the debate will be settled Saturday. Either the Vols take another step toward the College Football Playoff, or Georgia's reign in the SEC East continues.

And the rankings will take care of themselves.