Ole Miss Rebels

Tennessee atop list of SEC's most 'delusional' fan bases

Published Jun. 21, 2015 10:10 p.m. ET

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There's a fine line between optimism and delusion, one that's not always easy to identify. But website College Spun attempted to do so this week with a sure-to-incite-arguments ranking of the top 10 most delusional fan bases in college football.

At the top of College Spun's list is the passionate Michigan fan base, one that's seen its program lost in the wilderness for most of the past seven years but has a had an emotional resurgence given the hiring of native son and hero Jim Harbaugh.

But the alleged delusion isn't limited to (or even concentrated in) the Big Ten: The SEC has four fan bases among the top 10, including three in the top six.

The SEC "winner," so to speak, is Tennessee, which comes in at No. 3 on the list. While several experts either have ranked the Vols in their preseason polls or listed Tennessee as among the most improved teams headed into next season following a respectable 7-6 finish in 2014, College Spun's point seems to be that these top-25 rankings are a bit premature.

"(Butch) Jones has done a lot to prove that he is the man for this long Tennessee rebuild, and 2015 may be the year that the Vols put it all together," College Spun writes. However ... "It is a bit of a stretch to pencil them in ahead of Mizzou or Georgia yet, and the SEC is such a grind that there’s a good chance that substantial improvement doesn’t really bear out in wins and losses. Excitement is fine, but UT still has a way to go."

A couple spots behind Tennessee is No. 5 Ole Miss, of which College Spun writes, "(T)hey have a chance to be very good. We just don’t think any College Football Playoff aspirations are legitimate quite yet, at least until we see someone really take hold of that quarterback job."

And right behind Mississippi is No. 6 Arkansas, a sleeper SEC West pick this season after a strong 2015 finish but one College Spun is pumping the brakes on: "Your team is trending in the right direction, but any thoughts of reaching the conference’s upper echelon have to be put on hold for now."

Rounding out the SEC's top-10 finishers is Georgia, which is ranked so highly not so much because of the team's 2015 outlook but because of the question of whether coach Mark Richt's tenure has run its course. college Spun writes, "(T)he major reason the Bulldogs find themselves at No. 8 is the cries from within the fan ranks to dismiss Richt. ... Bulldog fans should be careful what they wish for, as there’s no guarantees Richt’s replacement would be the one to take the program higher than it’s been."

(h/t College Spun)

Image credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports