Tennessee Vols projected to earn major reward in first College Football Playoff rankings
The Tennessee Vols learned on Tuesday evening just what the College Football Playoff selection committee thinks of them. As it turns out, they think just enough of them to give Josh Heupel and his team a coveted prize – at least for now. The Vols earned the #7 overall ranking, but the #8 seed in […]
The Tennessee Vols learned on Tuesday evening just what the College Football Playoff selection committee thinks of them. As it turns out, they think just enough of them to give Josh Heupel and his team a coveted prize – at least for now.
The Vols earned the #7 overall ranking, but the #8 seed in the playoff positioning, which means they would be the final team to get a home playoff game in the first round. The committee has them facing #8 ranked and #9 seeded Indiana Hoosiers in Knoxville.
The difference in overall ranking and where they're seeded is based upon the top four seeds being projected conference champions. In this case, #9 BYU jumped into the top four as the projected Big 12 champion. That pushed Penn State, Tennessee, and Indiana down a spot.
Indiana would be an intriguing matchup for Tennessee. The Hoosiers have been one of the biggest surprises in all of college football this year, featuring an explosive offense that's helped the Hoosiers win every game on their schedule by at least 14 points. Their offense against the Vols' elite defense would be a great matchup.
The winner, as things stand, would take on top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl. That would be the Vols' first trip to the historic venue since the opening game of the 2008 season, where Tennessee lost to UCLA 27-24.
Of course, things are still subject to changing in a very big way each week, and the Vols' test next Saturday against Georgia could determine whether the Vols jump into the top four teams – or if they end up having to fight to get back into the playoff picture.
For now, it's clear the committee has respected Tennessee despite some recent first half slow stretches on offense. That win over #11 Alabama is a big feather in Tennessee's cap. It's a good starting point for the Vols with plenty of room to move up, but there's no doubt this whole picture will likely look very different when the final rankings are announced on December 8.
