National media outlet shows zero belief in Tennessee Vols with 2024 playoff prediction
The 2023 season will be the Tennessee Vols' final chance to make a four-team College Football Playoff. In 2024, the playoff, which has included four teams since its inception in 2014, will expand to 12 teams. The new format will feature bye weeks for the top four seeds. The No. 5 through No. 8 seeds […]
The 2023 season will be the Tennessee Vols' final chance to make a four-team College Football Playoff.
In 2024, the playoff, which has included four teams since its inception in 2014, will expand to 12 teams.
The new format will feature bye weeks for the top four seeds. The No. 5 through No. 8 seeds will host on-campus playoff games in the first round (which should be absolutely wild — essentially the Super Regional version of the College Football Playoff).
The quarterfinals will feature the Peach Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Rose Bowl (in 2024). The semifinals will feature the Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl with the national championship game taking place on January 20, 2025.
On Thursday, 247Sports revealed their predictions for the first 12-team playoff.
And surprisingly, they didn't include the Tennessee Vols in their prediction.
Here are the 12 teams that 247Sports thinks will make the first 12 team playoff in 2024:
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Clemson
- Oklahoma
- Alabama
- Michigan
- LSU
- USC
- Oregon
- Kansas State
- Florida State
- Boise State
Moving forward, the Vols' goal each season will be to make the 12 team playoff. Unless there's a rash of injuries, it will be viewed as a "down season" if Tennessee doesn't make the playoff — especially in 2024 when the Vols are expected to have a stud sophomore quarterback in Nico Iamaleava.
It's obviously far too early to predict what will happen in 2024. But it's still noteworthy that the national media doesn't seem to believe that Tennessee will be a playoff caliber team in 2024 despite the fact that the Vols will have an extremely talented roster in Josh Heupel's fourth season as UT's football coach.
If 247Sports predicted Georgia to miss the playoff in 2024, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart would undoubtedly plaster the prediction all over UGA's facility.
Heupel should do the same so he can remind his team that they need to play with a chip on their shoulder so they can prove the doubters wrong.
Vols senior explains tough conversations he sometimes has to have with Josh Heupel
A Tennessee Vols senior explained this week the tough conversations he sometimes has to have with head coach Josh Heupel
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
