National analyst has Tennessee making a significant move in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings after win over Texas A&M
The Tennessee Vols moved to 8-2 on the season after their 22-7 win over the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday in College Station.
Could this be the week that Tennessee finally moves past Alabama in the College Football Playoff rankings?
On3’s Andy Staples thinks it should be.
Tennessee and Alabama are both two loss teams, and the Vols beat the Crimson Tide last month in Knoxville.
But Alabama was eight spots ahead of Tennessee in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, and they were five spots ahead of the Vols in last week’s rankings (Alabama at No. 3 and Tennessee at No. 8).
Alabama beat Vanderbilt 21-6 in Nashville on Saturday while Tennessee left College Station with a 22-7 win over a talented, albeit not-that-good, Texas A&M team.
Staples has Tennessee at No. 5 in his updated rankings with Alabama at No. 6 (Staples also had Tennessee ranked above Alabama last week).
“I continue to rank Alabama lower than the committee because the Crimson Tide’s wins still don’t justify having Alabama as far ahead of Tennessee — which beat Alabama 26-10 — as the committee does,” wrote Staples. “Perhaps this week the Volunteers and Crimson Tide will be in the same pod and the committee will honor the head-to-head result. Either way, the Tide are getting into the CFP barring a shocking Iron Bowl loss. Tennessee probably still needs to beat LSU to cinch a spot in the bracket.”
I’ll be surprised if Tennessee actually moves in front of Alabama this week.
Now, I think the Vols will eventually be ranked above Alabama if they win out, but I don’t think it’ll happen until next week at the earliest.
If Tennessee beats LSU at home next Saturday, I think they’ll finally move into Alabama’s pod (in the committee’s eyes) and then the Vols’ head-to-head win over the Crimson Tide will be honored (Bama plays Chattanooga at home next Saturday).
Anyone with half a brain who isn’t an Alabama fan knows that Tennessee should be ranked above the Tide. But the committee, for whatever reason, has Crimson fever and is fighting hard to keep the Vols below Alabama.
The No. 5 seed, by the way, would be a great spot for the Vols to ultimately land. It’s the top seed that doesn’t get a bye, which means Tennessee would host a home game and play the No. 12 seed, which will likely be the group of five team that gets in (last year it was Oregon vs James Madison).
