When the first College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 were revealed last week, the Tennessee Vols were ranked one spot below the Penn State Nittany Lions, despite both programs having the same record. 

Penn State's best win so far this season is against Illinois. Their one loss came at home against Ohio State (Penn State doesn't have a win over a ranked team). 

Tennessee's best win this season is against the Alabama Crimson Tide (a program that was ranked No. 11 in the first College Football Playoff rankings). The Vols' one loss came on the road against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a team that is currently 5-4. 

CFP chairman Warde Manuel suggested last week after the rankings were revealed that Tennessee's loss to Arkansas is why the Vols were ranked below Penn State. 

“Tennessee has an impressive win over Alabama at No. 11 and wins over North Carolina State and Oklahoma, 4-1 against teams above .500,” said Manuel. “The loss at Arkansas was something that we discussed a lot.”

It seems obvious that Tennessee should be ranked above Penn State, but the committee, for some reason, views that loss to Arkansas as a scarlet letter for the Vols. 

And I can't understand why. 

For starters, Arkansas is better than their 5-4 record indicates. They could've easily won games earlier in the season against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. A couple of things didn't go the Razorbacks' way, which led to losses in those matchups. But if Arkansas finds a way to win those games, Tennessee's loss to the Razorbacks suddenly wouldn't look as bad.

That loss to Arkansas, by the way, could've easily been a win for the Vols. On the final drive of the game, Tennessee redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava had running back Dylan Sampson open for what would've been the game-winning touchdown. Iamaleava, however, didn't see Sampson and he went to the middle of the field instead. 

If Iamaleava sees Sampson (in the bottom right in the photo above), there's a decent chance the junior running back is able to get to the end zone and win the game for the Vols. 

Unfortunately for Tennessee, that play didn't work out. But that screenshot shows you just how close the Vols were to pulling out a win in a tough SEC road game. 

And speaking of tough SEC road games, I don't think the playoff committee is giving road games in the SEC the proper respect.

It doesn't matter what the point spread is or where teams are ranked when it comes to playing on the road in the SEC. All of that goes out the window when you walk into an SEC stadium and the home crowd is rocking. 

"You will never understand what it’s like to go out there and play tackle when you can’t hear anything and there’s a guy screaming off that edge. It is tough," said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart last weekend about the Bulldogs dropped a game to Ole Miss in Oxford. 

We've already seem some good SEC teams lose games they shouldn't have lost on the road. Ole Miss, for example, is all of a sudden in the playoff conversation again thanks to their win against Georgia, but the Rebels have a "bad" SEC road loss on their résumé, too (Ole Miss lost to Kentucky, a team that is 3-6, in Oxford). 

Tennessee is getting dinged for their loss to Arkansas. But that loss isn't nearly as bad as the playoff committee, and the media, is making it out to be. 

I mean, just look at this take from 247Sports' Bud Elliott. You'll struggle to find a worse take on the internet this month. It's so bad that I initially thought it was a parody account. 

(Elliott has Alabama seeded above Tennessee in his playoff projections.)

Elliott also suggested that Alabama's loss to Vanderbilt wasn't nearly as bad as Tennessee's loss to Arkansas, even though Vanderbilt has the same number of losses as Arkansas (and let's not forget that Vanderbilt lost to Georgia State!). 

College football coverage, in general, has devolved to the point where it's tough to tell what's serious. 

Normally, fans, coaches and players can just ignore what the media has to say. But it seems like these narratives from the media are poisoning the minds of the playoff committee. And that's a problem for teams like Tennessee, which doesn't get the benefit of the obvious brand bias that's plaguing the sport (and by the way, there are no sure things in the playoff rankings this season…and anyone suggesting otherwise is incapable of objectivity or they're just leaning into their bias because they know it'll generate a ton of engagement on social media). 

Tennessee deserves a fair shake from the playoff committee, but they're not going to get that until their loss to Arkansas is viewed the same way that Alabama's loss to Vanderbilt or Ole Miss' loss to Kentucky is viewed. 

Josh Heupel shares injury update on Tennessee Vols WR Dont’e Thornton

Dont’e Thornton has been an important player for the Vols this season