ESPN grades Tennessee Vols' performance during the 4-team College Football Playoff era
College football will move into a new era in 2024 with the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff. The expanded playoff will replace the four-team College Football Playoff that was in place from 2014 to 2023. Earlier this week, ESPN graded each team that spent at least a week ranked in the College Football […]
College football will move into a new era in 2024 with the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff.
The expanded playoff will replace the four-team College Football Playoff that was in place from 2014 to 2023.
Earlier this week, ESPN graded each team that spent at least a week ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings at some point over the last 10 seasons.
The Tennessee Vols, one of just eight teams to ever be ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, went 72-53 during the playoff era.
ESPN felt like Tennessee's performance during the four-team playoff era was good enough to earn a B minus.
From ESPN: In fairness, Butch Jones took the Vols to three straight bowl games to open the playoff era, winning nine games in both 2015 and 2016 before earning the coveted championship of life. But it wasn't until Josh Heupel arrived in 2021 that things finally blossomed in Knoxville, with the Vols going 11-2 in 2022 and finishing in the AP top 20 in each of the past two years. And here's another fun fact: Tennessee is one of just eight teams to hold the No. 1 spot in a committee poll. Six of the others won a national title (plus Mississippi State).
That feels like a pretty fair grade for Tennessee.
There was a lot of mediocre for the Vols during the playoff era (three nine-win seasons, two seven win seasons, and an eight-win season), some really good (going 11-2 and ascending to No. 1 in 2022), and some really bad (a four-win season, a five-win season, and a three-win season).
Tennessee is obviously hoping the 12-team playoff era goes a bit smoother. The Vols could get off to a hot start in the 12-team playoff era as the program is primed to be a legitimate national title contender in 2024 with former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava set to take over as Tennessee's starting quarterback.
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Wasn’t a good night for the Vols
