ESPN's bias against Tennessee Vols has never been more blatant
It's no secret that the selection committee tends to get ooh'd and ahh'd by the shiny, marquee program names when it comes to making decisions on who they want to put into their playoffs. It's not so much about deserving from the resume, from who's properly earned the right to play for the national title, […]
It's no secret that the selection committee tends to get ooh'd and ahh'd by the shiny, marquee program names when it comes to making decisions on who they want to put into their playoffs.
It's not so much about deserving from the resume, from who's properly earned the right to play for the national title, rather it being more about who they believe are the best teams – as amorphous as the true basis of that belief may be.
And now, the engine of the hype machine for the committee's favorite brand has rumbled to a start and is purring like a kitten: the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Look no further than what said over the weekend about the Alabama Crimson Tide. ESPN college football writer and (supposed) playoff guru Heather Dinich went on SEC Nation on Saturday before the action unfolded and argued a 9-3 Alabama team would still be in the hunt for the playoff.
Of course, a former Alabama player – Roman Harper – took it the other way minutes later regarding the chances of the Tennessee Vols of getting into the field, claiming the Vols have to win at Georgia on Saturday and win out just to make the field. Yes, that Tennessee team that beat Alabama 24-17 back in Knoxville on October 19. Somehow, the pressure is on them to win 11 games to secure their spot.
But that's to be expected from the pundits at this point, particularly from those from the four-letter network. Georgia struggles with Kentucky and Florida? A gutsy win that showed character and toughness. One ESPN writer even suggested the Bulldogs were toying with the Gators, which is absurd.
But God forbid Tennessee struggles – and still wins – suddenly they're underachieving, not living up to expectations, or showing their flaws. That was the message that Dinich and other pundits – as well as media members who dropped the Vols 3 places in the polls after defeating Florida – have sent. The tone has been clear how they view the Vols' struggles and those of any other team.
The standards simply aren't the same between the Vols and the other big names in the SEC. As such, Josh Heupel and the Vols simply have no choice but to go out and give the selection committee none themselves by taking care of business in Athens and in their final two games.
That's just the name-brand-slanted college football world we live in nowadays.
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel pays a major compliment to Vols fans and it was much deserved
Big time compliment from Josh Heupel
