Vols' Josh Heupel and Danny White have every right to be furious after Saturday
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel and UT athletic director Danny White have every right to be furious after Saturday's events. USC's loss to Utah on Friday night and TCU's loss to Kansas State on Saturday left the door open for a team outside of last week's top four to crash the College Football Playoff. […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel and UT athletic director Danny White have every right to be furious after Saturday's events.
USC's loss to Utah on Friday night and TCU's loss to Kansas State on Saturday left the door open for a team outside of last week's top four to crash the College Football Playoff.
The general feeling is that Ohio State, which has just one loss, will be the team that makes the playoff with USC falling out of the top four.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban, however, went on a cringeworthy television tour on Saturday night to tout the Crimson Tide's playoff resumé.
Saban appeared at halftime of the Big 10 Championship Game on Fox, as well as ESPN's Sportscenter and another ESPN show hosted by former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.
Saban's arguments weren't compelling. He cited Alabama's win against Ole Miss — a team that lost four of its final five games — as a reason the Crimson Tide should make the playoff.
The desperate pleas from Saban to anyone who would listen is something we're not accustomed to seeing from the longtime Alabama coach.
While the television tour was embarrassing to watch, it should infuriate Heupel and White.
Alabama doesn't deserve to be in the playoff. And neither does Tennessee. If you want to make the playoff, don't lose two games. It's really that simple. Alabama and Tennessee both lost twice and they have to deal with those consequences now.
However, if Alabama gets to make its case multiple times on national television, then why doesn't Tennessee?
The Vols have a better playoff argument than Alabama. Yes, I know that Tennessee lost on the road to South Carolina by 25 points. And ultimately, that's why they won't be in the playoff this year. But Tennessee's head-to-head win against Alabama should automatically put the Vols above the Crimson Tide.
UT's blowout win over LSU in Baton Rouge is another reason Tennessee should be ranked above Alabama (the Crimson Tide lost to LSU).
The Vols have better wins than Alabama and they won the head-to-head matchup. Yet ESPN is giving Saban a platform to plead the Tide's case.
Heupel and Tennessee aren't getting that same platform.
I think Heupel and White are too self-aware to call up ESPN and ask them for some airtime. But behind closed doors, I wouldn't blame them if they're seething after watching ESPN completely dismiss the Volunteers.
The Bama bias isn't a myth. ESPN's actions this week left no doubt that Alabama gets special treatment from the national media.
Just look at the stuff they were putting out on social media on Saturday. No mention of Tennessee, despite the fact that UT has a better resumé than Alabama.
Heupel and the Vols have to work a little harder than programs like Alabama. It's not fair, but that's sports. It's not always fair. But that doesn't mean Tennessee has to accept it. In private, I imagine there's a lot of frustration with the way the Vols have been treated by the national media in recent weeks. And there should be.
Tennessee has been completely shafted by ESPN, the playoff committee, and the rest of the national media. And it's all because the Vols have a Power T by their name and not a cursive A.
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
