ESPN: Tennessee currently has 66% chance to make playoff, 83% with 10-2 record
Tennessee has a 66% chance to make the College Football Playoff, according to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor. Nine teams have better chances to make the playoff, including three SEC teams in Georgia, Texas and Alabama.
The College Football Playoff selection committee will release their updated top 25 and bracket seeding on Tuesday night.
No. 1 Oregon is a lock at 100% according to ESPN, ahead of Indiana at 97% and Ohio State at 95% with the Big Ten topping the list. Texas has a 94% chance and Georgia is at 92% after the 31-17 win over Tennessee Saturday night at Sanford Stadium in Athens.
Penn State has an 88% chance, Boise State has a 77% chance and Notre Dame is at 69%, just ahead of the Vols. Miami has a 63% chance and, most notably, Ole Miss has a 62% chance.
No. 10 Tennessee vs. UTEP, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+
The Vols (8-2, 5-2 SEC) host UTEP on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The regular-season schedule ends with a trip to Vanderbilt next week.
Tennessee is ranked No. 9 in ESPN’s Football Power Index and has a 77.8% chance to win out to finish 10-2.
If Tennessee wins both games, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor gives the Vols an 83% chance to make the playoff, a 28% chance to host in the first round and a 55% chance to go on the road in the first round.
If Ole Miss wins out, winning this week at Florida and next week at home against Mississippi State, the Playoff Predictor gives the Rebels an 86% chance to make the playoff, and 18% chance to host in the first round and a 68% chance to go on the road.
Top 10
- 1Trending
Biff Poggi
Charlotte firing head coach
- 2Hot
Skipping SEC title game
Coaches prefer sitting out
- 3
Predicting new CFP Top 12
BCS formula predicts 12-team bracket
- 4New
Kiffin calls out Saban
'He's now the rat poisoner'
- 5
Dabo rips refs
Swinney headed to 'Targeting Anonymous'
ESPN: Vols are first team out of playoff after loss at Georgia
ESPN on Saturday night dropped Tennessee to the first team out of the 12-team playoff bracket in its updated projections, with Boise State ranked lower but bumping the Vols out of the bracket as the Group of Five champion, which receives an automatic playoff berth.
ESPN had Oregon staying at No. 1, ahead of No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State. Indiana was at No. 5, with Notre Dame at No. 6, Miami at No. 7, Alabama at No. 8, Ole Miss at No. 9 and Georgia at No. 10. Boise State was ranked 12th, behind Tennessee.
The new bracket had Oregon, Texas, Miami and Boise State receiving byes into the quarterfinal round. The first-round matchups were No. 12 BYU, as the projected Big 12 champion, at No. 5 Ohio State, No. 11 Georgia at No. 6 Penn State, No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 7 Indiana and No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Notre Dame.
“If this projection is right,” ESPN’s Heather Dinich wrote, “and the playoff were today, Tennessee would be excluded from the bracket to make room for Boise State, the committee’s fifth-highest ranked conference champion.
“Because the five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the field, if the fifth champion is outside of the committee’s top 12 on Selection Day, they have to get in at the expense of somebody. Last week it was Georgia. Now it’s Tennessee.”
