ESPN keeps Tennessee in College Football Playoff bracket after loss at Arkansas
Tennessee is still on the right side of ESPN’s College Football Playoff bubble even after the 19-14 loss Saturday night at Arkansas. Heather Dinich on Tuesday had the Vols as the No. 7 seed hosting No. 10 Clemson in the 12-team bracket’s first round.
Texas, Ohio State, Miami and BYU were the top four seeds. The other first-round matchups were No. 12 Boise State at No. 5 Alabama, No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Penn State and No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia.
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) looks to rebound from the Arkansas loss this week when it hosts Florida (3-2, 1-1) on Saturday night (7 Eastern Time, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium.
ESPN Playoff Predictor: Tennessee has 48% chance to make playoffs
It’s the first of four straight home games for the Vols, who host Alabama on October 12, Kentucky on November 2 and Mississippi State on November 9.
“In this scenario,” Dinich wrote, “Tennessee is finishing as the committee’s fourth-best SEC team.”
Both Notre Dame and Tennessee have a 48% chance to make the College Football Playoff according to ESPN’s Playoff Predictor. Nine teams are ahead of the Vols: Ohio State (92%); Texas (91%); Miami (76%); Georgia (75%); Alabama (70%); Oregon (66%); Penn State (63%); Ole Miss (56%); Indiana (52%).
Dinich on Sunday had Tennessee ranked as the third-best one-loss team in the playoff picture and ranked fifth overall in her top 12. She mapped three different routes to the playoffs: Winning the SEC Championship, making it to the SEC Championship game and losing or splitting with Alabama and Georgia and finishing 10-2.
Tennessee opened SEC play with a 25-15 win at Oklahoma before the loss at Arkansas Saturday. The Vols beat Chattanooga (69-3), North Carolina State (51-10) and Kent State (71-0) to open the season.
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Vols’ resume ‘won’t be strong enough to get in as a three-loss at-large team’
“The Vols’ high-flying offense has been humbled in each of the past two games after playing more difficult competition,” Dinich wrote, “and it was too little, too late at unranked Arkansas on Saturday night. While the Week 2 win against NC State has lost its luster, the committee will still acknowledge that neutral site win in addition to a true road win against Oklahoma.
“The committee would also recognize Tennessee’s stingy defense and that the Vols’ receiving corps was banged up against Arkansas. The loss to the Razorbacks also wasn’t as bad as Bama’s loss to Vandy.”
Dinich wrote that Tennessee’s playoff hopes will be determined in its matchups with Alabama and Georgia, assuming the Vols take care of business in other games.
“If Alabama wins (at Tennessee),” Dinich wrote, “the pressure will be on the Vols to beat Georgia on Nov. 16. If they don’t, their resume probably won’t be strong enough to get in as a three-loss at-large team.”
