College Football Playoff predictions and bowl projections for Tennessee after Week 3

Updating the College Football Playoff projections and bowl predictions for No. 6 Tennessee, ahead of the Vols (3-0) going to No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) for a huge SEC opener Saturday night (7:30 Eastern Time, ABC) at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman:

On3

First Round: No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Tennessee (winner to face No. 2 Texas in Sugar Bowl)

The rest of the field: No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Kansas State | No. 12 UNLV at No. 5 Alabama, No. 11 Missouri at No. 6 Georgia, No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Ole Miss

Andy Staples: “The Volunteers led Kent State 37-0 at the end of the first quarter and 65-0 at halftime. It won’t be so easy at Oklahoma next week, but if the Vols are clicking, they could collect a huge win.”

ESPN

First Round: No. 10 Oregon at No. 7 Tennessee (Kyle Bonagura) | No. 10 USC at No. 7 Tennessee (Schlabach)

Quarterfinals: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State (Rose Bowl) 

The rest of the field (Bonagura): No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Utah | No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia, No. 11 Kansas State at No. 6 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 USC

The rest of the field (Schlabach): No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Kansas State | No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia, No. 11 Oregon at No. 6 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 8 Penn State

Mark Schlabach: “I had the four home teams — No. 5 Georgia, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 8 Penn State — advancing out of the quarterfinals. Chances are at least one of them would be upset, even playing at home. Georgia would have to make a long trip to play Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. Tennessee’s trip would be even longer to play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Miami-Alabama and Penn State-Texas would rekindle some fun times from the 1980s and ‘90s.”

The Action Network 

First Round: No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Tennessee 

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy not only projected Tennessee to host Oregon in the first round of the playoffs — the two teams would play on Friday, December 20 in McMurphy’s bracket — but also made the Ducks a 6.0-point road favorite. 

The rest of the field: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Utah | No. 12 Northern Illinois at No. 5 Texas, No. 11 USC at No. 6 Alabama, No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ole Miss

CBS Sports 

Las Vegas Bowl: Tennessee vs. Arizona

It would be a pair of firsts for the Vols. Tennessee has never been to the Las Vegas Bowl and has not previous matchups with Arizona in football. Florida in December 2022 was the first SEC team to play in the Las Vegas Bowl after it added an SEC affiliation. The Gators lost 30-3 to No. 17 Oregon State in their Vegas appearance.

Jerry Palm’s College Football Playoff field: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Utah | No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Texas, No. 9 Penn State at No. 8 Iowa State, No. 11 Oklahoma State at No. 6 Alabama, No. 10 Kansas State at No. 7 Oregon

Athlon Sports

First Round: No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Oregon

Quarterfinal Round: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Tennessee (Sugar Bowl)

Tennessee and Oregon have played just twice. The Ducks swept a home-and-home a little over 10 years ago, winning 48-13 in Knoxville in 2010 and 59-14 in Eugene in 2013. Tennessee and Texas have played just three times, with all three meetings in the Cotton Bowl. Tennessee won 20-14 on New Year’s Day 1951, Texas won 16-0 in 1953 and won again 36-13 in 1969.

The Vols have played in the Sugar Bowl seven times, but haven’t been to the bowl game since 1991, when they beat Virginia 23-22 at the Louisiana Superdome.