The SEC has ten nationally ranked teams and not all of them cannot make the college football playoff. After a staggering 37-20 loss to Alabama, Tennessee sits at 10th in a crowded SEC race. With five teams ranked in the top 10, including Vanderbilt, Tennessee needed to beat Alabama to stay in the SEC title hunt. Of the teams ranked higher in the SEC than Tennessee (Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and LSU), they face a combined 22 ranked opponents left on their respective schedules. Tennessee is not out of the hunt but does need some help before their final test vs No. 10 ranked Vanderbilt.
The path for Tennessee is simple. Win out. With several teams ahead of Tennessee with multiple ranked opponents left to be played, the Vols still have some hope. If they win out and there are at least some SEC upsets still yet to be seen, Tennessee could still have a shot at making the 12-team college football playoff. However, head coach Josh Heupel’s team needs to figure out how to clean up the operation and win at situational football. In the game vs Alabama, Tennessee performed better than Alabama almost across the board. More passing yards, more rushing yards, and better fourth down efficiency. Turnovers and penalties were within range but still favored Alabama.
Vanderbilt could dictate Tennessee’s playoff chances
Vanderbilt very likely controls their own destiny, and potentially the destiny of others in the SEC. On the strength of their 6-1 overall record, Vanderbilt sits as the 10th best team in the country headed into their week 8 matchup vs No. 15 ranked Missouri. Vanderbilt’s lone loss came at the hands of the same Alabama team that just beat Tennessee. The Commodores face three more ranked opponents throughout the remainder of the regular season. No 15 Missouri this week, No. 22 ranked Texas next week, then Auburn and Kentucky, before their final game against, the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers.
If Vanderbilt under Coach Clark Lea and on the shoulders of QB Diego Pavia can continue to play the good teams tight and win the games they are expected to win, they should control their playoff fate. How they proceed the rest of the way could determine what teams make the college football playoffs beyond the SEC conference champion.
This week Tennessee travels to Kentucky, the last place team currently in the SEC standings. While Vanderbilt will host No. 15 Missouri. The Missouri vs Vandebilt game with are on ESPN while the Tennessee vs Kentucky game is exclusive to the SEC network.
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