Tennessee returns to CFP projections after Kentucky rout
Andy Staples projected the Vols at No. 4 with a first-round bye, while Heather Dinich placed them at No. 9 for a road opener at UCLA.
| Kickoff | 7:45 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kroger Field |
| Spread | Tennessee -7.5 |
| Total | 55.5 |
| TV | Not announced yet |
|---|
The TV network for Tennessee at Kentucky is set by the conference's TV partners closer to game week. Each school's radio network carries the game.
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Follow the full play-by-play and box score →Tennessee moved back into College Football Playoff projections from On3 and ESPN on Sunday after beating Kentucky 34-6 in Knoxville. On3 analyst Andy Staples ranked the Volunteers No. 4, while ESPN’s Heather Dinich placed them as the No. 9 seed in her projected bracket.
Staples’ projection gives Tennessee a first-round bye and a Cotton Bowl matchup against the winner of No. 5 Alabama and No. 12 Boise State. He argued Tennessee should not have been eight spots behind Alabama in the selection committee’s first ranking after the Vols beat the Crimson Tide 26-10 at Neyland Stadium three weeks earlier.
The committee ranked Alabama No. 5 and Tennessee No. 13 in its first Top 25. Its chair, Hunter Yurachek, explained that the teams were not evaluated in the same grouping. For Staples, the explanation exposed a problem with the selection process. He added that he could accept Alabama remaining ahead if Tennessee moves closer.
Dinich’s ESPN projection sends No. 9 Tennessee to No. 8 UCLA for a first-round road game. The winner would advance to play No. 1 Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
Dinich attributed Tennessee’s return to the bracket to Ole Miss and Ohio State taking third losses, along with the Vols’ win over Kentucky and their Oct. 17 victory against Alabama. She projected Tennessee staying ahead of Kentucky because of the head-to-head result, while noting that the committee’s opening ranking showed it viewed the separation between Alabama and Tennessee as large enough to outweigh Tennessee’s 16-point win.
The selection committee will release its next rankings Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The Top 25 will then be updated each Tuesday until the 12-team bracket is released Sunday, Dec. 6.
Why it matters
Tennessee’s 34-6 win over Kentucky restored the Vols to both projected playoff fields. The next committee ranking will show whether Tennessee has closed the eight-position gap behind Alabama despite winning their head-to-head meeting 26-10.
What to watch next
The selection committee will release its next Top 25 on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The 12-team bracket will be released Sunday, Dec. 6.
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