Tennessee’s Week 10 CFP rooting guide

No. 13 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Kentucky at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night in a game the Vols need to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Beyond Knoxville, six ranked matchups could affect Tennessee’s position against other playoff contenders.

On3 Tennessee’s Ryan Schumpert recommends Utah over BYU. Unbeaten Utah could push one-loss BYU toward the two-loss group, while the Cougars also carry a strong nonconference win over Notre Dame.

Texas is preferred against Missouri, despite competing effects. A Longhorns victory would give Missouri a third loss, and Texas beating Tennessee means the Longhorns’ record directly affects the Vols’ résumé. Texas already has two losses but owns a nonconference win over Ohio State.

LSU is the choice against Alabama in a meeting of two-loss SEC teams. Alabama’s remaining schedule includes Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn, while LSU still must face Texas and Tennessee. The logic is that this may be Alabama’s best remaining chance to take a third loss, with LSU retaining more opportunities to stumble later.

Oregon beating Ohio State would likely remove another competitor because the two-loss Buckeyes have lost starting quarterback Julian Sayin for the season. Ohio State still has Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan left, but Oregon is its final top-25 opponent.

Miami is the preferred winner over Notre Dame. The CFP committee ranked the one-loss Fighting Irish No. 11, and this is their final opportunity for a marquee victory before games against Boston College, SMU and Syracuse.

Georgia over Ole Miss completes the rooting card. Ole Miss already has two losses and closes with Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State, while Georgia has one loss and remaining top-25 games against Missouri and South Carolina. Schumpert’s view is that a potential three-loss Ole Miss résumé would compare less favorably with Tennessee’s than a three-loss Georgia résumé.

Why it matters

Tennessee must beat Kentucky to keep its playoff hopes alive. Losses by competing teams could reduce the number of comparable two-loss and three-loss résumés under consideration.

What to watch next

Tennessee hosts Kentucky on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, while the six highlighted ranked matchups unfold elsewhere Saturday.