Unraveling the College Football Playoff Puzzle with Tennessee in the Mix

Can Tennessee Still Make the College Football Playoff? What's Next After the Georgia Loss

Tennessee Vols football's CFP rankings projection is a topic of great interest. Based on the previous week's rankings, Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, and Penn State hold prominent positions. However, Tennessee's fate hangs in the balance. With a win over Alabama, the Vols have a case, but all four teams have at least one significant win. Ole Miss beat Georgia, Georgia beat Tennessee, and Alabama also defeated Georgia. The situation is complex, and luck will play a role.

Alabama and Ole Miss are ahead of Tennessee due to their second quality win against South Carolina. Georgia has wins over Clemson and Texas along with Tennessee, but it couldn't be placed ahead of Ole Miss. In any case, Tennessee won't make the playoff if it doesn't beat Vanderbilt. If Tennessee is the first one out on Tuesday, it will need to hope for Ole Miss, Georgia, or Alabama to stumble. There is another way, but it's a long shot.

Our CFP Projection Based on the Previous Week's Rankings

Oregon stands as the No. 1 seed as the Big Ten champion. Texas is the No. 2 seed as the SEC champion. Miami (Fla.) is the No. 3 seed as the ACC champion, and BYU is the No. 4 seed as the Big 12 champion. Ohio State is the No. 5 seed, Penn State is the No. 6 seed, Indiana is the No. 7 seed, and Notre Dame is the No. 8 seed. Ole Miss is the No. 9 seed, Georgia is the No. 10 seed, Alabama is the No. 11 seed, and Boise State is the No. 12 seed (non-Power Four conference champion).

Some notes to consider: The first teams out are Tennessee, SMU, Colorado, South Carolina, and Texas A&M. In the projected CFP bracket, Boise State will face Ohio State in the first round, Alabama will play Penn State, Georgia will take on Indiana, and Ole Miss will go against Notre Dame. In the quarterfinals, Oregon will face Notre Dame/Ole Miss, Texas will play Indiana/Georgia, BYU will face Penn State/Alabama, and Miami (Fla.) will battle Ohio State/Boise State.

College Football Playoff Rankings Release Date and Details

The next batch of CFP rankings will be revealed on Nov. 19, with rankings coming out each Tuesday until the final rankings on Sunday, Dec. 8. Tuesday's CFP rankings reveal is set for 7 p.m. ET. To watch the College Football Playoff rankings show, tune in to ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Streaming options include FUBO (with a free trial) and the ESPN app.

This is the first year of the 12-team format for the CFP, with four first-round and four quarterfinal games added. The winners of the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12 will earn a top-four seed, and the highest-ranked conference champion from outside these conferences will also get a bid. The top four ranked conference champions will get a first-round bye, while those seeded Nos. 5-8 will host first-round games in December. The seeds will be determined by their final CFP rankings on Dec. 8. It's possible that the top four seeds won't match the final CFP rankings. For example, if Ohio State is ranked No. 3 in the final rankings but doesn't win the Big Ten, it can be seeded no higher than fifth.

The formal bracket looks like this: In the first round on Dec. 20 or 21, the No. 9 seed will face the No. 8 seed at an unknown time. The No. 12 seed will take on the No. 5 seed at an unknown time. The No. 10 seed will play the No. 7 seed at an unknown time, and the No. 11 seed will battle the No. 6 seed at an unknown time. In the quarterfinals on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, 2025, the No. 1 seed (highest-ranked conference champion) will face the winner of the No. 8/No. 9 game at an unknown site and time. The No. 4 seed (fourth highest-ranked conference champion) will play the winner of the No. 5/No. 12 game at an unknown site and time. The No. 2 seed (second highest-ranked conference champion) will face the winner of the No. 7/No. 10 game at an unknown site and time, and the No. 3 seed (third highest-ranked conference champion) will battle the winner of the No. 6/No. 11 game at an unknown site and time. The semifinal games will be on Jan. 9 or 10, 2025, with the semifinal No. 1 winner facing the semifinal No. 2 winner in Atlanta for the CFP national championship.