Moving on up.
Through three weeks of the college football season, Tennessee is being firmly projected inside of the College Football Playoff field. The Volunteers have been one of the most impressive teams in the country to this point, highlighted by a 41-point win over a ranked NC State team.
Nico Iamaleava looks the part, and Tennessee’s defense appears to be legit. That combination has pushed the Volunteers all the way up to No. 6 in the latest AP top 25 poll.
Now for the first time all season, ESPN has Tennessee as a consensus College Football Playoff participant. In this week’s round of bowl projections, both Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura have Tennessee as the No. 7 seed in the field.
Bonagura: No. 10 Oregon at No. 7 Tennessee
Schlabach: No. 10 USC at No. 7 Tennessee
With Tennessee being the higher seed in this scenario, ESPN moves Tennessee on to the next round. They would draw No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Bonagura: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Schlabach: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Ohio State
After starting the season with a 36 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff, Tennessee’s odds have moved out to 72 percent now, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Volunteers have a 12.7 percent chance to win the SEC title, and now are listed with an 18 percent chance to play in the National Championship.
Those numbers will obviously be on the move after this weekend, where Tennessee will travel to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s the first of a few matchups that will ultimately determine Tennessee’s fate — a loss this weekend would likely leave the Vols needing a win over Georgia or Alabama to make the field. A win though? Then it would be difficult to see how they miss the field, barring a complete meltdown.
Tennessee remains a seven-point favorite over Oklahoma. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.