Tennessee is back in the College Football Playoff picture.
A chaotic weekend in college football benefited the Vols last Saturday, putting them in position to make the 12-team playoff heading into the final week of the regular season.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC) climbed back inside the top of the latest playoff rankings on Tuesday, moving up to No. 8 after being on the outside looking in a week ago in the wake of a road loss at Georgia.
Ole Miss and Alabama, both of which tumbled last week, fell out of the playoff picture, dropping to No. 13 and No. 14, respectively. Clemson entered the top 12 and listed as the first team out at No. 12, while Indiana fell to No. 10 following its loss at No. 2 Ohio State.
Boise State is the highest ranked Group of Five team at No. 11.
With their current standing, all that stands in the way of the Vols and their likely first-ever playoff berth is Vanderbilt. Tennessee plays the Commodores (6-5, 3-4) on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville (Noon ET, ABC).
Vanderbilt is bowl eligible and has spent some time in the AP poll this season. The Commodores beat then-No. 1 Alabama and took Texas to the wire in a 27-24 last month.
The Vols are an 11-point favorite.
"I addressed it today," Josh Heupel said when asked about what's on the line this weekend. "But I said it last week, there's a lot of football to be played. That's for everybody across the country. It's for us. And focus on the task at hand. We have to be our best on Saturday. You can look at how (Vanderbilt has) performed throughout the course of the season, how they've played at home, statistically what they're doing in all three phases.
"You have to understand you're going to get their best. Their best is really good, and we have to be at our best too."
College Football Playoff Top 12
1. Oregon (11-0)
2. Ohio State (10-1)
3. Texas (10-1)
4. Penn State (10-1)
5. Notre Dame (10-1)
6. Miami (10-1)
7. Georgia (9-2)
8. Tennessee (9-2)
9. SMU (10-1)
10. Indiana (10-1)
11. Boise State (10-1)
12. Clemson (9-2)
What would bracket, Vols' current path look like?
With the new expansion, the top 12 teams ranked in the final rankings on Dec. 8 will make the playoff field.
The new format will include the four highest-ranked conference champions, which are seeded 1-4 with the fifth team seeded where it finished in the rankings or moved to No. 12 if it finishes outside if the top 12. The next seven highest ranked teams in the final playoff rankings will also make the field.
The top four teams are guaranteed a first round bye.
The 5-8 seeds will host on campus games on Dec. 20-21 with the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl and Sugar Bowl hosting the four quarterfinal games on Dec.31-Jan.1. The Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl will be semifinal games on Jan. 9-10.
The national championship game is slated for Monday, Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Based on the latest bracket, No. 8 Tennessee would play No. 7 Georgia (9-2) at Sanford Stadium in Athens in a rematch of the regular season meeting between the two teams earlier this month.
The Bulldogs beat the Vols, 31-17.
The winner would face No. 1 Oregon (11-0) in the quarterfinals in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
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