After Tennessee football's strong start through two weeks, the Vols have inserted themselves firmly in the projected College Football Playoff field.
Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports released his updated 12-team field which included Tennessee earning the No. 9 seed.
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Nick Bromberg on the first round matchup
"Yes, this would be an all-SEC first-round matchup. It’s possible this could happen too, especially if the post-Week 2 AP rankings are a guide for the rankings at the end of the season. SEC teams occupy six of the top seven spots in the poll this week and an SEC team would be hosting each of the four first-round games.
"This game would also be plausible because Tennessee and Missouri don’t meet each other in the regular season now that the SEC has ditched its divisions. Both of these teams are known for their offenses, but their defenses have been very, very good this season. Tennessee didn’t let NC State do anything in a 51-10 Week 2 win and Missouri is the first team since Wisconsin in 2019 to open the season with back-to-back shutouts."
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Vols path to a title
Tennessee would open the bracket with an SEC clash on the road against Missouri. The No. 5-8 seeds would have the right to play at their home stadiums in the first round while 9-12 would be the road teams. This projection leaves the Vols one spot out of hosting a game inside Neyland Stadium.
If Tennessee beat the Tigers in the opening round in this scenario, it'd play in the Sugar Bowl against 1-seed Georgia. This would be a pair of matchups against SEC opponents to get the bracket started. It would also be a rematch from the Vols' regular season trip to Athens.
If Tennessee survived the matchup with the Bulldogs, it'd advance to the semifinals against either 4-seed Utah, 5-seed Texas or 12-seed Northern Illinois in this projection.
Other teams that the Vols could matchup with in a national title appearance are 2-seed Ohio State, 3-seed Miami, 6-seed Alabama, 7-seed Ole Miss, 10-seed Penn State and 11-seed Oregon.
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