A year from today

[japanvol]

So one year from now 12 teams will be chosen for the playoffs. I?m guessing 5 conference champs (Power 4 + 1) and 7 at large bids. Assuming UT isn?t playing in the SEC Championship game, to solidify a spot in the playoff UT would have to finish in the top 10 of the final regular season rankings. To do that at least one win over Oklahoma/Bama/UGA would be needed, along with winning the rest of the games on the schedule. This year a 10-2 regular season would have been right on the borderline of making a 12 team playoff, but next year I think that will be a more impressive record, especially in the SEC, because of the tougher conference opponents.  If needs are filled in the portal and Nico keeps improving and doesn?t get injured I think it?s possible. On a related note, after seeing how FSU got shafted today, it makes me think that the same thing could have very well happened to UT last year if they had won at South Carolina.

[VinnieVOL]

Agreed, I do think there's a great chance we would've been left out last year.

[Black Diamond Vol]

Probably. The fact that we finished behind Bama in the rankings was very telling.

[BanditVol]

Nah.  A one-loss Tennessee team gets in over a team with two losses that we beat. Easily.

Of course, if the scenario is that we beat USC but still lose Hooker, do they factor that in?  Maybe. 

But with a healthy Hooker and 11-1, we were a lock IMO.