Last week we looked at eight expert predictions from around the college football landscape regarding College Football Playoff projections.
Tennessee was coming off a 51-10 win over No. 24 NC State with Kent State, who was eventually beaten 71-0, on the horizon. The eight experts were split in their predictions, though, with four projecting Tennessee into the playoffs and four projecting the Vols to miss.
We’re back again before Tennessee’s Top 25 showdown against Oklahoma with a new round of projections and picks.
Looking at nine projections this time instead of eight, nearly all of the experts below have Tennessee as a playoff team. None have Tennessee with a bye as the SEC Champion, but every expert who had Tennessee in the playoffs has them with a home-field game in round one, aside from one.
The truth of this post and even the ones below, though, is that these projections are just a formality for the next few days. If Tennessee is able to beat Oklahoma this weekend in Norman, the Vols will surely be a consensus playoff-projected team with two Top 25 wins in the first four weeks. If Tennessee loses, however, it’ll likely drop the Vols out of all playoff projections, but Tennessee still has a few big chances to climb back in down the road.
More from RTI: Josh Heupel Talks Return To Oklahoma On SEC Coaches Teleconference
Here’s a look at some of the most well-known expert’s playoff projections heading into Week 4 of the college football season. Click each name for more.
ESPN
- Mark Schlabach: 7-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Southern Cal)
- Has Tennessee advancing to face No. 2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl
- Kyle Bonagura: 7-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Oregon)
- Has Tennessee advancing to face No. 2 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl
- Heather Dinich: First Four Out (First listed)
- “The Vols have looked the part of a playoff team, and if they have another complete performance this week at Oklahoma, which will be their first real test of the season, they’ll move up.” – Dinich, ESPN
CBS Sports
- Jerry Palm: Las Vegas Bowl vs Arizona (Dec. 27)
- Brad Crawford: 8-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Penn State)
- “Reminder — Kent State is an FBS team and Tennessee had 65 points by halftime of its Week 3 obliteration of the Golden Flashes. You’re not going to find a team nationally that’s slotted outside the elite tier in their own conference after the third week of the season that’s as quality across the board as the Vols. Saturday’s showdown at Oklahoma is one of Week 4’s top games.” – Crawford, CBS Sports/247Sports
AP
- Ralph D. Russo: 8-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Missouri)
Yahoo! Sports/NBC Sports
- Nicole Auerbach: 8-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Utah)
The Athletic
- Austin Mock/Athletic Staff: 11-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Oregon)
Action Network
- Brett McMurphy: 8-seed in College Football Playoffs (against Oregon)
