Tennessee Football is Out of the College Football Playoff in Latest Projections

Tennessee football might be out of the playoffs for now, but that can change quickly.

Tanner Johnson | Nov 18, 2024

Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker (11) sacks Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Tennessee in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee football might be out of the playoffs for now, but that can change quickly.

The Tennessee Volunteers lost a hard-fought game with Georgia on Saturday night, giving the Vols their second loss of the season. More importantly, it puts Tennessee's playoff hopes in jeopardy.

ESPN writers Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach updated their bowl and playoff projections after Week 12. As of now, they both do not have Tennessee in their 12-team field. Instead, they both have Tennessee projected to play in two different bowl games agaisnt two different opponents.

Bonagura has the Vols in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa. This would be the second straight season that Tennessee faces off against the Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. For that reason, this projection will not excite any Tennessee or Iowa fans. The Vols and Hawkeyes would surely like to see a different opponent and location than the one they just played in in January.

Schlabach predicts that Tennessee will play in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Syracuse. This matchup is interesting because it means that Tennessee and Syracuse would play against each other other two games in a row. The Vols and Orange will be opening the 2025 season against each other in Atlanta. For that reason, it would be strange if they faced off against each other in a bowl game this season.

Despite these predictions having Tennessee on the bubble of the playoffs, the Vols are still very much in the mix to make the 12-team field. The release of the official rankings on Tuesday night should give Tennessee a better idea of its chances to make the cut as a two-loss team.