Brady Quinn names SEC team as College Football Playoff dark horse
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Tennessee is in their 2nd season under Josh Heupel, with the No. 15 Volunteers welcoming Akron to Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
The Vols were once one of the top teams in college football. But the program has struggled to regain its footing since Phillip Fulmer stepped down in 2008 after 16 seasons; Heupel is the 5th coach it’s had since then. But is Tennessee possibly positioned for a College Football Playoff berth in 2022?
Brady Quinn thinks so.
“You guys are gonna think I’m crazy in saying this, but I love what Tennessee has done so far,” he said on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday, according to On3. “You look at Hendon Hooker, their quarterback — he’s averaging almost 300 total yards per game, six total touchdowns this season. He’s gonna be a big reason why if they can make a run through a gauntlet of a schedule.
“Got a great win last week versus Pitt, a top-25 team on the road. Now they’ve gotta play Florida, they’ve gotta go to Baton Rogue, they’ve gotta play Alabama and Georgia…bottom line is though, if they can get through that schedule, they’ll be in the conversation.”
The Vols shouldn’t have much trouble against the Zips, but the road gets much tougher afterwards. Can they come out on the other side and present themselves as a legitimate contender?
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
