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ESPN analyst projects Tennessee out, BYU in updated CFP bracket following Week 12
By Mark Kern
Published:
One of the biggest games of Week 12 in college football was the game between Tennessee and Georgia in a battle of two of the best teams in the SEC. The Volunteers got off to a fast 10-0 start, but the lead was short-lived as the Bulldogs scored 31 of the final 38 points in the game to get the 31-17 win.
With the loss, the Volunteers fell to 8-2 on the season. Now, they aren’t in control of their destiny in terms of the SEC race and the College Football Playoff conversation.
They weren’t the only top-10 team to lose on Saturday, as previously undefeated and No. 6 BYU was upset at home, 17-13, by Kansas. ESPN college football analyst Heather Dinich projected that despite that loss, the Cougars are still likely to be in while the Volunteers are on the outside looking in at the CFP bracket.
“This is a glaring example in the difference between ranking and seeding in the 12-team College Football Playoff,” Dinich said. “In my latest projection, I do not have BYU in the committee’s projected top 12. But, the 5 highest ranked conference champions are guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.”
The reason the Cougars are still in her projections is because of Ashton Jeanty and the Boise State Broncos moving ahead of the projected champion.
“What happened this week is Boise State as the projected Mountain West champion jumped the projected Big 12 champion,” Dinnich said. “BYU gets back in by bumping out my No. 11 team, Tennessee, because Boise State moves up to make room for that fifth-highest conference champion.”
RELATED: Regardless of what the future holds for the Vols, be sure to grab the best odds and offers with SDS’s betting apps for Tennessee.
There is still a lot of football to be played, and there is still a lot of time for both of these teams to earn their spot in the College Football Playoff.
