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ESPN staffers unanimously leave Tennessee out of projected CFP field after Georgia loss
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Tennessee went into the locker room in a 17-17 tie with Georgia, but failed to score in the second half as the Bulldogs came away with a 31-17 win in Athens.
Saturday’s game was looked at as a potential College Football Playoff eliminator, and with the Vols sitting at 8-2, they’ll not only drop out of their No. 6 spot in the Playoff rankings but may fall out of the top 12 — with UTEP and a resurgent Vanderbilt team coming up.
Vols fans, then, won’t like the latest Playoff projections from ESPN’s stable of writers. All 13 of them have Tennessee not making the field.
Saturday definitely marked an opportunity missed for the Vols as they couldn’t match wits with the Dawgs over the final two quarters. Nico Iamaleava threw for 0 touchdowns and just 167 yards as his team’s offense ground to a halt in the second half. Meanwhile, Carson Beck threw for 347 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
Tennessee was picked as a possible Playoff team when the season began and looked the part over the first few weeks. But it’s failed to carry their offensive momentum on to SEC play, and it ultimately appears that, barring chaos, it will end up being left out of the field — at least, in ESPN’s opinion.
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.
