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Greg McElroy says Tennessee is ‘really close’ to being a national championship contender
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Greg McElroy is a believer that Tennessee can contend for the national championship in 2024.
McElroy spoke about Tennessee’ potential on the latest episode of Always College Football. The Vols seem to be in great position entering the second half of the season following their upset win over Alabama on Saturday.
For McElroy, he sees Tennessee’s defense as an elite unit — and the cornerstone of its championship hopes.
“Tennessee is really close, really close to being a championship contender,” McElroy said. “In a one-game season, in the Playoffs, how many of y’all feel really good about consistently moving the ball against that defense? Defense travels. I still believe there’s a place for defense to win championships and that defense is fantastic at all 3 levels.”
Offensively, Tennessee has struggled a bit more so far this season. However, McElroy believes in Tennessee’s running game and made the case that the Vols may only need a couple explosive passing plays per game in order to reach contender status.
“If this team moving forward can continue to run the ball the way they’ve run it … if Nico can hit 2 deep balls a game, that might be all they need,” he said. “That might be it. And he hit 2 [against Alabama].
“All he’s got to hit is 2 a game because of the way they defend and the way they run the football.”
As McElroy noted, Tennessee did find a couple of deep passes in the win over the Crimson Tide. However, that has not typically been the case in SEC play for Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee only has 10 passes of 20+ yards in 4 SEC games so far this season, which ranks near the bottom of the league. Tennessee only had 1 such completion during its loss to Arkansas earlier this year.
Tennessee’s win over Alabama on Saturday had a big impact on its College Football Playoff odds, according to the market. Per FanDuel, Tennessee is now -185 to reach the CFP this season. FanDuel also has Tennessee priced at +1500 to win the national championship.
Tennessee’s next game is in Week 10 at home against Kentucky.
Attention Tennessee natives! Looking for a new sportsbook to try during football season? Here’s a breakdown of all the best TN betting sites on the market!
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
