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All for Tennessee Official College Football Playoff Watch Following Week 5: Vols Should be No. 1

By Caleb Calhoun

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Jul 21, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Omni Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Top Four In

1. Tennessee Volunteers

When you’re 5-0 in the SEC, you’re automatically in the College Football Playoff race. But beyond being 5-0, what’s the most important determinant for teams? It’s strength of schedule. Regardless of how you win, schedule strength, head-to-head, and record are the only things that should matter. And according to RealTimeRPI, the Vols have played the toughest strength of schedule of any undefeated team so far. They have are the Florida Gators and Virginia Tech Hokies’ only losses. When you look at opponent schedule strengths, Georgia beat North Carolina, who beat Florida State. So with that in mind, Tennessee is No. 1 due to quality wins. Simple as that.

2. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines shot up in the rankings because of this past week’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Beating them has given them a Top 20 strength of schedule, and Jim Harbaugh’s team is now enjoying a 5-0 ranking just like the Vols. On top of Wisconsin, Colorado is turning into a quality win, and Penn State could start to look like a better win as the season continues. So right now, the Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in our College Football Playoff watch.

3. Clemson Tigers

Dabo Swinney’s team has looked ugly at times, but the Tigers have not backed down from competition. Their win over the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium to open the season is looking more and more like a quality win. Meanwhile, the Troy Trojans are looking like a great lower-level victory now that they’re 4-1. Beating Georgia Tech on the road is also a quality win, and of course, Saturday’s game against the Louisville Cardinals propelled them to a very elite spot. Right now, the Tigers have the No. 21 ranked strength of schedule. That South Carolina State game really drug them down.

4. Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies and Vols play this week for one team to be knocked out of these rankings. But right now, both belong in the College Football Playoff. Texas A&M’s only opponent with a losing record is the South Carolina Gamecocks, and they’re a decent SEC team. But they have very quality wins against the Arkansas Razorbacks, UCLA Bruins, and Auburn Tigers. Arkansas’s win over TCU and Auburn’s win over LSU only bolsters their performance. With the No. 26 ranked strength of schedule, they belong in the Top Four right now.

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