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Tennessee football: Vols can play the spoiler role for teams in the CFP hunt

By Billy Williford

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 8: The National Championship Trophy sits on display to members of the media during the College Football Playoff National Championship Head Coaches Press Conference on January 8, 2017 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 8: The National Championship Trophy sits on display to members of the media during the College Football Playoff National Championship Head Coaches Press Conference on January 8, 2017 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /
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The college football season is among us. Tennessee football might not have a chance at the college football playoff, but they can play the spoiler role.

Week zero is over and the real college football season gets underway on Thursday night. Jockeying for playoff spots begin. Does Tennessee football have an outside chance of getting of playing for a National Championship? Let’s be real with ourselves. They don’t have a chance. However, they do have a grand opportunity to play spoiler to many teams.

At the current moment, the Vols will play four teams ranked inside the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Those teams include Alabama (1), Georiga (3), Auburn (9), and West Virginia (17). Other teams on the Vols schedule receiving votes are South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.

There is no real chance South Carolina, Florida, or Kentucky get in the playoff. Unless of course, they go undefeated, but the odds of that happening aren’t high.

The playoff system began in the 2014-15 season, and in the four years there hasn’t been a team to start outside the AP Top 25 have a chance to play for a National Championship.

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In fact, the lowest ranked team in the preseason polls to make the playoffs was Oklahoma (19) in the 2015-16 season. However, in three of the four seasons, there has been at least one double-digit ranked team make the playoff. So, it isn’t that uncommon that a team comes out of nowhere. Is this year’s double-digit ranked team West Virginia? Maybe, but the Vols have the first chance to spoil their season.

That is not to say one loss puts a team out of the playoff hunt. But, it would be a shaky way for the Mountaineers to start the season, especially with Oklahoma and TCU still on the schedule, both of which are in the Top 25.

Moving forward, Alabama, Georiga, and Auburn will have to face a Vols team that could cause havoc under first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The Vols will play hard, and as we all well know, anything can happen in college sports. But, beating those three teams shouldn’t be expected.

Looking at last year, an unranked Iowa Hawkeyes team put a beaten on Ohio State 55-24, which ultimately kept the Buckeyes out of the playoffs. The same could be said about Penn State’s 27-24 loss to Michigan State.

Moving forward, every Wednesday we will post a College Football Playoff preview set up the same way. Taking a look at teams on Tennessee’s schedule and give our take on the Vols chances to ruin the season of playoff contenders.

Tennessee might not have a chance to reach the playoffs this season. But, don’t be surprised if Pruitt has them in the hunt within the next few years. Until then, playing the underdog role it is.

Next. SEC, playoff, and Heisman predictions. dark

We don’t usually do this, but we have some exciting stuff for you guys on a weekly basis during football season, one being a weekly a mailbag on we want to start on Fridays, “Mail from fans of Rocky Top.” If you have questions, comments, statements, or whatever is on your mind send it into b.williford14@gmail.com, and we will hopefully get it. We want to be more interactive with you, so send in those questions.

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