Tennessee football can still make CFP: How Vols can be assured a spot

6. Oregon loses at Oregon State

Both Tennessee football and the Oregon Ducks have two losses, but Oregon, despite having a home loss, is now ahead of the Vols. They are No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings. More importantly, they are currently second in the Pac-12 standings, so they have a shot at two top 25 wins and a conference championship over the next two weeks.

Simply put, if they win out, they will remain ahead of the Vols, and UT can’t afford that. You can complain about it all day, but there is nothing they can do to fall below the Vols except lose. Lucky for Rocky Top, there’s a great chance they actually lose this weekend.

Flying under the radar this year has been the Oregon State Beavers, who are 8-3. Their only home loss is by a field goal to USC, and they are currently No. 21 in the CFP. Simply put, they have a great chance at winning this game on Saturday. Sure, Oregon has no bad losses at that point, but they’ll have one more loss than Tennessee football.

Oregon also will have lost by more against the Georgia Bulldogs, and they will not have the same quality wins. UT needs Washington to lose, by the way, so it won’t go to the Pac-12 title game, which they will do if they win and Oregon loses. The Vols need Oregon to lose so they don’t go to the Pac-12 title game because they need USC to lose that game. We go to USC next.