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

By Caleb Calhoun

The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy makes an appearance at the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday, October 29, 2022 in Knoxville, Tenn.Utvkentucky1029
The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy makes an appearance at the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Kentucky on Saturday, October 29, 2022 in Knoxville, Tenn.Utvkentucky1029 /
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Oct 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sidelines during a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sidelines during a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

5. USC loses to Notre Dame and Pac-12 Championship

This is why it’s crucial for Washington and Oregon to lose. If either team reaches the Pac-12 Championship game, Tennessee football needs that team to beat USC, and by that point, they’d have two losses and a conference championship. That would keep Oregon ahead of the Vols and give Washington a chance to jump ahead of the Vols.

By beating the UCLA Bruins and with the Vols losing, USC is firmly in the playoff race. If they win out, it’s likely they’re in, as they’ll leapfrog the loser of Michigan and Ohio State. Provided the LSU Tigers don’t win out, there’s no chance of them not getting that No. 4 spot.

UT needs that to not happen. Now, it’s likely just one loss over the next two weeks will save the Vols, but to be safe, they need USC, which is No. 6  in the CFP right now, to lose both games. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are No. 15 in the CFP, but with three losses, they won’t leapfrog the Vols, even with a big win like this.

Now, if USC loses and Oregon wins, the Vols will probably need to root for USC. If they lose, Oregon loses and Washington wins, then it’ll depend on the CFP rankings next week. USC losing and Oregon and Washington winning requires the Vols to root for Washington, but fate is out of their hands.

All three teams winning eliminates any chance for Tennessee football. However, if all three teams lose this weekend, USC plays the Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship, and Utah has three losses and already beat USC, so them beating USC again would put the Vols ahead of every team in the Pac-12.

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