New CFP rankings have Tennessee on golden track for first-round home game

The newest College Football Playoff rankings could not have looked better for the Tennessee Vols. Thanks to Ole Miss, Alabama and Indiana all losing over the weekend, Tennessee is now ranked the No. 8 team in the country in the eyes of the CFP committee.

As things stand, the Vols are projected to take on Georgia in the first round of the CFP, with that monster showdown set to take place in Athens. It would be a massive SEC rivalry game for everyone to enjoy, but while that's the No. 8 vs. No. 9 projection for now, it's not going to happen.

Why, you ask? Because Georgia may be No. 8 for now, but the Bulldogs are officially headed to the SEC Championship Game. With a win in that contest, they'll be flying up the rankings. However, if they lose, they'll take a small tumble. If Tennessee beats Vanderbilt this weekend too, not only will they be a lock for the CFP, but a first-round game at Neyland very much could be on the way:

Tennessee must beat Vanderbilt in the season finale to reach the CFP

Say things flip and Tennessee moves up a spot and hosts a first-round contest - they'd then be looking at potentially playing No. 1 Oregon in the quarterfinals over in Eugene. We'd sign up for that right now.

However, no one can get too ahead of themselves. The Commodores have an upset on their minds and they'd love nothing more than to ruin Tennessee's season in Nashville with a stunning loss. A lot more than bragging rights are at stake in this one.

The Vols know what's on the line and they understand that there's no way they'll make the CFP with three losses. However, with the way the bracket is looking, one more game in Knoxville for the seniors could be in the works. Alabama, Ole Miss and Indiana all did Tennessee a massive favor with their losses. Soon enough, even more good news could be on the way for Josh Heupel and his players.