Tennessee football one of the "first four out" in College Football Playoff bubble

Tennessee football is a fringe College Football Playoff team with the expanded 12-team Playoff. Heading into Week Two, the Vols aren't quite in contention for the National Championship, but they sit on the doorstep looking in. 

With the expanded Playoff, there's a path for dozens of teams to make the Playoff for the first time since the CFP replaced the BCS. The new format also brings a March Madness-style bubble with the first four teams out, ranked 13-16 in the CFP rankings. 

Tennessee is in the "First Four Out" category, ranking 14th. The Vols are behind Missouri and ahead of Michigan and Oklahoma heading into Week Two, but ESPN likes Tennessee to make the Playoff more than Missouri. 

"The Allstate Playoff Predictor likes the Vols more than Missouri, giving them a 49.9% chance to reach the 12-team field," ESPN Senior Writer Heather Dinich writes. "This is certainly possible with a quarterback as talented as Nico Iamaleava, but the Vols would bolster the hype more with a win Saturday against NC State in the Duke's Mayo Classic. ESPN Analytics gives the Vols an 88.1% chance to win."

While the Vols are on the outside looking in, SEC rival Georgia sits at the top of the predictions, with Ohio State, Miami, and Utah winning their conference and securing a first-round BYE. 

First-round matchups include No. 12 Boise State vs. No. 5 Texas, No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 8 Penn State, No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, and No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 USC. 

One of the most interesting things to come out of these predictions is that Alabama is expected to lose at least two games this season with its spot at No. 10 in the Playoff rankings. 

Tennessee could make its first appearance in the top 12 of the 2024 season if it can take down the No. 24-ranked NC State. The Vols and Wolfpack will kick off at 7:30 PM ET on ABC.