Good news is always going to come when you beat the CFP Committee's No. 6 team in the country. Such was the case in Week 10, with Tennessee teaching Kentucky a 34-6 lesson. Because of that, it's no surprise that in the second set of rankings on Tuesday night, the Vols have gone from No. 13 to No. 8.
That's a five-spot climb for Josh Heupel and his players, which was 100% deserved. Take care of business over the next three weeks, and Tennessee will be in the CFP. That's the good news. The disappointing part? It's that the committee is still madly in love with Alabama.
The Crimson Tide checked in at No. 3 on Tuesday night, which is still five spots ahead of the Vols. Both teams are 7-2, but Tennessee owns the head-to-head advantage. Sorry, but there's still no reason for Bama to be so far ahead. Make it make sense.
Tennessee is still far behind Alabama in the CFP rankings, and it's a tough pill to swallow
With all of the SEC chaos, including teams beating up on one another, it's understandable why some teams might still be higher than others. Despite that, last week Yurachek said that the main reason Alabama had the big advantage over UT was that Kalen DeBoer and Co. had more quality wins under their belt.
Yurachek agreed that Tennessee had beaten Alabama, yes, but outside of that, nothing really stood out. The Vols sent that narrative to the dumpster, spanking the No. 6 Wildcats in fashion in front of a rowdy home crowd. This wasn't just any old win for Tennessee. The Vols crushed all of Kentucky's hopes in the second half, reminding the 'Cats who owns this rivalry.
Both Alabama and Tennessee took down Kentucky by 28 points, while, again, the Vols beat the Tide 26-10. Is the loss to South Carolina what's making such a big impact in the eyes of the committee? Keep in mind that the Gamecocks are now No. 17 in the CFP rankings, so that's got to count for something.
This madness could get sorted out in the next few weeks, but it's still a bit of an eyesore for everyone. There's just no reason Alabama should continue to be so much higher than Tennessee, especially after the kind of performance the Vols put together vs. Kentucky in Knoxville. A head-to-head win has to carry more weight than it does right now for the Vols in this Bama debate.
Come this weekend, the Vols will hope to beat Texas A&M, while another Top 25 showdown with LSU will take center stage back on campus in Week 12. What's it going to take for the Vols to pass the Tide? Unfortunately, if both teams go 3-0 to end the year and finish 10-2, it's looking like Yurachek and the rest of the people in charge are going to stubbornly stick to their Alabama guns for no reason. It's not fair to Tennessee at all.
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