Tennessee makes solid jump in new CFP rankings thanks to Alabama and Ole Miss

There was no doubt that good news was going to arrive for the Tennessee Vols this week for the new College Football Playoff rankings. Not only did Tennessee take care of business at home 56-0 against UTEP, but they got some outside help too.

Last week, the Vols were No. 11 in the CFP rankings, projected to be the first team out. Now, though, Josh Heupel and his players sit at No. 8 thanks to Ole Miss, Indiana AND Alabama all losing. Things are simple for the Volunteers - win this week against Vanderbilt and they're locked in:

The Tennessee Vols are the No. 8 team in the new College Football Playoff rankings

After losing to Oklahoma, Alabama is now the No. 13 team in the country, while Ole Miss is No. 14. As for the Hoosiers, they're a one-loss team and plenty of people were calling for them to not be penalized too much for the loss on the road to Ohio State.

The committee did not like how they looked in Columbus, dropping them to No. 10. Another one-loss team Tennessee is ahead of? That'd be SMU. Mustangs fans are not happy about being behind two-loss Tennessee, but come on, you've got to keep strength of schedule in mind.

Before the final rankings arrive, a lot can change. Focusing just on the Vols, we really can't overstate how important the showdown in Nashville is for them this weekend. Star RB Dylan Sampson made it clear he's treating the battle with Vanderbilt like a playoff game.

That's the right mindset to have, as he and his teammates can't afford a slip-up against the Commodores. Again, with a win, Tennessee will be in the CFP and then it will shift its focus to the first round of the CFP. If some things go the Vols' way, another game could be set to take place at Neyland Stadium too.