Tennessee softball has seen its time end in the first round of the SEC Tournament earlier than expected for the third straight season. After an upset at the hands of Ole Miss, it feels like the Vols need to head back to the drawing board before the NCAA Tournament, and they need to do so fast.
Not only will the loss hurt the Vols' chances of hosting a Super Regional, but a win by the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday night could as well. Georgia was able to take down No. 1 seed Oklahoma in a thrilling comeback win that probably had Tennessee fans shaking their heads.
Georgia's win over Oklahoma might have just cost Tennessee home-field advantage
An ugly loss from Ole Miss doesn't help Tennessee in any way, and while the Vos are no doubt hosting their own Regional again this season, a Super Regional could be slipping from their grasp. The final rankings before conference tournaments had Tennessee ranked No. 7, but postseason play always shakes things up.
Looking around at other teams behind the Vols, UCLA is one win away from the Big Ten title game, the Florida games are a win away from the SEC title game, and Florida State is a win away from the ACC title game. All three teams are right behind Tennessee in the rankings, but there are also teams like Georgia, playing elite softball right now, that could knock the Vols out as a Super Regional host.
The early loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament, coupled with other teams behind Tennessee playing well and advancing further, spells bad news for the Vols. While Tennessee has the resume to host, postseason play is still a big factor in selecting those top eight Super Regional host teams.
Tennessee has to hope for some craziness in the Regional round because if another top seed ahead of them doesn't make it through, it could give the Vols a better shot at the all-important home-field advantage.
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