Tennessee Falls Out of Playoff Prediction and Into Bowl Projections

Tennessee's postseason outlook has shifted in the latest projections. The Volunteers have been removed from a College Football Playoff prediction, and the conversation around the team has moved instead to where it could land in the bowl picture.

That change matters because it reframes what is left to play for. Rather than being projected as part of the playoff field, Tennessee is now being placed among the teams headed for a bowl game, a lower tier of postseason outcome than the one the playoff prediction had suggested.

For Tennessee, the projections are a reminder that the margin between a playoff berth and a bowl trip can close quickly. Where the Volunteers ultimately land will depend on changing that projection again, rather than simply accepting the bowl destination now being forecast for them.