Tennessee jumps into the fray in ESPN College Football Playoff predictions

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 17: Kayin Lee #14 of the Tennessee Volunteers smokes a cigar after a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 17, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images) | ISI Photos via Getty Images Fans of the Tennessee Vols wanted any way to get out their cigars and fire them up on Saturday night. A 10-9 snoozer, 55-53 in nine overtimes, didn’t matter. Just win. And how the Vols did just that. Tennessee absolutely chewed up Alabama’s offense, holding the Crimson Tide to 201 total yards and 54 rushing yards. It was one of the most dominating defensive efforts I’ve seen in I can’t remember. Perhaps a specific 2024 performance that is momentarily eluding my mind. The offensive game plan was perfect, with the ground game inching the offense along and some timely perimeter and RPO passing plays providing the needed chunk plays to keep things moving. Outside of a head-smacking muff/fumble of a rolling football on a punt return, it was as close to a perfect game as you could hope for from Tennessee. And the 26-10 score looks every bit as dominating as the game was. And beyond just winning this game, this was a performance that adds that wow factor that pundits love, including playoff pundits like ESPN’s Heather Dinich. Dinich listed an updated playoff prediction after the games concluded on Saturday night, and Tennessee found themselves in there at No. 10. Why they could be here: Saturday’s convincing home win against Alabama pushed the Volunteers back into the conversation, and their defense under first-year coordinator Jim Knowles continues to play at a championship-caliber level. Tennessee held Alabama scoreless for three quarters and had four takeaways, and the Tide converted just twice out of 13 times on third down. The Vols’ Oct. 3 home win against Auburn is even more respectable after the Tigers knocked off Georgia on Saturday in Athens. – Heather Dinich, ESPN.comOf course, like bowl game predictions, they’re just that, to gauge a future outcome projection on how things have gone to this point. Lose to South Carolina next week, and adios amigos. But beating Alabama is certainly a huge obstacle in the race to get to 10-2 (or better). Tennessee still has one loss to play with and potentially still get in. And yes, I’m talking about Tennessee as a potential playoff team. That was a playoff team that I watched on Saturday afternoon. Now, the question is: can they continue to look like it for the next five games?