The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season lit up the Tennessee-Alabama debate immediately, and the backlash hasn’t been limited to Volunteers fans. Alabama landed at No. 5 while Tennessee came in at No. 13, an eight-spot gap that has drawn plenty of criticism because Tennessee beat Alabama head-to-head and both teams entered with identical records.
Former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN broadcaster Greg McElroy added his voice to the pile on Tuesday night, and he didn’t hide how he felt about the placement. Speaking on his Always College Football show after appearing on the CFP Rankings reveal show, McElroy said the result was tough to accept.
“One of the first real difficult ones for me to kind of stomach,” McElroy said about the Tennessee-Alabama rankings. “Because here’s my problem with Tennessee.
Like, Tennessee beat Alabama head-to-head. Alabama did not look good in that game.
Alabama did not move the ball with consistency in that game. Tennessee controlled the line of scrimmage in that game.
I also look at Tennessee, and it’s almost like the committee is putting more of a premium on offensive efficiency numbers. Teams that play great offense have been rewarded in many cases, whereas Tennessee, they sit at 41st in offensive efficiency.
It’s like, yeah, never mind the 4th-ranked defensive efficiency, can you score? And that hasn’t really been the case for Tennessee.
It’s not how they’ve tried to win games.
McElroy also said he could understand why Tennessee fans are so annoyed by the committee’s opening statement.
“Now, they have a couple losses: at South Carolina, you lost to Texas at home. No shame in that,” McElroy continued on to say.
“And yet you lose two games by a combined six points, you sit at (No.) 13.
Eight spots behind a team that you beat head-to-head. That’s a hard one for me to wrap my head around.
Now, I think you can make a very strong argument on behalf of Tennessee to be a Top 10 team, and you can easily make a case they should be ahead of Alabama. So I can understand why Tennessee fans are very frustrated right now.
I would be frustrated if I were them as well.”
The inconsistency has been one of the biggest talking points since the rankings were released. Social media has been full of complaints that head-to-head results seem to matter in some cases and not in others.
Alabama is ranked one spot ahead of Kentucky, which is No. 6, because the Crimson Tide beat the Wildcats in Week 2. But Tennessee, despite beating Alabama, sits eight places lower.
That split has fueled the frustration around the committee’s approach. In the Kentucky-Alabama comparison, head-to-head appears to carry the day even though Alabama has the worse record.
In the Tennessee-Alabama case, the committee leaned on resume, valuing Alabama’s overall body of work, including a win over Kamario Taylor’s Mississippi State Bulldogs, over the loss to Tennessee. Fans are still looking for a consistent standard, and the committee hasn’t exactly made that easy to find.
The rankings still leave plenty of football to be played, of course. Every team has four more chances to strengthen or weaken its case, and Tennessee has two ranked home games left in its final four. If the Vols win out, they’re in the 12-team field.
Still, the opening rankings matter because they establish the first real baseline for how teams are being judged. That’s why the Tennessee-Alabama gap has already become such a major talking point, and why it figures to keep hanging around.
No. 13 Tennessee (6-2) will host No.
6 Kentucky (7-1) at 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon in a rivalry clash from Neyland Stadium.
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Tennessee Just Got More CFP Motivation Than Vols Fans Can Ignore
The first College Football Playoff rankings gave Tennessee a spot at No. 13, while Alabama landed at No. 5, a placement that caught plenty of attention after the Vols beat the Crimson Tide on the field. CFP Committee Chair Hunter Yurachek pointed to Alabamas stronger collection of quality wins as the reason behind the early gap, which only adds another layer to a race Tennessee still has time to influence.
For a Vols team still chasing its best path forward, the message is pretty clear: the opening rankings are only a snapshot, not a verdict. Tennessees upcoming games now carry even more weight, because a strong finish could reshape how the committee views the resume and give the Vols a chance to climb when the next set of rankings arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Milton Just Landed The NFL Opportunity Tennessee Fans Waited For
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It is the kind of opening that can change a young quarterbacks trajectory, especially with Philadelphia dealing with injuries to key players and Jalen Hurts already out for the season. For Tennessee supporters, it is a familiar kind of wait, finally turning into a chance to see Milton get meaningful NFL reps and a chance to prove he belongs on that stage. [Read more 🡒]
Amare Campbell Just Framed Tennessees Biggest Defensive Test Vs Kentucky
After a bye week, Tennessee turns its attention to a Week 10 SEC matchup with Kentucky carrying a 6-2 record and a No. 16 AP ranking. Josh Heupels group has had time to reset, but the conversation around the Vols has shifted quickly from rest to readiness, especially on the defensive side where the next test figures to be as much about communication as it is about talent.
Amare Campbell helped put that into focus when he met with the media, talking through his confidence and the challenges that come with getting everyone on the same page in loud road-style environments. For Tennessee, the bigger question is how well the defense can stay connected when the game gets chaotic, because Kentucky is the kind of opponent that can expose any hesitation in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]