Tennessee’s recent road wins are starting to pay dividends, at least in the eyes of bracketologists. After knocking off Georgia on Wednesday night, the Volunteers held steady as a 6-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest NCAA Tournament projection. It’s the second straight update where Tennessee has landed on that line, following a big win last weekend at Alabama that bumped them up from a 7-seed.
The only shift? Geography.
The Vols moved from the East Region to the Midwest in Lunardi’s updated bracket. That might not sound like much, but it could have implications down the line, especially when you start looking at potential matchups.
In this scenario, Tennessee would open the tournament against 11-seed Miami (OH), with a possible second-round clash looming against either 3-seed Purdue or 14-seed ETSU.
It’s a bracket that’s loaded with talent. Michigan headlines the region as the 1-seed, with Iowa State sitting at No.
- Vanderbilt and Virginia round out the top five seeds, while SEC rival Texas A&M slots in as the 8-seed.
So if Tennessee holds this position, they’re staring down a tough road - but one they’ve shown they might be ready to navigate.
Let’s not forget where this team was just a couple of weeks ago. After a frustrating blown-lead loss to Kentucky, the Vols briefly dipped below the 6-line in Lunardi’s projections.
But since then, they’ve bounced back with two crucial wins away from home - something they hadn’t done all season. Before last week, Tennessee was 0-3 in true road games, falling to Syracuse, Arkansas, and Florida.
That narrative has shifted quickly, with back-to-back wins at Alabama and Georgia giving this team a new sense of confidence.
Now sitting at 14-6 overall and 4-3 in SEC play, Tennessee is starting to find its footing. The timing couldn’t be better, either.
The Vols return home to Knoxville for a Saturday night showdown against Auburn - a team that’s just ahead of them in the conference standings at 14-7 overall and 5-3 in SEC play. It’s the kind of matchup that could swing momentum one way or the other as both teams jockey for position in the league and in the eyes of the selection committee.
And the road ahead won’t get any easier. February is packed with challenges: Ole Miss, a trip to Kentucky, Mississippi State, LSU, a non-conference test against Oklahoma, and road games at Vanderbilt and Missouri before a rematch with Alabama. March brings a visit to South Carolina and a regular-season finale back home against Vanderbilt.
For now, though, the focus is on Auburn. Another win - especially in front of a home crowd at the Food City Center - could be the next step in Tennessee’s climb.
The Vols have shown they can handle adversity. Now it’s about proving they can sustain momentum and keep climbing the bracket.