Tennessee’s win over Alabama didn’t just shake up Neyland Stadium. It sent the Vols’ College Football Playoff outlook soaring.
After beating No. 6 Alabama 26-10 on Saturday, Tennessee saw its odds to make the Playoff jump from 24% to 47% according to the ESPN College Football Power Index.
Before kickoff, Josh Heupel’s team was staring at a much tougher road. After the result, that path looks a whole lot more real.
The Vols controlled the game with a defense that had Keelon Russell looking uncomfortable all night, and Tennessee’s offense did enough to finish the job in emphatic fashion. DeSean Bishop was central to that effort.
The veteran back handled 32 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns in front of about 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium. Both scores came in the second half, exactly when Tennessee needed him most.
Heupel praised what he got from both Bishop and George MacIntyre after the game.
"MacIntyre was steady, cool all day long," Heupel said as Vols fans stormed the field. "He made plays. Bishop... (was) just Bishop."
For Tennessee, the victory pushed the record to 6-1, with the only loss coming in a 20-17 game. That résumé looked promising before Saturday. Now it looks like a team that can line up with anyone in front of it.
There’s still plenty for Tennessee to clean up on both sides of the ball, but the mood around the program has changed fast. The Vols missed the College Football Playoff last season, and there was plenty of concern this fall, especially with a first-year starter at quarterback.
Faizon Brandon has since moved to the bench, and MacIntyre appears to have taken control of the job. If Tennessee is going to keep climbing toward the Playoff, he’ll need more days like this one.
For now, though, the numbers have turned, and so has the conversation. The Vols have made their case.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Celebration Just Added Another Twist To This Alabama Rivalry
The postgame celebration in Knoxville came with a costly catch. After Tennessees win over Alabama, the Southeastern Conference fined the university $500,000 for violating its access to competition area policy, punishing the fan rush onto the field that followed one of the programs biggest victories in recent memory. The leagues policy is designed to keep spectators out of competition areas for safety, and it only allows exceptions when procedures are approved in advance and clearly communicated.
The money will go to Alabama, adding another layer to a rivalry that already had plenty of juice. Tennessee still has a path to have the fine reduced if it can show it tried to prevent the field storming or that there was only minimal interaction during the scene, but for now the SEC has made clear that the celebration crossed a line it wasnt willing to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Truth After Tennessee Exposed This Weakness
Alabamas trip to Tennessee ended with a 26-10 loss that put a familiar SEC test back in sharp focus: the line of scrimmage. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy pointed to the Tides struggles up front and the offensive turnovers as major reasons the game tilted, even as Alabamas defense did enough to keep things from getting away from them early.
Tennessee, meanwhile, leaned on its running game to control the contest and keep pressure on a Tide offense that never found much rhythm. The result dropped Alabama to 5-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, with Texas A&M next on the schedule as the Tide try to answer a question that was exposed in a hurry in Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Alabama Celebration Just Reignited A Debate Vols Fans Know Well
The celebration in Knoxville is already carrying a pricey reminder. Tennessee was fined $500,000 by the Southeastern Conference after fans stormed the field following the football game against Alabama, a scene that quickly turned a big win into a league issue. Under SEC policy, spectators are not supposed to enter the field except in specific circumstances, and the penalty is being passed along to Alabama.
There is still a possible path to a smaller bill if Tennessee can show it made efforts to keep fans off the field, but the visuals from Saturday make that a tough case to sell. Video showed a large number of fans spilling onto the turf, which is exactly the kind of moment the conference has tried to discourage as it keeps revisiting how to handle field-storming celebrations. [Read more 🡒]