Josh Pate would happily sign up for a College Football Playoff field that feels like a throwback to the 1990s.
During an episode of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show,” a viewer floated the idea that the season could end with Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Tennessee all back in the playoff picture. Pate didn’t just entertain it - he embraced it.
“I would love to see Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee in the playoff,” Pate said. “That would be #goodforthegame. In my humble opinion, it would be very good for the game.”
The idea carries a built-in nostalgia factor. In the 1990s, those three programs were all major names on the national stage.
Nebraska finished the decade No. 1 in wins with 103. Tennessee was No. 4 with 92.
Virginia Tech checked in at No. 19 with 74.
The modern picture looks very different. Since 2010, none of the three programs ranks in the top 25 in wins.
Since 2020, only Tennessee has cracked that list, tied for No. 24.
And in the College Football Playoff era, which began in 2014, Tennessee is the only one of the trio to make the field, doing so in the 2024 season.
Tennessee is also the least shocking name in this conversation. Josh Heupel has led the Volunteers to nine or more wins in three of the last five seasons, so another playoff run would not be out of nowhere.
Nebraska is a tougher climb, even with Matt Rhule’s steady work. Rhule inherited a team that had six straight losing seasons and has already guided the Cornhuskers to back-to-back seven-win seasons.
Now in Year 4, he’s pushing for more, but the Big Ten makes that road steep. With three programs that have pulled away from the rest of the league, nothing about a playoff breakthrough would come easy.
Virginia Tech is the longest shot of the three. The Hokies have finished with a losing record in five of the last six seasons, including a 3-9 mark last year.
The program is also entering a new era after firing Brent Pry last season. Even with the ACC offering a different level of difficulty than the Big Ten or SEC, a playoff jump in Year 1 would be a major surprise.
Still, the broader point is clear: a playoff bracket with Tennessee, Nebraska and Virginia Tech would feel like a blast from college football’s past. Tennessee has the clearest path based on what it has done recently, while Nebraska and Virginia Tech would need major turnarounds to get there.
If it happened, it would be one of the season’s biggest storylines.
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