Volume 1, Issue 6: Vol Fans Are Feeling Great About The CFP
No. 7 Tennessee is in a very good spot to qualify for their first-ever CFP appearance this season if they take care of business down the stretch.
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No. 7 Tennessee is in good shape to qualify for the College Football Playoff as of this writing. They’ll be in even better shape if Shane Beamer’s South Carolina Gamecocks upset No. 10 Texas A&M at home this weekend. They’ll be in even better shape if Arkansas beats Ole Miss at home this weekend. They’ll be in even better shape if Clemson gets stunned by Louisville at home this weekend. I think you, the reader, get the idea here.
The Volunteers are in good shape to make the CFP, that much is certain. That could all change in a hurry if the Vols get upset coming off an idle week for the second time this season against Kentucky on Saturday night in Neyland Stadium. It’s not likely, though. Head football coach Josh Heupel is 3-0 against Mark Stoops at Tennessee to this point. The Wildcats have one of the worst offenses in the country in conference play as the team is averaging a brutal 13.5 PPG in six conference games this season. The Wildcats are 1-5 in SEC play this season. Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks’ defense has given up four plays, total, of thirty yards or more this season. Heupel has lost once at home since the start of the 2022 season – last November against No. 2 Georgia.
Tennessee should be just fine on Saturday night in their Dark Mode uniforms.
However, I would caution fans to not get ahead of themselves. Yes, ESPN’s Playoff Predictor model really likes the Vols’ chances to make the CFP as things currently stand. If Tennessee wins all of their games the rest of the way, outside of their road trip to Athens to face the Bulldogs, it’s hard to see a scenario where a 10-2 Tennessee team is on the outside looking in for the CFP come December.
We’ve got a long way to go until then, though. Tennessee just passed the midway point of the season after their victory over No. 14 Alabama. The Vols have three remaining home games and two road games left. With CFP expansion, it’s easy to get caught up in the future. It’s fun to think about Tennessee playing at Penn State in a first-round matchup in a couple of months.
I get it.
However, I’d caution folks to not enjoy the ride. You may never see a Tennessee defensive line this deep and this talented again for a long time. The Vols haven’t given up 20-plus points in a game all season and we’re nearly in November now. It’s silly how dominant this team has been on that side of the ball all season long.
Through three seasons, we hadn’t seen a lead tailback carry the load like junior star Dylan Sampson has this season. It’s not even November and Sampson already surpassed former Vol tailback Jaylen Wright’s entire 2023 carry count. Sampson leads the SEC in rushing. Sampson has been unbelievable putting the Vols’ offense on his back in the second halves of key conference games this fall. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing a trio of running backs flourish in Heupel’s scheme at Tennessee. It’s a different and special kind of season for the Volunteers’ star running back.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is still growing. When Hendon Hooker broke out for the Vols in 2022, that was his sixth year of college football. This is the former five-star recruit’s second year of college football. It’s been rocky at times, sure, but that’s the fun part of this. The Vols’ defense has allowed Iamaleava and this offense to go through these totally understandable growing pains and still be firmly in the CFP picture in late October. Iamaleava very well may have his best game against Kentucky on Saturday night or next week against Mississippi State. You saw flashes in the second half of how good Iamaleava can be in Knoxville with his dime to Chris Brazzell II in the back of the end zone late against Alabama or his rollout to his right and 55-yard strike to Dont’e Thornton Jr. Oftentimes, focusing on enjoying the journey rather than reaching the destination is the way to go. I think it’s the way to go this season for Vol fans.
Enjoy this defense. Enjoy the running game. Enjoy watching the development of the quarterback.
Enjoy it all.
TODAY ON THE CHASE THOMAS PODCAST
Chase Thomas is the Sports Renaissance Man, Atlanta Sports Guy & VFL. On today's program, Chase is joined by Rocky Top Insider's Ryan Schumpert and Saturday Down South's Ethan Stone to talk about Tennessee men's hoops falling in the home exhibition opener vs. Indiana, issues with the Vols offense again, why Cam Carr making the leap is needed, Tennessee vs. Kentucky game week preview, and how the Vols baseball team looked in Nashville this weekend.
Host: Chase Thomas
Guests: Ryan Schumpert, Ethan Stone
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The TPL Tennessee Daily Column Schedule
Each day, I write a different column over at TPL Tennessee on the Tennessee Vols all year long.
MONDAY- 48 Hours After Tennessee Vols Recap
TUESDAY- Terrific Tennessee Spotlight
WEDNESDAY- Tennessee Vols Wednesday Wonder
THURSDAY- Know The Foe Vols Game Preview
FRIDAY- 3 Thoughts & 1 Prediction For The Tennessee Vols
SATURDAY- Instant Reaction To Latest Tennessee Vols Game
SUNDAY- Stock Report For The Tennessee Vols
The Chase Thomas Podcast Weekly Lineup
There are a lot of different ways to stay locked in on all the Tennessee Vols podcasting coverage I’m putting out every day.
Below is my weekly podcast lineup, so you always know what’s coming down the pike each day on the program. (Note: There are always surprise special Tennessee Vols guests that pop in throughout the week as well.)
MONDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
TUESDAY - Tennessee Vols Sports Guys w/ Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert, Saturday Down South’s Ethan Stone and Omaha Production’s Jack Foster
WEDNESDAY - More Important Issues w/ Landon Raby & Caleb Mitchell
THURSDAY - A Pod Divided w/ Fellow University of North Georgia alumni Matt Green
THURSDAY - Vols Hoops Hour w/ Vol Report’s Ryan Sylvia
FRIDAY - Vols Fantasy Football Friday w/ Omaha Production’s Jack Foster
(Final Note: All of this and more information on Knoxville’s No. 1 independent Tennessee Vols podcast is available over at the official website which you can find here.)
Make it a great Wednesday, everyone.
Best,
Chase