Why Tennessee football is outside the CFP field despite being ranked No. 11
Tennessee football is the first team out of the College Football Playoff poll that was released Tuesday despite being ranked No. 11.
The Vols are in the top 12 of the rankings, but are outside the field because of CFP rules that dictate the five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids regardless of ranking. UT is in position to get hopped by two of the automatic bids based on being ranked No. 11 with a pair of promised bids going to lower-ranked teams who are projected to be conference champions.
The Vols (8-2) host UTEP (2-8) on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Neyland Stadium in their final nonconference game.
Tennessee was ranked No. 7 in each of the first two weeks of the CFP poll, but dropped after losing 31-17 at Georgia last week.
Why Tennessee football isn't in CFP as No. 11 seed
The CFP process stipulates that the 12-team field includes five guaranteed bids awarded to the five highest-ranked conference champions.
In this case, Tennessee is bumped from the field because two of the five guaranteed berths must go to teams ranked below the Vols. BYU is projected as the Big 12 champion as the No. 14-ranked team and Boise State is the projected fifth conference champion as the No. 12-ranked team. Boise State jumped all the way to the No. 4 seed in the field, while BYU slipped in as the No. 12 seed. Boise State would be the No. 4 seed because the first four seeds are all allocated to conference champions.
PATH: Here are 7 ways that Tennessee can make the College Football Playoff
So while the Vols are ranked No. 11, they are in effect the No. 13 team in the list of teams in the bracket.
Seven spots are allocated for at-large bids. The projected field Tuesday includes three at-large bids for SEC teams. Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia are the No. 7, 9, and 10 teams, respectively, in the rankings. Texas is projected to win the SEC and is the No. 3-ranked team.
Josh Heupel: Vols are 'a good football team' with CFP case
Vols coach Josh Heupel said Tennessee is "a good football team" after the loss to Georgia.
"Teams get beat on the road sometimes," Heupel said. "It’s hard to win in this league. It’s a good football team that we just played. Lost a couple of close ones on the road against good football teams. Had turnovers in that game. It’s a good football team. We’re a good football team, too.”
Tennessee is in a precarious spot with the CFP largely because of a 19-14 loss to Arkansas on Oct. 5.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Explaining Tennessee being outside the CFP despite No. 11 ranking
