David Pollack Reveals How Tennessee Can Make College Football Playoff

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the most intriguing teams in college football. They have won 20 games over the last two seasons, and with the expansion of the College Football Playoff, they could be primed to make their first appearance in the playoffs.

ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) is a ranking system that measures team strength and is designed to predict a team's performance for the remainder of the season. According to the FPI, the Volunteers are ranked No. 5 in the SEC and are predicted to have a 9-3 record. Tennessee also has the fifth-best odds to win the conference, make the College Football Playoff, participate in the national championship and win the national championship in the conference.

Former ESPN "College GameDay" analyst David Pollack believes the Volunteers' first playoff appearance will hinge on their redshirt freshman star quarterback, Nico Iamaleava.

"For me, it comes down to that guy wearing #8 in the pic," Pollack said. "I know he has the talent, but is he physically ready for an entire SEC schedule? Can he stay healthy? That trip to NC State could be a sneaky tough one, too."

Iamaleava was ranked as the top quarterback in the 2023 class. He played in five games last season and completed 62.2% of his passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Iamaleava added 71 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Iamaleava was mainly a backup, but he shined in his one start, leading the Volunteers to a 35-0 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava went 12-for-19 for 151 yards and threw one touchdown, but he scored all three rushing touchdowns in that game.

So, Pollack believes Iamaleava has shown the talent to succeed. Now, he must prove he can handle everything the SEC throws at him.

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