Why Adam Zucker, Rick Neuheisel of CBS see path for Tennessee football to CFP

The thought of Tennessee football making the College Football Playoff might have been unrealistic four years ago. But now, in Josh Heupel's fourth season as coach of the Vols and with an expanded playoff format, it's not an extreme take for studio host Adam Zucker and analyst Rick Neuheisel of CBS' "College Football Today."

The Vols' path to the CFP starts with a win over NC State on Sept. 7 to get momentum going, according to both Zucker and Neuheisel. Tennessee has the strength of schedule in the SEC, with trips to Oklahoma – Heupel's alma mater – and Georgia and a home date with Alabama minus Nick Saban.

"I think if they can win one of those two big ones against either Alabama or Georgia, even if they're not in the SEC Championship game – I'm still wrapping my head around this new format – but I think it's there for them to make the CFP," Zucker told Knox News on Thursday at the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame induction. "I think the new format actually keeps everything that they're doing exciting to the end."

"If they have a great performance against North Carolina State ... I think the expectations will go through the roof," added Neuheisel.

If Tennessee stacks up wins before the Georgia game, it may not even need that win to be part of the 12-team CFP, Neuheisel said. The Vols will get a bump for playing in the SEC, which now includes Texas and Oklahoma for the first time this season.

The expansion of the SEC sparked a seismic shift in college sports as other power conferences looked to add teams in response. The conference realignment ultimately led to the end of the Pac-12. The former UCLA quarterback and coach believes it could have been avoided, but now everyone has to embrace it.

"We can't do much about it. I feel terrible about my former conference, the Pac-12, no longer existing," Neuheisel said. "I think we look at the future optimistically. The good news about players being paid and that budgets are going to have to be recalibrated is, we're making lots of money. You wouldn't have this issue if there were no money to be found. The game is that popular. So with that popularity comes a responsibility to do the right things with the money."

With all the changes happening across college sports, it no longer takes years to rebuild a program.

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Neuheisel called for "rave reviews" for Heupel for what has happened in Knoxville the last three years. The run in 2022 with quarterback Hendon Hooker "was epic" and got the Vols within eyesight of the CFP before expansion, Neuheisel said.

Both Neuheisel and Zucker were part of the broadcast for Tennessee's upset against Alabama that season in Neyland Stadium. Watching the goalposts get torn down and carried out of the stadium is a memory they'll never forget.

And that's why Neuheisel and Zucker like the chances for the Vols with Nico Iamaleava as the starting quarterback.

"I think that the offense is going to remind people of what it was doing two years ago when it had that historic run with Hendon Hooker here," Zucker said. "Nico's got everything around him that a quarterback would want – a veteran offensive line, that they even bolstered with the transfer from LSU, two veteran receivers who are coming back from injury, a potential star running back as well. So I think all the pieces are there."

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll . If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Adam Zucker, Rick Neuheisel of CBS see path for Tennessee football to CFP