Andy Staples predicted Tennessee Football to make the new 12-team College Football Playoff bracket back in June. And On3’s college football analyst is sticking by it entering the first week of the new season .
Staples has the Vols as a No. 11 seed in the new format, going on the road in the first round to face No. 6 Oregon, the same projection he had back on June 12.
“This would be in Eugene,” Staples said at the time , “and this is a case of where one win, one loss probably makes a big difference. Like the difference between Tennessee having to go on the road here and Oregon hosting is probably going to be one game in the record.”
During an appearance on Volquest’s ‘Rocky Top Rewind’ Sunday night, Staples laid out the path for Tennessee to reach the playoff. It all comes down to three games.
“I think if they can beat NC State and split Alabama and Oklahoma, I think they’re in good shape,” Staples said. “Now, obviously, they still have to beat Florida, they have to beat the teams we’re thinking they’re supposed to beat.
“But more than likely, if you split Bama and OU, if you beat NC State, you can get away with losing to Georgia.”
Season Opener: No. 15 Tennessee vs. Chattanooga, Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET
No. 15 Tennessee opens the new season against Chattanooga on Saturday, a 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff ( TV: SEC Network ) at Neyland Stadium.
The level of competition goes up dramatically in Week 2, when the Vols face No. 24 North Carolina State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic on September 7 ( 7:30 p.m. ET, TV: ABC ) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
Tennessee opens SEC play at No. 16 Oklahoma two weeks later on September 21, as the Sooners make their debut as an SEC team. Florida comes to Neyland Stadium on October 12 and No. 5 Alabama will be in town a week later, on October 19.
“I think you have to split those (games against Alabama and Oklahoma),” Staples said. “I think going to OU for their first SEC home game is going to be very tough. I’m higher on Alabama than I think most people are. I think Alabama could win the SEC this year. But I actually think at Tennessee is one of their tougher games.”
Tennessee beat Alabama 52-49 the last time the Crimson Tide came to Neyland, when Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt connected for five touchdowns in October 2022.
“You did see how Tennessee could take advantage of some mismatches and create some mismatches against Alabama a couple years ago,” Staples said. “It can be done again as long as Nico (Iamaleava) is what we think he is.”
‘I think they’re going to be pretty good’ with Nico Iamaleava at QB
Tennessee goes to No. 1 Georgia on November 16, breaking up a run of four straight home games — Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State — over the previous five weeks.
Staples said the Vols have to take care of business in games they’re supposed to win, take two out of three against N.C. State, Oklahoma and Alabama and get Iamaleava to look more like Hooker than Joe Milton III ever did last season.
That’s the road map for Tennessee to get into the College Football Playoff.
“I think Nico is a lot closer to Hendon Hooker than Joe Milton was,” Staples said. “And his ceiling may be higher than Hendon Hooker’s. I think that’s the hope at Tennessee, that Nico’s ceiling is higher than Hendon Hooker’s. But even if you just get Hendon Hooker again, that level of quarterback, that puts you in the playoff. That would put Tennessee in the playoff.
“And I think Nico’s ability to improvise, Nico’s ability to understand the read-option mesh, which opens up a whole new world of read-option type plays, quarterback run game, RPO stuff if you want to do that, reopens the middle of the field for the Tennessee offense. I think they’re going to be pretty good.”
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