Tennessee's First Playoff Game Comes Three Weeks Early

#1
casual-observer

casual-observer

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#1
There are a lot of what-ifs and scenarios floating around right now and to me, it's making the final weeks of the season interesting and fun. What if so-an-so wins out...what happens if A&M beats Texas...so on and so forth.

But the reality for Tennessee is: their playoff begins Saturday, November 16th.

Last year when Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game: it was game over for the leghumpers and I agreed. Why should they be allowed another shot at the National Championship when, they had just lost to a CFP contender Alabama. You had your chance late in the season, you lost, you are done.

I believe the same holds true for Tennessee this week. How could anyone argue that, loosing to Georgia, late in the season, would produce any different results in a four-game playoff scenario? If UT loses to GA, should they then be given another chance a few short weeks later? Maybe they draw the coveted 5th seed and have an easier path to the final game but, in my mind, its win this one or be quiet and give someone else a chance.

A complete performance, in all three phases of the game. Top three team going into the home stretch. Let's go WTFA!
 
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#2
#2
casual-observer said:
There are a lot of what-ifs and scenarios floating around right now and to me, it's making the final weeks of the season interesting and fun. What if so-an-so wins out...what happens if A&M beats Texas...so on and so forth.

But the reality for Tennessee is: their playoff begins Saturday, November 16th.

Last year when Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game: it was game over for the leghumpers and I agreed. Why should they be allowed another shot at the National Championship when, they had just lost to a CFP contender Alabama. You had your chance late in the season, you lost, you are done.

I believe the same holds true for Tennessee this week. How could anyone argue that, loosing to Georgia, late in the season, would produce any different results in a four-game playoff scenario? If UT loses to GA, should they then be given another chance a few short weeks later? Maybe they draw the coveted 5th seed and have an easier path to the final game but, in my mind, its win this one or be quiet and give someone else a chance.

A complete performance, in all three phases of the game. Top three team going into the home stretch. Let's go WTFA!
Click to expand...

Last year was a 4-team playoff. This year is a 12-team playoff. Many teams with 1 or 2 losses will be given a 2nd chance at teams that beat them. Ohio State lost to Oregon. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Oregon again. Penn State lost to Ohio State. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Ohio State again. Texas lost to Georgia (in Austin). They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Georgia again.

So no, if Tennessee loses Saturday, but wins out, they shouldn’t be eliminated from the playoff simply because they lost to another playoff team.
 
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#3
#3
NighthawkVol said:
Last year was a 4-team playoff. This year is a 12-team playoff. Many teams with 1 or 2 losses will be given a 2nd chance at teams that beat them. Ohio State lost to Oregon. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Oregon again. Penn State lost to Ohio State. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Ohio State again. Texas lost to Georgia (in Austin). They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Georgia again.

So no, if Tennessee loses Saturday, but wins out, they shouldn’t be eliminated from the playoff simply because they lost to another playoff team.
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I don’t think a loss Saturday necessarily eliminates Tennessee either but it makes the road tougher for us. It sure would have been nice for Ole Miss and Missouri to both have lost Saturday to completely eliminate them.
 
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#4
#4
NighthawkVol said:
Last year was a 4-team playoff. This year is a 12-team playoff. Many teams with 1 or 2 losses will be given a 2nd chance at teams that beat them. Ohio State lost to Oregon. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Oregon again. Penn State lost to Ohio State. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Ohio State again. Texas lost to Georgia (in Austin). They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Georgia again.

So no, if Tennessee loses Saturday, but wins out, they shouldn’t be eliminated from the playoff simply because they lost to another playoff team.
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I don't disagree with second chances, I just don't think you get them late in the season.

When Tennessee beats the brakes off Georgia Saturday, there will be no rematch of Texas for them. The three loss bulldogs will be back to collecting traffic violations for the remainder of the season.
 
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#5
#5
NighthawkVol said:
Last year was a 4-team playoff. This year is a 12-team playoff. Many teams with 1 or 2 losses will be given a 2nd chance at teams that beat them. Ohio State lost to Oregon. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Oregon again. Penn State lost to Ohio State. They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Ohio State again. Texas lost to Georgia (in Austin). They’ll be in the playoff with a chance to play Georgia again.

So no, if Tennessee loses Saturday, but wins out, they shouldn’t be eliminated from the playoff simply because they lost to another playoff team.
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They shouldn’t be eliminated, but their chances become slim due to the logjam of two-loss teams and because this game is being played so late in the season.
 
#6
#6
volfan411 said:
I don’t think a loss Saturday necessarily eliminates Tennessee either but it makes the road tougher for us. It sure would have been nice for Ole Miss and Missouri to both have lost Saturday to completely eliminate them.
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Mizzou is the last 2 loss conference team you need to worry about by far. They’re absolutely not getting in by how they’ve lost and their schedule.
 
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#7
#7
VolCalls said:
They shouldn’t be eliminated, but their chances become slim due to the logjam of two-loss teams and because this game is being played so late in the season.
Click to expand...

The issue of whether or not Tennessee makes the CFP if we lose to UGA is a separate matter. I’m simply taking issue with the notion that losing to Georgia SHOULD eliminate Tennessee simply because we lost to another team we might have to play in the CFP.

This CFP will be replete with those possibilities.
 
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#9
#9
casual-observer said:
I don't disagree with second chances, I just don't think you get them late in the season.

When Tennessee beats the brakes off Georgia Saturday, there will be no rematch of Texas for them. The three loss bulldogs will be back to collecting traffic violations for the remainder of the season.
Click to expand...

When Ohio State takes its 2nd loss to the Oregon Ducks in the B1G championship, they’ll still get in the CFP…despite a) losing to Oregon twice, and b) despite the 2nd loss being as late as possible. They might lose to Oregon 3 times in the same season.

Two years ago both Michigan and Ohio State got into a 4-team playoff, in spite of Ohio State losing to Michigan the last week of the regular season.

Precedent says the “lateness” of the loss does not necessarily preclude getting a 2nd chance. Nor should it.
 
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#11
#11
I don’t think a Georgia loss knocks us out unless it’s just a blow out loss. UTEP should be no issue, but we gotta take care of Vandy the final week, on the road who is an above average Vandy team this year. They will be ever so eager to put a nail in the coffin of our playoff hopes.
 
#13
#13
NighthawkVol said:
When Ohio State takes its 2nd loss to the Oregon Ducks in the B1G championship, they’ll still get in the CFP…despite a) losing to Oregon twice, and b) despite the 2nd loss being as late as possible. They might lose to Oregon 3 times in the same season.

Two years ago both Michigan and Ohio State got into a 4-team playoff, in spite of Ohio State losing to Michigan the last week of the regular season.

Precedent says the “lateness” of the loss does not necessarily preclude getting a 2nd chance. Nor should it.
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You’re absolutely right. The committee is human and they’re going to try to include the teams that look the best. Losses is a factor, but perceived potential has been the priority. That’s how FSU got left out and that’s how Ohio State and Michigan both got in with a terrible SOS.
 
#15
#15
Creeker said:
I don’t think a Georgia loss knocks us out unless it’s just a blow out loss. UTEP should be no issue, but we gotta take care of Vandy the final week, on the road who is an above average Vandy team this year. They will be ever so eager to put a nail in the coffin of our playoff hopes.
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I couldn't agree more. You know how I think the football gods play this out?...

Tennessee beats the brakes off Georgia. Pounds UTEP into oblivion. Then...

Vanderbilt beats LSU in two weeks and the VolNation has to bite their nails off worried about a late season upset by...VANDERBILT?!?!?! It's like groundhog day, 2022 except the Vols beat Georgia.

I swear if this scenario plays out, they should wear Orange helmets to Nashville on 11/30. 😂😂😂😂
 
#21
#21
For most teams this is the beginning of the single elimination tournament, unless you're in the Big Ten.
 
#22
#22
casual-observer said:
There are a lot of what-ifs and scenarios floating around right now and to me, it's making the final weeks of the season interesting and fun. What if so-an-so wins out...what happens if A&M beats Texas...so on and so forth.

But the reality for Tennessee is: their playoff begins Saturday, November 16th.

Last year when Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game: it was game over for the leghumpers and I agreed. Why should they be allowed another shot at the National Championship when, they had just lost to a CFP contender Alabama. You had your chance late in the season, you lost, you are done.

I believe the same holds true for Tennessee this week. How could anyone argue that, loosing to Georgia, late in the season, would produce any different results in a four-game playoff scenario? If UT loses to GA, should they then be given another chance a few short weeks later? Maybe they draw the coveted 5th seed and have an easier path to the final game but, in my mind, its win this one or be quiet and give someone else a chance.

A complete performance, in all three phases of the game. Top three team going into the home stretch. Let's go WTFA!
Click to expand...
Georgia literally won the National Championship after losing to Alabama in the SEC Title 1 month prior. And they beat Alabama in that NC game…

So no…I don’t agree with this it all.
 
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