For the first time in their history, Tennessee clinched a playoff appearance. Fourth year HC Josh Heupel deserves a pat on the back. But we got to sympathize with this new playoff contender because they’re about to face something even SEC powerhouses like Texas and Georgia would dread. With their No. 9 seed, the Volunteers will travel to Columbus to meet No. 8 Ohio State in the first playoff round. Unsurprisingly, they aren’t favored. Hear it from a CFB analyst who exposed Tennessee’s woes heading into the playoffs. 

Which team do you think has the hardest path to the national championship? If you guessed Tennessee, you got it. In a new Instagram reel on December 20, Adam Breneman got real about the Vols’ saying, “I feel bad about Tennessee in the college football playoff. If the four conference champions didn’t get byes in the first round playoff, Tennessee would be seven seed hosting ten seed SMU. But champs do get byes. So instead, Tennessee has to travel to Ohio State to play for the first round.” 

Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State. The four conference champs seeded 1-4 will sit out the first CFP round. This setting has facilitated a knockout round between the teams seeded 5-12, the winners of which will face the four conference winners in the quarterfinals. But it’s Tennessee who suffered the most severe blow from the flawed CFP system. Even if they somehow manage to pull an upset over the Buckeyes, they’ll advance to the quarterfinals to face the No. 1 seed which is undefeated Oregon.  

That’s a bigger dread than what Ohio State is presenting right now. If there were no automatic byes for the four conference champs, Tennessee would be ahead of Boise State and Arizona State. They would move two seeds up from their current No. 9 to be the seventh seed to host No. 10 SMU. Their quarterfinal opponent would have been No. 2 Georgia. Meanwhile, BSU and ASU would be replaced by Texas and Penn State in the seeding. But right now, Tennessee’s priority is their upcoming playoff game which will decide their future. 

Can Josh Heupel’s Volunteers rise above predictions?

The last time Tennessee and Ohio State met was nearly three decades ago in 1996. The Vols defeated the Buckeyes 20-14 then. But this season, they’re a 7.5-point underdog as they travel to Columbus to face OSU at Ohio Stadium. Ryan Day‘s team boasts the No. 1 defense in the nation while also sporting a top-10 offense. But if they win, they’ll face the same tough path that was projected above. 

Still, OSU isn’t without their own pressure too. Despite high expectations, the Buckeyes failed to clinch a Big Ten Championship appearance, thus falling behind in their seeding. After their fourth straight loss to Michigan, HC Ryan Day is under a do-or-die pressure to win the national championship. So, the competition is going to be intense. 

Whatever will be will be. But we gotta admire Josh Heupel and Tennessee for their unwavering hope despite getting the worst fate in the first ever 12-team playoffs.