Why is Nico Iamaleava catching strays out of nowhere? See, Vols football has come a long way, and is the 20-year-old behind all that success? Yes, and no. Don’t get us wrong, this guy has been massive for the Vols offense this year. Dude has covered around 2,200+ yards and has some solid touchdowns as well. Even against a team like Bama, Nico Iamaleava pretty much slayed with around 14 out of 27 passes landed. This might sound less but the dude is a freshman, and he was up against an elite QB like Jalen Milroe (Who, fun fact, did worse than Nico with around 25 out of 25 passes completed).

But here is the thing, though. While that 2,200+ yards and that massive performance against Bama looks good on the surface, once you start digging around, the menu doesn’t look too appetizing. Back on X, Bear Bryant’s Burner pointed this exact thing out: “Nico Iamaleava has 15 TDs and 4 interceptions. 12 of his 15 TDs came against Kent State, Miss State, Chattanooga, NC State, and UTEP.” Are we surprised that his best performance has been against teams who had pretty much nothing to offer? The stark contrast between the UTEP game and the Georgia game is wild.

Against the Miners, he got in around 4 touchdowns. Solid performance. But the moment you take this offense and put it up against an elite team like the Dawgs, he gets sacked 5 times with 0 touchdowns to show for it. You get the problem, right?

But does this all mean that he is a bad QB who shouldn’t be on the Vols offense? Not at all. The Vols won the game against Alabama. Okay, even if you hate the idea, he was behind the success. Yes, Bama was over their heads in that game, but the Vols offense managed to snag in 24 points against a strong defensive line.

See, this guy still has a lot to improve on, but at least he is doing better than Dylan Raiola. While Iamaleava’s success might seem smoke and mirrors, he has been the center point for Josh Heupel and the Vols dominant 9-2 run. What is left to see is if these guys manage to hang on and not lose their CFP bracket.

The real underdogs: Tennessee Vols

Can you tell why the Longhorns are on the 3rd spot and the Vols are on the 8th spot on the CFP list? That is because it kind of makes no sense. Just like Nick Saban had pointed out long back: who have the Longhorns even faced all season? The only team with a pulse on their schedule managed to beat them 31-17.

All of this makes you wonder if the committee has some personal grudge against Heupel and his boys. This schedule has been rough for the Vols. They went up against Oklahoma and a dangerous Kentucky team. Their win over Bama was nothing short of impressive, but then their loss to Georgia was just tragic.

What is left now is grabbing a win over Vandy. Should the fans be worried? See, if we are talking QB depth, then Vandy takes the cake here. Diego Pavia is a monster, and he was behind the offense that landed 40 points against Alabama and won. Iamaleava doesn’t stand a chance, but if Vols managed to bring out the same defense flair, they showed us all against the Crimson Tide, then Heupel has a shot at maintaining his 2-loss run.