The Tennessee Vols, despite their recent win against the Alabama Crimson Tide, just can’t seem to get a fair shake from ESPN.
On Sunday, after Week 9 of the college football season wrapped up, ESPN’s Heather Dinich released her updated College Football Playoff projection.
Dinich included Tennessee in her 12-team playoff projection , listing the Vols as the No. 12 seed entering the final month of the season.
While pointing out why Tennessee could be lower in the rankings, Dinich noted that there were “flaws” in the Vols’ win over Alabama.
“Even in its best win (against Alabama), Tennessee has shown vulnerabilities, particularly on offense and with turnovers and penalties against the Tide,” wrote Dinich. “The Vols also needed overtime to beat an average-at-best Florida team.”
Playoff projections with a month of the season left are, of course, completely pointless. A lot will change over the next few weeks, and the projections at the end of October will ultimately mean nothing. Still, it’s always interesting to see how programs are viewed by the national media. And it’s clear that ESPN’s view of Tennessee is deeply flawed.