Tennessee earns college football playoff projections from ESPN analysts

Three ESPN analysts have projected Tennessee to secure a spot in the 2026 College Football Playoff field. Staff members Bill Connelly, Eli Lederman, and Ryan McGee included the No. 18 Volunteers in their respective postseason brackets ahead of the team's upcoming contest. Tennessee is scheduled to face Furman this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Neyland Stadium. The preseason rankings are currently based on the US LBM Coaches Poll. While the analysts placed Tennessee in their fields, they varied on the team's specific seeding, with projections ranging from 9th to 11th. The 2026 season officially began with Week 0 games on August 29, and the first full week of competition concludes on September 7 with Florida State hosting SMU.

• 4:30 PMYahoo Sports — Tennessee predicted to make College Football Playoff