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Why Josh Heupel didn't know these 6 teams widened Tennessee football's playoff path
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- Why Josh Heupel didn't know these 6 teams widened Tennessee football's playoff path
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
Tennessee upgraded its Wi-Fi at Neyland Stadium this season, and it came in handy as fans drained their phone batteries in search of scores of playoff contenders on Saturday night.
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At first, it came with a sense of dread.
Teams in playoff contention were losing, but so were the Vols in a battle with Kentucky . In fact, No. 7 Tennessee trailed at halftime for a fourth straight game.
But by the fourth quarter, the college football ticker was a source of celebration. And that continued after the Vols (7-1, 4-1 SEC) pulled out a 28-18 win over Kentucky (3-6, 1-6).
Six teams projected in the College Football Playoff field lost on Saturday.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel didn't know about those results when he came to the podium for his postgame press conference. He only had enough to time to talk to his team in the locker room and then face reporters.
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"I don't know who those teams are," Heupel said. "But every week is its own season. And you've got to be good enough to win on that Saturday."
Heupel undoubtedly scrolled through the scoreboard before leaving Neyland Stadium and saw Tennessee's playoff widen just a bit.
These 6 playoff contenders lost while Tennessee won
In the SEC, Texas A&M lost 44-20 at South Carolina for its second loss. It has a key game against Texas ahead to end the regular season.
In the Big Ten, Penn State lost 20-13 to Ohio State in a battle of top-five teams.
In the Big 12, Iowa State suffered its first loss, falling 23-22 to Texas Tech. And Kansas State suffered its second loss with a 24-19 defeat to Houston.
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In the ACC, Clemson lost 33-21 for its second loss. And previously undefeated Pittsburgh was smoked in a 48-18 loss to SMU .
Some of those teams may have dropped out of the playoff picture with that loss. The resume of all those teams were damaged by that defeat, and time will tell just how much.
The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its first rankings on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tennessee will be in the mix because it did just enough to avoid a disastrous loss to Kentucky.
Here's what is right and wrong with the Vols
There are no problems on defense. After holding all eight opponents under 20 points this season, the Vols may have the best defense in college football.
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The CFP selection committee will take note of that.
Special teams is a recent problem as placekicker Max Gilbert missed three field goals against Kentucky. He missed two long field goals against Alabama in the Vols' previous game.
And Tennessee had another incomplete performance on offense. It struggled to finish drives in the red zone. And despite Dylan Sampson rushing for 142 yards and two TDs, he also lost a fumble for a second straight game.
"I don't think it's satisfaction (with the win)," Sampson said. "You never take a win for granted. Football is not going to be perfect, especially in rivalry games like this.
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"But this game was very close to being 40 or 50 points (scored) from the offensive side of the ball. So at some point, we've got to flip the switch and stop making these mistakes that hurt us."
Nico Iamaleava believes offense is about to get over hump
The good news is that quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a poised passing performance . The redshirt freshman completed 28 of 38 passes for 292 yards and one TD. If not for a few dropped passes by receivers, the Vols could've won in a blowout.
But don't expect the CFP selection committee to consider what Tennessee could've done. It will judge the Vols only by what they have done, which includes a win over Alabama, a loss at Arkansas and a string of close SEC wins.
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"There are still too many missed opportunities out there," Iamaleava said. "We've got to put it all together one of these games. And I believe it'll be the next game. It's coming. It's going to pop eventually."
Tennessee plays Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5) on Nov. 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Vols play at Georgia on Nov. 16, at home against UTEP on Nov. 23 and at Vanderbilt on Nov. 30 to finish the regular season.
VOLS NEED A NEW KICKER Plus more overreactions from Tennessee's win over Kentucky
The initial CFP rankings will hint at what Tennessee needs to do to make the playoff. Regardless of the criteria, the path will certainly involve winning.
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Tennessee did that against Kentucky to remain in the playoff picture, even if it wasn't perfect.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: These 6 teams widened Vols' playoff path
