ESPN's final say on Tennessee's position in the College Football Playoff has them as the No. 9 seed, set to face off against No. 8 Ohio State in the first round. This prediction comes after the conclusion of conference championship games, as ESPN's Heather Dinich updated her projections. Tennessee's resume shines with their win against Alabama, but it lacks the two statement wins that Ohio State possesses. Their road loss to unranked Arkansas also plays a factor in keeping them from hosting a home game.

ESPN's Projections and Their Rationale

For the past two weeks, ESPN's projections have accurately placed Tennessee as the No. 9 seed and on the road to face the No. 8 team in the first round. Two weeks ago, it was against No. 8 Georgia, and last week, it was against No. 8 Ohio State. The committee dropped Ohio State four spots after their loss to Michigan but kept them ahead of Tennessee mainly due to their two wins against top-10 teams, Penn State and Indiana. Manuel has emphasized Ohio State's one-point loss to No. 1-ranked Oregon in Autzen Stadium. There was "constant conversation" and "a lot of deliberation" between Ohio State and Tennessee last week, but the committee has stuck with their decision. Ohio State is a lock for the playoff and is projected to remain the No. 8 seed and the final team to receive a first-round home game.

Tennessee's Path to the Playoff

Tennessee (10-2) officially clinched a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff with a 36-23 win at Vanderbilt last week. This win solidified their position and led to their No. 7 ranking by the College Football Playoff selection committee on Tuesday night. As a result, they became the No. 9 seed in the bracket and will face Ohio State on the road in the final bracket projection. Their journey to the playoff was a tough one, with victories over tough opponents and a few setbacks along the way. But their performance has been consistent and worthy of a playoff spot.

Conference Champions and Byes

Georgia clinched a bye into the quarterfinals with their 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta. No. 1 Oregon beat No. 3 Penn State 45-37 to claim the Big Ten Championship, Clemson beat SMU 34-31 in the ACC title game, and Arizona State beat Iowa State to win the Big 12. Boise State also emerged victorious by beating UNLV in the Mountain West title game. The four highest-ranked conference champions receive byes in the quarterfinal bowl games, which this season are the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Peach Bowl. Teams seeded Nos. 5-8 host playoff games in the first round, while teams seeded Nos. 9-12 go on the road.

Other Predictions and Comparisons

On3, USA Today, and Bleacher Report all have Tennessee as the No. 9 seed going to No. 8 Penn State. CBS Sports, on the other hand, has the Vols as the No. 9 seed going to No. 8 Ohio State. The Athletic also made the same Tennessee-Ohio State prediction, with No. 1 Oregon awaiting the winner in the Rose Bowl. This shows the diversity of opinions among different sports media outlets, but ESPN's final prediction remains the same. Tennessee's performance and the committee's decisions have led them to this point, and they will now face the challenge of taking on Ohio State in the first round of the playoff.