Tennessee is only two years removed from touting a College Football Playoff caliber team, but it happened in the wrong format and the wrong season.

The 2022 Vols would’ve hosted Kansas State in a first-round playoff game if the bracket had already expanded to 12 teams.

So breaking into the CFP this season isn’t a pipe dream. It could happen, and here’s how.

Tennessee football’s best-case scenario in 2024?

Vols host College Football Playoff game

In a 12-team playoff, the four highest-ranked conference champions will get a first-round bye. The next four seeds will host the bottom four seeds in the first round.

UT could host a first-round game at Neyland Stadium by being the second-best or perhaps third-best team in the SEC. That would mean an 11-1 record and likely trip to the SEC title game or maybe a 10-2 record.

If the Vols beat NC State, split the Oklahoma and Alabama games and lose to Georgia, then a playoff bid likely would be in cards. Whether that meant a home game would depend on the resumes of other playoff teams.

TENNESSEE 2024 SEASON PREDICTIONS Game-by-game picks for Vols

Beat Alabama in Neyland Stadium again

UT had already shown that it could reverse the curse of Nick Saban when it beat Alabama in 2022, which triggered an unforgettable fan-storming at Neyland Stadium.

So why couldn’t the Vols defeat an Alabama team coached by Kalen DeBoer?

It could be quite the matchup in the third Saturday in October.

To that point, Alabama will be favored in every game except a home tilt against Georgia. So the Crimson Tide could be 5-1 or 6-0 and ranked in the top 10 when it travels to Knoxville.

That would make a win over Alabama that much sweeter for the Vols.

Double Heisman buzz, even for a short time

UT quarterback Nico Iamaleava has gotten preseason Heisman Trophy buzz despite starting only one game as a freshman last season.

And UT edge rusher James Pearce was ranked the No. 1 player in college football by ESPN.com.

Don’t pencil in either for the New York ceremony just yet. But there’s a plausible scenario where both players could earn Heisman consideration during the season, even for a short time.

If UT’s offense returns to its record-breaking production of 2021 and 2022, Iamaleava would rack up eye-popping stats. And although defensive players rarely get Heisman attention, Pearce could grab the spotlight temporarily with multiple sacks in UT’s key games.

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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A Tennessee mom says she doesn’t want to volunteer in her kids’ classrooms or for their extracurricular activities — and said she’s “found her community” after posting a video on TikTok explaining that she’s a proud “Venmo mom.”

“I don’t know about anyone else out there, but ‘Meet the Teacher’ is super stressful because I do not want to be involved at all,” Casey Neal, 31 and a mother of four, said in her video that has grabbed at least 450,000 views. 

“I will make sure my kids obviously do their homework and get to school on time … but I don’t want to be on PTO, PTA, room mom, team mom — I don’t want to do any of that.”

Neal indicated that when the start of a school year or sports season rolls around, she gets ready to duck.

“I start getting real stressed when they start asking for volunteers,” Neal said in her video. 

“I’m like, ‘Oh no, I know they’re judging me because I’m not raising my hand,’ but I don’t want to do all that extra sh–,” she said. “I don’t want to come in. I don’t want to set up.”

But she’s more than happy to Venmo money to help with whatever is needed, she said.

“If the room mom needs money for everyone to participate, fine. I’ll Venmo money right over,” Neal said in her video. 

“I do not want to set up for it. I don’t want to do it.”

This year, to avoid the stress, she said she made that perfectly clear to all the classroom and team organizers. 

Neal and her husband have four kids — ages 11, 7, 5 and 3 — who are involved in all kinds of activities, such as cheerleading, baseball, football and more.

“I even told one of the coaches today that I am a ‘Venmo mom,’” Neal said.

Neal, who worked as a district manager and ran five stores for Andy’s Frozen Custard until moving to Knoxville this year, said her job made it difficult for her to attend school functions during the work day. 

And that didn’t seem to sit well with some people.

“When I wasn’t as involved as the other moms, I didn’t feel very welcome in certain situations,” Neal told Fox News Digital. 

“My two youngest, they went to a private school before we moved, and they had a bike day, where you brought their bike or their scooter, and [some people] were like, ‘Oh, you’re not staying?’ Or, ‘Oh, you’re not staying for the party?’ I’m thinking, ‘Does nobody work anymore?’”

Neal said she also had a bad experience with some cheer moms a couple of years ago. 

“Their practices are two to three hours long,” Neal said. 

“So I just come back and pick up [her daughter] when practice is over. There was a mom who was talking very poorly of me, and this is one of the practices I happened to go to. When she realized I was there, her face dropped. There was even a dad there who was, like, ‘Not cool.’”

Said Neal, “I don’t need that drama in my life or in my kids’ life.”

“We’re here to set examples, and if they’re talking poorly in front of all the parents, I’m sure some kids heard some stuff. I just don’t think that’s necessary.”

That’s when Neal realized she could avoid all the trouble and still help out by donating her money rather than her time. 

Thousands of people agreed with her — all for their own reasons.

“I’ll literally pay for the entire event, just don’t make me actually go,” one viewer of Neal’s video said. 

“This is so me. Just let me know how much money and I will send it,” another viewer said. 

“As an introvert, please don’t ask me. I’ll send all the money and cheer in the audience, though,” another person commented.

“This. Can we normalize this?” another person commented. 

“You need door prizes, meals donated, crafts? I’ll drop it at the office. I’m not staying,” another viewer stated.

What’s even more validating, Neal told Fox News Digital, are the comments of appreciation for “Venmo moms” by the ones organizing the events.

“There is a place for everyone,” one viewer commented. 

“As a room mom and team mom, I can’t thank you enough for being a Venmo mom,” someone else added.

“As a room mom, I love Venmo moms,” another viewer said.

Neal said she now has a community of moms who are supportive of this behind-the-scenes role.

“Not to sound cheesy, but I just thought it was really beautiful,” Neal said. 

“Never did I think my rant would go off. But the comments and women supporting each other in the comments and supporting me meant a lot. It takes all kinds of people doing all kinds of things,” she added.

“We’re all there for the same reason. We just contribute in different ways. I just thought it was really beautiful and positive.”

There were a few who disagreed with the notion of not giving time to an important cause, such as a child’s education experience or extracurricular activities — and they didn’t mind saying so.

“I do want to be involved [because] I wish my mom was when I was a kid,” one viewer commented. 

“Your kids would love to see you helping,” someone else said.

“I was a Venmo mom until I lost my son last year. This year I’m doing everything to be involved in my daughter’s life. Every moment counts,” another user wrote.

Others said that they didn’t really want to volunteer their time — but they’re willing to take one for the team.

“As a new PTA president, I don’t want to do it either, yet here we are,” another said. 

“I don’t want to either. I do it to make sure my kids have the best experience [they] can. It’s not really about me at all,” someone else commented. 

“My thoughts are if everyone felt like that, then the kids would have a sh—- experience in school,” another person said. 

“So I suck it up and volunteer so the kids can have fun or whatever else it’s for.”

Neal said her kids love seeing her in the stands and they know she’s there to support them in all their activities.

“I love being on the sidelines. That, for me, is the biggest thing,” said Neal. 

“But as far as being in charge, being a team mom, a room mom, I’m just not good at planning, and there are people who want to do that. I will get a teacher whatever they need to make them successful, to help make the class successful, but I just don’t want to be in charge.”

Neal added, “And the teen moms, they seem to have it under control. They don’t need me.”

Instead of a winter wonderland, Tennessee — along with the rest of the United States — is expected to experience a wet whirlwind, according to the 208th edition of the Farmers’ Almanac. The 2024-2025 winter weather outlook calls for a winter season full of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow for most regions.

The outlook predicts a cold, wet winter for most locations. Average or above normal temperatures are forecast for New England, the Northeast, the Southern Plains, the Southeast and the Atlantic Coast regions.

“It definitely looks more wet than white in many areas,” Farmers’ Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan told USA TODAY. “Obviously, depending on where you live, there might be more white than wet, but we’re focusing in on the wet winter ahead.”

Here’s what lies ahead regarding winter weather.

What does the Farmers’ Almanac say about the 2024-2025 winter outlook in Tennessee?

As previously reported by USA TODAY, the Farmers’ Almanac predicts that Southeast states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) are expected to be “mild and wet” overall.

“But that doesn’t mean they will escape Old Man Winter,” added Duncan.

Tennessee will experience a hotter and wetter than average winter season, according to the National Weather Service

According to the Climate Prediction Center, Tennessee will experience above average temperatures (33-40%) with parts of the Middle Tennessee region experiencing above average precipitation (33-40%) during December, January and February.

“There is still a 60-67% chance that either near normal or below normal temperatures are experienced, but our best prediction is that we’ll exceed the monthly temperature averages,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist, Ryan Husted.

In December, Nashville experiences average highs of 52, average lows of 33 and an average precipitation of 4.43 inches. In January, the area normally sees highs of 49, lows of 30 and an average precipitation of 4 inches. Then in February, things gradually begin to heat up with average high of 54, lows of 33 and an average precipitation of 4.47 inches.

Most of the Southeastern United States is typically favored for above normal temperatures, due to La Niña, the periodic cooling of sea-surface temperatures, added Husted.

How will La Niña impact weather weather in Tennessee?

Low pressure systems generally move north of the area during La Niña conditions, which often keeps Tennessee in the area of warmer temperatures, providing fuel for thunderstorms, said Husted.

The probabilities for the Volunteer State to experience a major winter event like snow or ice are lower, however extreme winter events can never be ruled out. For example, the winters of 2022-2023 (a La Niña winter) and 2023-2024 both experienced above normal temperatures yet they still came with a “substantial” cold snap, said Husted.

“We all remember these single winter events but often forget how warm the rest of the winter is,” Husted told the Tennessean in an email. “… We speak in general terms for the season and are unable to predict single weather events and their exact timing until they have formed and are approaching us, usually a few days away.”

Will Nashville receive snow this winter?

It is currently impossible to predict how much snow Nashville will receive this season, said Husted. Based on previous snowfall events, Music City favors normal (4.7 inches) and below normal snowfall during La Niña winters.

The winters of 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 were all La Niña winters, and they received 5.2 inches of snow (near normal), 9.5 inches of snow (above normal) and 1.2 inches of snow (below normal), respectively.

How much snow did the Nashville area receive last winter?

In January, Nashville experienced record breaking snowfall, receiving its yearly average of snow in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday, Jan. 16, the weather service confirmed Nashville’s official snowfall accumulation was 7.6 inches, with the majority of it (6.3 inches) falling on Monday alone.

Surrounding areas were covered under an even thicker blanket of snow. Kingston Springs, Gallatin and Hendersonville received eight inches while Belle Meade, Berry HIll and Oak Hill received nine inches.

Record snowfall in Nashville? Music City surpasses yearly average in less than 24 hours

Nashville’s top five snowstorms:

1. March 16-18, 1892: 17 inches
2. Feb. 2-3, 1886: 16 inches
3. Feb. 20-21, 1929: 15 inches
4. Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 1951: 12 inches
5. Feb. 6-9, 1979: 11 inches

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana