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Here are 7 ways that Tennessee can make the College Football Playoff

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Here are 7 ways that Tennessee can make the College Football Playoff


After Tennessee fans shook off their disappointment from a loss to Georgia, they realized that a College Football Playoff bid is still within reach.

But the Vols (8-2) will need to beat UTEP (2-8) on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) and Vanderbilt (6-4) on Nov. 30. And then they’ll need help from other teams.

The updated College Football Playoff rankings will be released on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).

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Tennessee will be a bubble team and clustered along with several others for one of the final spots. So UT fans will have a rooting interest in other games.

Here are seven ways the Vols could make it into the 12-team playoff.

Ole Miss loses to Florida

Ole Miss (8-2), Georgia (8-2), Alabama (8-2) and Tennessee have the same record and a head-to-head win against another team in the foursome. So any loss by a team in this group helps the others.

Ole Miss plays Florida (5-5) at The Swamp on Saturday (noon ET, ABC). The Rebels are favored. But the Gators are rejuvenated after beating LSU behind dynamic freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.

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UT fans should root for Lane Kiffin to lose. That shouldn’t be hard.

Ohio State blows out Indiana

Indiana (10-0) plays at Ohio State (9-1) on Saturday (noon ET, FOX). Tennessee could benefit from a blowout by either team. But an Ohio State win by a wide margin seems more likely.

Indiana is undefeated, but it has a weak schedule and no Top 25 wins.

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If the Hoosiers lose to Ohio State in a blowout, it would feed skepticism about their legitimacy and perhaps push them out of the bracket.

UT fans should root for Ohio State to rout Indiana.

Notre Dame loses to Army or USC

If Notre Dame (9-1) wins out, it will make the field. But considering it already has an ugly loss to Northern Illinois, another defeat likely would bury the Irish.

Notre Dame plays undefeated Army (9-0) on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, NBC) and then Southern Cal (5-5) on Nov. 30.

UT fans should practice patriotism and root for Army to win.

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Texas-Texas A&M winner loses SEC title game

Texas (9-1) plays at Texas A&M (8-2) on Nov. 30. If both avoid an upset this week (against Kentucky and Auburn, respectively), the winner of their Lone Star State showdown would advance to the SEC title game.

Suppose Texas A&M beats Texas but loses the SEC title game for its third loss. There would be a good debate between the Aggies and Vols based on résumé.

Suppose Texas beats Texas A&M but loses the SEC title game for its second loss. Texas doesn’t have a Top 25 win, so its résumé may be weaker than Tennessee’s in that scenario.

There’s a solid chance that Alabama advances to the SEC championship game based on a series of tiebreakers. If Alabama wins the SEC title, the Vols would own a victory over the conference champion, strengthening their résumé.

UT fans should root against a Texas school in the SEC title game to create chaos.

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Penn State loses to Minnesota or Maryland

Penn State has a strong ranking but a weak schedule. And it lost 20-13 to Ohio State in its only game against a Top 25 opponent.

So another loss would drop Penn State precipitously.

The Nittany Lions play at Minnesota (6-4) on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS) and against Maryland (4-6) on Nov. 30.

UT fans should root for Penn State to lose either game.

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Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss lose rivalry games

On Nov. 29, Ole Miss plays Mississippi State (2-8) in the Egg Bowl, and Georgia plays Georgia Tech (6-4) in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry game. On Nov. 30, Alabama plays Auburn (4-6) in the Iron Bowl.

If any of the favorites loses its rivalry game, Tennessee would jump ahead of it. However, all three will be playing at home, making those upsets unlikely.

Nevertheless, UT should root for upsets in those rivalry games.

Tennessee is still in the field

Don’t assume that Tennessee will be outside the bracket when it’s released on Tuesday.

Most media projections list the Vols as the first team out, but a few others have them making the field — barely.

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That disagreement is a good reminder that these rankings are subjective. Any of these scenarios could put the Vols back in the bracket, but they still might be in it with no assistance needed.

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.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.





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Tennessee

Hints of drama, yet hope for future as new city commission takes reins in Millersville, Tennessee

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Hints of drama, yet hope for future as new city commission takes reins in Millersville, Tennessee


WTVF

May 20, 2024: Meet Millersville’s conspiracy cop. He imagines sinister plots involving some of the country’s most prominent political figures. Taylor recently landed in Millersville as assistant police chief, promising to root out the corruption he sees there. You can continue reading at this hyperlink.

May 22, 2024: The controversy over Millersville’s conspiracy cop has now become the latest scandal rocking the tiny town just north of Nashville. Now, two city commissioners want a special meeting to figure out how Shawn Taylor landed his job. You can continue reading Part Two at this link.

May 24, 2024:  An attorney for Millersville conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor has told Millersville’s city commission, whom he also represents, that they should not question the assistant police chief’s bizarre theories or psychological fitness. You can read more of this installment at this link.

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May 28, 2024: New podcast video, uncovered by NewsChannel 5 Investigates, reveals how Shawn Taylor spread false and dangerous conspiracy theories about last year’s Covenant School shooting that left three students and three staff members dead. You can click here to review that story.

May 28, 2024: Anna Caudill agreed to watch the video of Shawn Taylor knowing there might be only so much she could handle. Among the three children and three adults killed that day was her friend, Katherine Koonce. You can read more of Anna’s story by tapping on this link.

Anna Caudill and Phil Williams.jpeg

Phil Williams/WTVF

“So we’ll start this and then, when you’ve had enough you just stop it”

June 3, 2024: First, he went after Millersville’s former mayor. Now, the town’s assistant police chief says his two critics on the city commission could be next. Shawn Taylor made those comments as he turned to a group of far-right podcasters to defend himself. Tap this link to read from those Taylor’s accused.

June 4, 2024: Millersville officials are standing with their assistant police chief and his bizarre conspiracy theories regarding Nashville’s Covenant School shooting. Read how this meeting played out at this link.

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June 5, 2024: Bryant Kroll wears a lot of hats. He’s the attorney representing the embattled City of Millersville. He also represents Mayor Tommy Long, who faces accusations of misconduct in an ouster suit. Plus, he’s the attorney for Bryan Morris and Shawn Taylor. To understand the role he plays, you can read that here.

June 6, 2024: In Shawn Taylor’s world — in the immortal words of Taylor Swift — “I’m the problem, it’s me.” I explain how we got here in this piece,  which you can click on here.

June 18, 2024: Millersville’s conspiracy cop now has his very own conspiracy-minded attorney. Now, our NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Todd Callender’s own theories are sometimes even more far-fetched than Taylor’s twisted view of the world. Click here to read more about Shawn Taylor’s attorney.

July 15, 2024:  What happens when you give people with bizarre conspiracy theories a gun and a badge? Secret recordings from inside the troubled Millersville Police Department provide a sobering answer to that question. Read more on this investigation by tapping here.

Team Mongoose Group Pic.jpg

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Team pic shared by Shawn Taylor

July 22, 2024: In an explosive new development that could bring new trouble for the already-troubled Millersville Police Department, a key player in a child-predator sting says the lead detective on that operation lied under oath. You can read more about that by clicking here.

July 23, 2024: District Attorney General Robert Nash has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the Millersville Police Department’s handling of a child predator sting, including possible perjury by the lead detective. You can read more about that by tapping here.

July 29, 2024:  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has expanded its probe of the embattled Millersville Police Department, now looking into allegations that officials may have used sensitive law enforcement data to investigate their political enemies. Read more about that by clicking here.

August 5, 2024: With the Millersville Police Department now the focus of a TBI investigation, NewsChannel 5 Investigates has uncovered new questions about the stories that conspiracy cop Shawn Taylor tells about himself. You can catch up on the investigation by tapping here.

August 12, 2024: In a perplexing pair of podcast interviews, the Millersville chief of police says the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has begun limiting his department’s access to certain sensitive law enforcement data. Read more about this latest development here.

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August 26, 2024: He has helped to fuel some of the wild conspiracy theories inside the troubled Millersville Police Department. He is a self-proclaimed pedophile hunter who believes America is controlled by what he calls “a satanic cult masquerading as Jews.” Read more about Craig Sawyer by clicking here.

Craig Sawyer on InfoWars.jpeg

Screengrab taken of InfoWars

Craig Sawyer announces the formation of Veterans for Child Rescue on Alex Jones’ show on InfoWars.

August 27, 2024: Craig Sawyer’s response to my investigation illustrates how conspiracy theorists frequently use wild accusations and blustery language to avoid giving real answers about their bizarre beliefs. Tap here to watch as we dissect his 90-minute diatribe.

September 4, 2024: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Millersville Police Department and Shawn Taylor’s home, executing a pair of search warrants as the criminal investigation into the troubled agency enters a dramatic new phase. Read more about this new twist in the Millersville investigation.

TBI removes boxes from Millersville PD.jpeg

James Garbee/WTVF

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TBI agents load up boxes of evidence seized from the Millersville Police Department on Sept. 4, 2024.

September 10, 2024: “No, a TBI agent didn’t pee in Shawn Taylor’s tub, agency says in response to Taylor’s latest claim.” The headline says it all. Click here.

September 19, 2024: QAnon-aligned voices of the far right are threatening retaliation against a judge, a district attorney and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents for their roles in the recent Millersville raids. Details posted here.

October 7, 2024: A well-known Arizona election denier says his group — working through Millersville’s conspiracy-minded assistant police chief — gained access to a highly confidential federal database that tracks Americans’ banking transactions and other financial data. Read the exclusive story here.

October 22, 2024: Two key GOP lawmakers – the chairman and a member of the state House committee that oversees the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – recently warned the agency that it could face “unnecessary political fallout” if it does not end its criminal probe into the troubled Millersville Police Department. You can read the letter here.

October 24, 2024: A letter from two GOP lawmakers, which appeared to threaten the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for its probe of the Millersville Police Department, was the “wrong way to go,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said. But there is more to the speaker’s reaction.

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December 9, 2024: Shawn Taylor, the conspiracy-minded cop now at the center of a criminal investigation, has resigned from his position as assistant chief for the Millersville Police Department after less than a year on the job. Read more here.





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Tennessee looks like a heavyweight

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Tennessee looks like a heavyweight


Tennessee’s 84-36 win over Western Carolina tonight was a textbook, pre-Christmas non-conference blowout. The Vols looked how you’d expect the No. 1 team in the nation to look against a 3-6 Southern Conference team, barely breaking a sweat in a 48 point win.



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New York Jets Interview Former Tennessee Titans General Manger for Opening

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New York Jets Interview Former Tennessee Titans General Manger for Opening


The New York Jets offseason is going to be a busy one with all of the vacancies that they have to fill.

Before even worrying about the roster, they need a new regime in place to lead the football operations. While head coaching interviews will begin in a few weeks, the process to replace general manager Joe Douglas on a full-time basis has already started.

The team is going to cast a wide net when it comes to candidates, looking far and wide for the next person to lead the front office.

One of the more popular names that has been linked to the opening so far is Jon Robinson, who completed his interview with the team on Tuesday. The Jets have decided to announce when interviews are completed.

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On Monday, New York announced it had interviewed former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick is also reportedly on the list of initial interviews.

He has prior experience in the position, as he served as general manager with the Tennessee Titans from 2016 through 2022, as he was fired on December 6 of that year.

During his tenure with the franchise, the team had a good amount of success on the field. Under his watch, the Titans were 66-48, winning at least nine games in every campaign before 2022, when they finished with seven.

Tennessee four times, advancing to the AFC Championship Game during the 2019 season before being defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs.

In the Wild Card Round, they went into Gillette Stadium and defeated the New England Patriots in what ended up being Tom Brady’s last game as their starting quarterback before heading to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Robinson has the kind of track record and experience that could appeal to New York given the current situation of the franchise. Whoever takes this job could be staring down a lengthy rebuild, and someone with experience might be able to navigate things a little more smoothly.

Hiring him could also make the Jets a more appealing landing spot for Mike Vrabel, who was the head coach of the Titans during the last five years of Robinson’s time with the team.

The two proved they could build a successful football program and would bring the kind of pedigree that could help get New York back on track after suffering their nine straight losing years and their playoff drought reaching 14 seasons.



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