Tennessee
SEC Network suggests Alabama could make playoff with another loss but not Tennessee
SEC Network analysts raised the bar for Tennessee to make the College Football Playoff and lowered it for Alabama, at least in terms of record.
It happened during a short segment on “SEC Nation” on Saturday, when SEC Network analysts made quite a contrast between the rivals’ potential path to the playoff.
First, CFP analyst Heather Dinich said Alabama would have long odds to make the playoff if it loses to LSU (6-2). But she didn’t completely rule out the Crimson Tide (6-2) if it suffered a third loss.
“The loser of that (Alabama-LSU) game is going to fall out of the immediate playoff picture. But when you look at Alabama, the reason I hesitate to completely eliminate the Tide with a third loss is because of their win against Georgia,” Dinich said. “Consider this: What if Georgia goes on to win the SEC (title) and you’ve got a three-loss Alabama sitting out there with a win against the SEC champs?
“They would obviously be a longshot and still need some teams to lose in front of them. But I want people to remember this: In the past decade, there have been 13 three-loss teams ranked in the committee’s top 10 on selection day.”
OK, so Dinich provided hard data for her analysis. There’s a chance Alabama could make the playoff with three losses.
But where would that scenario leave Tennessee, especially if it suffered a second loss to Georgia next week?
The Vols beat Alabama, and they have a 7-1 record heading into a homecoming game against Mississippi on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
SEC analyst Roman Harper said he doesn’t think Tennessee can lose another game and still make the playoff.
“I think that Tennessee has to win out. That’s a team that scares me because when this thing comes down to being a beauty contest, their schedule might not be the most beautiful contestant out there,” Harper said. “Tennessee is a team that is teetering. Tennessee has to win out because of who they have played and how they look offensively.”
Notably, Harper was an All-SEC player at Alabama.
That being said, Alabama is ranked No. 13 in strength of schedule, according to ESPN.com. Tennessee is ranked No. 33 in strength of schedule.
By the way, SEC analyst Paul Finebaum disagreed with Dinich. He doesn’t think Alabama has a prayer of making the playoff if it loses to LSU.
“I’ll give them no credit if they lose tonight,” Finebaum said. “They’re not going to be able to find their way back.”
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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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Big hearts, small hands! Tennessee kids are stepping up to make a big difference this summer.
First Lady Maria Lee on Tuesday announced the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, encouraging young students to dedicate part of their summer to helping others.
The program, part of the Tennessee Serves initiative, runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders across the state.
Participants must complete at least two hours of service across two of eight designated categories to finish the challenge, with top participants earning an invitation to a September carnival at the Tennessee Residence.
Since its launch in 2019, more than 3,500 children have contributed over 15,000 hours of service through activities ranging from park cleanups to assisting nursing homes and raising funds for disaster relief.
Registration opened Tuesday, with parents and guardians able to sign up participants and access additional details through the First Lady’s official website.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
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