By all accounts, the Tennessee Vols have had a really really good 2022 football season thus far. They have their first win against Bama since 2007. They've got a Heisman finalist candidate in QB Hendon Hooker. And they currently sit fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings. All this good though isn't going to be enough to push them over the top to make the playoffs.
You can argue that Tennessee has done amazing things on offense this year. And you'd be right. But has what they've done on offense this year been outweighed by how bad their defense has been this season? They are 85th in the country total defense, and 125th in the country in passing yards allowed per game. To be considered amongst the elite teams in college football this season, shouldn't that number be considerably lower?
When it comes to the final CFP rankings, all things should be considered when taking into account Tennessee's 2022 season. Yes, they have wins vs several top 25 teams. Have the been consistently dominant on both sides of the football though, like a UGA, or a Michigan, or a TCU?
In today's Steakhouse, Mark Zinno and Jon Chuckery answer that very question - should Tennessee be in that final four? And if it's not the Vols, will it be Southern Cal, LSU, or another team? You can hear that audio below.