Checkpoint: What Tennessee Football MUST DO To Make College Football Playoff

Tennessee Volunteers hit their open week at 6-2, sparking debate: is meeting preseason expectations enough, or should Vols fans demand more? Missed opportunities—like the heartbreaking loss at South Carolina—hang over a season where George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon have battled for the starting quarterback spot, and Josh Heupel’s squad flashes a championship-caliber defense but wrestles with penalty issues and offensive inconsistency.

Eric Cain and guest Josh Ward break down Tennessee’s playoff path, analyzing the quarterback dilemma, the offensive line’s progress, and the defense’s surprising strength. Can the Vols win out against Kentucky, Texas A&M, LSU, and Vanderbilt to control their College Football Playoff destiny, or will one more stumble prove costly? Listener insights, playoff predictor scenarios, and a candid look at what’s next for Tennessee football fuel this checkpoint episode as Neyland Stadium prepares for a pivotal November stretch.

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