Despite the fact that they lost their primary quarterback to the NCAA transfer portal in April, the Tennessee Vols are optimistic about their chances of returning to the College Football Playoff in 2025.
A three-man quarterback duel between UCLA transfer addition Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and true freshman George MacIntyre will be featured at Tennessee this summer.
If one of those quarterbacks establishes a stronghold on the starting quarterback position and the Vols’ defense performs at the same level as it did in 2024, a return to the College Football Playoff is a distinct possibility.
However, in order to achieve this, the Vols will likely need to defeat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, a feat that Tennessee has not accomplished since 2003.
Tennessee’s most critical contest in 2025 was designated by CBS Sports as the Vols’ road game against Alabama.
The game against Alabama and Tennessee’s road matchup against Florida could be readily conflated. The Vols must essentially secure a return journey to the College Football Playoff by winning either at Alabama or at Florida. The Vols would be required to win all of the remaining games on their schedule in order to secure a position in the 12-team playoff if they lose both of those games. As we observed last season, an SEC team is likely required to go 10-2 during the regular season in order to earn a spot in the playoff.
Josh Heupel’s teams have encountered challenges in winning significant contests on the road. However, this is a challenge that Tennessee must surmount in order to advance as a football program.
Leave a Reply