Tuesday saw another round of roundtable conversations as the College Football Playoff committee released its second list. In a classic Diego Pavia fashion, Vanderbilt made a comeback. Placed No. 16th last Tuesday, they have made a two-spot jump in the latest rankings. Now, they’re getting a media push from Mr. SEC himself.

Despite two losses against Alabama and Texas, Paul Finebaum believes that Vanderbilt is coming off as a strong playoff contender. During a conversation with Heather Dinich and Mike Greenberg, he remarked on the No. 14 Commodores’ posing a playoff threat to other programs. “There’s one more team to think about. And that’s Vanderbilt. After coming off significant SEC losses, which gave a huge blow to their playoff contention, the upcoming game against Tennessee might give them a chance to return to the fast lane. “Yes, I said it. Vanderbilt could end up 10-2 with a last weekend win at Tennessee,” he added.

Yesterday, in an appearance on the Matt Barrie show, he stressed the same. If Pavia wins, against a ‘likely 9-3 team,’ it might boost their chances. With a two-game schedule remaining, against Kentucky and Tennessee, Finebaum believes that “They’ll (Vanderbilt) be on the bubble.”

On the other hand, along with Vanderbilt, Finebaum believes that No. 10 Texas’s remaining slate might redeem the Longhorns’ chances for a strong playoff contender, putting forth that Texas could reach the playoffs with a (if) three-game loss. Strength of schedule and Longhorn’s quality of competition summed up his reasons. “I think they would dwarf anyone else for consideration with three losses and quite frankly quite a few with two because of the schedule.” Calling Arch Manning’s roster a wildcard, he concluded his argument. Presently, they are ranked No. 10.

Along with Vanderbilt and Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Miami are other two-loss teams in the top 15. For Miami, they must win their remaining games against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. The Panthers are coming off a decent season, with two defeats. Already, losses to the Louisville Cardinals and SMU had done more damage as Miami’s win over Notre Dame was not included in the first playoff rankings. However, after winning over Syracuse, they have jumped three spots since last Tuesday’s report.

On the other hand, No. 11 Oklahoma’s upsetting loss to Texas and Ole Miss impacted their playoff chances. Moving on, they face a threat from No. 4 Alabama, a program that has more than emotionally recovered from their season-opener loss, going undefeated since then. Notre Dame is another playoff contender, sitting at No. 9, a one-spot jump since last Tuesday. The Trojans, Michigan Wolverines, Virginia Cavaliers, and Cardinals are other 2-loss teams placed in the latter half of the Top 25 rankings.

However, it’s Vanderbilt’s schedule and the optimism beating Tennessee and Kentucky that provides a push for them to make it to the postseason slate.

Can Vanderbilt beat Tennessee?

The Vanderbilt-Tennessee game series dates back a century. It was in 1892, they played their first game, resulting in the Commodores’ victory, 22-4. ver the last six years, the Commodores haven’t been successful in beating the Vols. But with a dual-threat QB in Pavia, the Commodores have witnessed a major locker room shakeup, lined up with transfer portal veterans.

Since June, Diego Pavia has been confident of beating the Tennessee Vols. “Vanderbilt’s going to run Tennessee after this year.” But then again, wasn’t he also unsure about defeating Alabama?

Joey Aguilar’s offense led the Vols to a decent season, with three losses against ranked opponents in Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Although Vols top the charts in total offensive yards, However, the defense can prove an issue. They are ranked No. 56 in defensive SP+, along with No. 95th in points per allowed. Pavia’s No. 10-ranked offense may take advantage of that.

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