KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After completing a 10-win regular season with a 36-23 win over Vanderbilt, Tennessee football comes in at No. 7 in the penultimate College Football Playoff Committee Rankings released on Tuesday night. 

The Volunteers (10-2, 6-2 SEC) secured a second-place tie in the 16-team SEC standings after being picked seventh at SEC Media Day. Tennessee owns a win over current No. 11 Alabama, and both of the Vols’ losses came on the road at night in games decided in the fourth quarter. 

It’s the 17th consecutive time that Tennessee has appeared in the College Football Playoff rankings dating back to 2022. 

The Vols now officially await their first College Football Playoff berth on Sunday. The CFP selection show airs at noon ET on ESPN. First-round on-campus games are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 (one game) and Saturday, Dec. 21 (three games), with sites and game times to be determined on Sunday. The Friday game time is 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN. The Saturday game times are noon on TNT, 4 p.m. on TNT and 8 p.m. on ABC and ESPN. 

College Football Playoff Rankings (Dec. 3)
1. Oregon (12-0)
2. Texas (11-1)
3. Penn State (11-1)
4. Notre Dame (11-1)
5. Georgia (10-2)
6. Ohio State (10-2)
7. Tennessee (10-2)
8. SMU (11-1)
9. Indiana (11-1)
10. Boise State (11-1)  
11. Alabama (9-3)
12. Miami (10-2)
13. Ole Miss (9-3)
14. South Carolina (9-3)
15. Arizona State (10-2)
16. Iowa State (10-2)
17. Clemson (9-3)
18. BYU (10-2)
19. Missouri (9-3)
20. UNLV (10-2)
21. Illinois (9-3)
22. Syracuse (9-3)
23. Colorado (9-3)
24. Army (10-1)
25. Memphis (10-2)