ESPN's latest College Football Playoff projection has the Tennessee Vols playing a tough road game in the first round

It's still way too early to know what the College Football Playoff bracket will look like -- the last two months of the regular season feel like they're going to be wild -- but ESPN still gave us a look this week at what the postseason picture would look like if the playoff started today.

For now, ESPN has the Tennessee Vols as one of the last teams in the 12-team playoff.

Tennessee is ranked No. 11 in ESPN's latest playoff projection.

"The Vols had a bye week, but the overtime road win at Mississippi State and the season-opening win against Syracuse are keeping them in contention right now," wrote ESPN's Heather Dinich. "The 45-26 win against the Orange is better than some other contenders' nonconference wins -- and the committee will know it came against a healthy starting quarterback, Steve Angeli."

ESPN's latest College Football Playoff projection has Tennessee playing a tough road game in the first round

Because ESPN has Texas Tech, the projected Big 12 champ, currently ranked at No. 10, the Vols would be the No. 11 seed in the playoff bracket (with Memphis, the projected American Conference champ, at No. 12).

As a result, ESPN has Tennessee playing on the road against the No. 6 seed in the first round. Which, in this case, would mean a road matchup in Tuscaloosa against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

That certainly wouldn't be an ideal scenario for the Vols after playing the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus in the first round last season.

But Tennessee still has plenty of time to improve their playoff résumé. The Vols, for example, will play Alabama in Tuscaloosa later this month. If Tennessee can get a win in that game, the Vols will likely switch places with Alabama in ESPN's playoff projection (the Vols have to take care of business this week against Arkansas, though).

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