Despite big win, Vegas doesn’t see Tennessee as national title contenders

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The Tennessee Volunteers just had their biggest win of the last two decades this past Saturday, upsetting Alabama in a thriller at Neyland Stadium. It was the game of the year in College Football thus far, and it was enough to bump Tennessee all the way up to #3 in the AP Poll. The Volunteers have some of the most impressive wins of the season to this point, so they should be viewed as legitimate national championship contenders, right?

Well, according to Vegas, not so fast my friends *Lee Corso voice*. Despite their massive win over Alabama, Tennessee is still listed as 20/1 to win the National Championship. Now, those are the sixth-best odds out of all the teams, but considering all that the Vols have already accomplished, Vegas is basically begging people to lay money on Tennessee to win it all. And if you don’t believe me, Alabama is currently listed at just +450 to win the national championship, meaning Vegas thinks the Crimson Tide are still more than four times as likely to win it all than Tennessee, even after this past week.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t believe Tennessee is the best team in the country. In fact, had they played Alabama on a neutral field, they probably would have lost. With that being said, this is unquestionably the most wide open year since the College Football Playoff was implemented. Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson all have their flaws. It feels like there are legitimately seven or eight teams that could win it all, and Tennessee is one of them. At 20/1, I think they are worth a little sprinkle. Because even if they lose to Georgia on the road, they have a chance to sneak into the College Football Playoff as a one-loss SEC team with several ultra-impressive wins on their resumé. 

Photo: John Korduner/Icon Sportswire

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