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Can Tennessee Football Still Make the SEC Championship?: An Updated Look at 2026 SEC Standings
sec standings
Photo via Caleb Jarreau | RTI

Tennessee football is now entering its bye week with four games left on the schedule. The Vols host Kentucky, travel to Texas A&M, are back home against LSU and then on the road at Vanderbilt to wrap things up.

Heading into this past Saturday, Tennessee was fully in the driver’s seat for a spot in the SEC Championship game. If the Vols had won out, they’d secure a spot. Now, with a loss at South Carolina, Tennessee may need some help. There is a logjam of teams with two losses, while Kentucky and Georgia sit atop the conference with just one defeat in conference play.

Here are where the standings are at after the slate of games on Saturday, October 24:

1) Kentucky: 5-1 (7-1 overall)

2) Georgia: 4-1 (6-1)

3) Alabama: 4-2 (6-2)

T4) LSU: 3-2 (6-2)

T4) Tennessee: 3-2 (6-2)

T4) Florida: 3-2 (5-2)

T4) Ole Miss: 3-2 (5-2)

T8) Missouri: 2-2 (5-2)

T8) Texas: 2-2 (5-2)

T8) Oklahoma: 2-2 (4-3)

T11) Auburn: 2-3 (4-3)

T11) Mississippi State: 2-3 (4-3)

T11) South Carolina: 2-3 (4-3)

14) Arkansas: 1-3 (3-4)

15) Texas A&M: 1-4 (4-4)

16) Vanderbilt: 0-5 (3-5)

According to FanDuel, Tennessee has the eighth-best odds in the conference to win the SEC title despite being tied for fourth place. The Vols are behind Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas, Kentucky and Florida in that order. You can get UT at +2500.

Other teams with listed odds that are behind Tennessee include Oklahoma, Missouri, Auburn, Mississippi State and South Carolina. Starting at Auburn, the odds dramatically increase, though.

Tennessee doesn’t need to make the SEC title game to make the College Football Playoffs, though. If the Vols win out, they’ll finish at 10-2 (7-2 SEC). That would almost certainly be enough to get Tennessee into the 12-team field.

UT has +6500 odds to win the national title. That trails Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, Indiana, LSU, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, Florida, Utah and BYU. It is noteably ahead of Kentucky, UCLA, Wake Forest, Missouri and Texas Tech.

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