'I think it's kind of misleading' — Tennessee starter has th...

'I think it's kind of misleading' — Tennessee starter has the appropriate take on Vols' playoff situation and the rest of the season

The Tennessee Vols' playoff hopes almost certainly were snuffed out last Saturday night in Neyland Stadium in a 33-27 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners. That was confirmed by the Vols' placement in the initial 2025 College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday night, which had Tennessee at #25. With the rankings now out and Tennessee's end of the season looking like a mid-to-upper tier non-playoff bowl, Tennessee starting CB Colton Hood was asked on Wednesday how the team stays energized in the world where things are college football or bust for a program like Tennessee, and Hood had a fair response regarding the situation. Tennessee CB Colton Hood says the playoff-or-bust motto is misleading "I think that 'college football playoff or bust' thing, I think it's kind of misleading," Hood said. "As players, of course you don't want to lose. Of course you want to make the playoffs. Of course, that's the goal you set before the season, but each week you want to go out there and play your best regardless of if you're going to make the playoffs or if you're not, if you're just playing in a bowl game. I think each week, regardless of what it's been, we've always been going out there and just trying to be the best version of ourselves. So, I think regardless of what the playoff implications are or anything, we just want to go be our best selves. Given where Tennessee is, that's the response that you want to hear from a player under the circumstances. At this point, all anyone can ask for is that Tennessee puts forth the best version of themselves for the rest of the season. If Tennessee can win in Gainesville for the first time since 2003 and knock Vandy out of playoff consideration (as ironic as those words are), those would be two very memorable accomplishments to build on going into 2026. And making the playoff every season isn't going to happen for any program. Even Alabama under Saban missed the playoff some years. Tennessee made it last year and will miss it this year. The goal is do everything as a program that you can to try to get back there next season. We'll see if the Vols can do their part to make the end of the 2025 season a good starting point for a return to where everyone associated with the Tennessee football program wants it to be.

With the rankings now out and Tennessee's end of the season looking like a mid-to-upper tier non-playoff bowl, Tennessee starting CB Colton Hood was asked on Wednesday how the team stays energized in the world where things are college football or bust for a program like Tennessee, and Hood had a fair response regarding the situation.

Tennessee CB Colton Hood says the playoff-or-bust motto is misleading

"I think that 'college football playoff or bust' thing, I think it's kind of misleading," Hood said. "As players, of course you don't want to lose. Of course you want to make the playoffs. Of course, that's the goal you set before the season, but each week you want to go out there and play your best regardless of if you're going to make the playoffs or if you're not, if you're just playing in a bowl game. I think each week, regardless of what it's been, we've always been going out there and just trying to be the best version of ourselves. So, I think regardless of what the playoff implications are or anything, we just want to go be our best selves.

Given where Tennessee is, that's the response that you want to hear from a player under the circumstances. At this point, all anyone can ask for is that Tennessee puts forth the best version of themselves for the rest of the season. If Tennessee can win in Gainesville for the first time since 2003 and knock Vandy out of playoff consideration (as ironic as those words are), those would be two very memorable accomplishments to build on going into 2026.

And making the playoff every season isn't going to happen for any program. Even Alabama under Saban missed the playoff some years. Tennessee made it last year and will miss it this year. The goal is do everything as a program that you can to try to get back there next season.

We'll see if the Vols can do their part to make the end of the 2025 season a good starting point for a return to where everyone associated with the Tennessee football program wants it to be.