If Tennessee rout of Kentucky doesn't get CFP committee's attention, nothing will

Tennessee football is winning in an old school style that the College Football Playoff committee simply can’t ignore.

It’s dominant defense. It’s a power running game that takes time to break through. And quite frankly, it can look like a boring brand of college football in an era where flashy offense gets more attention.

It perhaps doesn't gain the attention that it deserves, but that perspective should end with this latest performance.

The 16th-ranked Vols (7-2, 4-2 SEC) hammered No. 7 Kentucky (7-2, 5-2) for a 34-6 win on Nov. 7 at Neyland Stadium. It was a close, low-scoring game until UT scored 24 unanswered points in the second half.

If the College Football Playoff committee stay tuned until the end, it should've come away with a newfound respect for UT’s unique brand on dominance.

Coach Josh Heupel described it with his frequently used boxing analogy. He said UT delivers “body blows” in the early rounds to weaken its opponents and then lands a knockout punch.

This overwhelming win over Kentucky was similar to how Tennessee beat No. 9 Alabama, 26-10, on Oct. 17. In that game, the Vols pounded the Crimson Tide with a physical style before breaking through with 14 straight points in the second half.

That’s significant because wins over Kentucky and Alabama provide Tennessee’s best evidence that it belongs in the 12-team playoff, and not by a small margin.

How far will Tennessee climb in College Football Playoff rankings?

Kentucky was ranked No. 6 in the first CFP poll, and Tennessee was ranked No. 13.

In Week 10, three teams just ahead of the Vols lost. No. 8 BYU lost to No. 3 Utah. No. 10 Ole Miss lost to No. 2 Georgia. And No. 12 Ohio State lost to No. 23 Oregon. Plus, Kentucky should fall behind UT.

That means Tennessee should move up at least four spots when the updated CFP rankings are released on Nov. 10 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). And it should reignite the debate over whether UT should jump ahead of Alabama (7-2, 5-2), which it beat handily head-to-head.

There wasn’t much discussion about the playoff after the Kentucky game. The Vols know they have three games remaining, and they may need to win all of them to ensure a CFP bid.

Next up is a road game at Texas A&M (4-5, 1-5) on Nov. 14 (3 or 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“We do a good job of staying week-to-week and focus on who we’re playing against,” quarterback George MacIntyre said. “Obviously, we saw the rankings and that Kentucky was ranked ahead of us. If anything, we use it as motivation. But it’s not that big of a deal in the locker room, especially at this point in the season. It’ll become a daily topic later in the year.”

Vols are a consistent team among inconsistent CFP contenders

But this win over Kentucky should demonstrate why Tennessee belongs deep in the 12-game bracket. It’s consistent in a way that most playoff teams aren’t in this topsy-turvy season.

With a dominant defense, UT has held five of its six SEC opponents to 20 points or less. Only South Carolina made a late surge to beat UT 27-24.

And the Vols always find a way to run the ball effectively, even if the job takes until the fourth quarter. They’ve rushed for at least 150 yards in five consecutive games. Against Kentucky, 134 of their 240 yards rushing came in the second half.

Tennessee’s brand of football might not be as marketable to the CFP committee because it lacks an established star quarterback. For now, MacIntyre and freshman Faizon Brandon are teaming up to get the job done.

The Vols don’t have a budding star like Alabama’s Keelon Russell or a veteran transfer like Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey. But they beat both quarterbacks by sacking them nine times and forcing five turnovers between Russell and Minchey.

If that doesn’t earn the respect of the CFP committee, nothing will.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: If Tennessee rout of Kentucky doesn't get CFP committee's attention, nothing will