As No. 7 Tennessee prepares for a trip to No. 12 Georgia on Saturday, the status of starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is emerging as a swing factor for a game that will have massive ramifications in the College Football Playoff race. Iamaleava has been in concussion protocol this week, per multiple reports, after missing the second half of the Volunteers' Week 11 win against Mississippi State.
CFP selection committee chair Warde Manuel said Tuesday night that Iamaleava's injury "had nothing to do" with the committee's decision to hold Tennessee steady at No. 7 this week.
But Iamaleava's health should absolutely factor in to how the committee views the Vols moving forward.
In fact, his uncertain status could give the Volunteers some leeway with the selection committee as they head to take on an angry Georgia team that will be playing with its back against the wall following a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss. If Iamaleava is not cleared to play against the Bulldogs and Tennessee loses, the loss would come with an asterisk the committee will weigh when making its final selections in December. The betting line opened at Georgia favored by 10.5 points, which suggest Vegas is dubious Iamaleava plays.
In a tight battle between SEC teams for at-large spots in the 12-team field, his absence would undoubtedly be a data point for the committee to consider when comparing Tennessee's resumé against the resumes of other two-loss SEC teams.
If there's any indecision over whether Iamaleava should receive medical clearance, Tennessee should consider holding him out to avoid worsening the health of a player it will desperately need in order to win a game in the playoff.
The Volunteers have won just once in their last eight trips to Georgia, and that victory, which came in 2016, was quite literally a miracle. Josh Dobbs lofted a last-second Hail Mary pass that found the hands of receiver Jauan Jennings, lifting Tennessee to a 34-31 win.
Since then, the Volunteers have lost their last seven games against Georgia by at least 14 points each.
Even with a fully healthy Iamaleava, the Volunteers would still be at risk of taking a shellacking from Georgia, especially when considering they may be hobbled at other key positions. Running back Dylan Sampson, who leads the SEC with 1,129 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns got banged up while toting the rock a career-high 30 times in last week's win over Mississippi State.
With walk-on backup Gaston Moore in for Iamaleava in the second half, the Vols were forced to lean heavily on their running game and a defense that has emerged as the team's backbone in coach Josh Heupel's fourth season.
Furthermore, receiver Dont'e Thornton, who leads the team with 505 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns was injured against Mississippi State. With a sub-100% quarterback, wobbly star running back and the team's top deep-ball threat also dinged up, Tennessee could be in for a long afternoon at Georgia.
The Bulldogs will be playing with their backs against the wall after the latest CFP Rankings left them on the outside looking in at the projected 12-team field. Georgia hasn't lost consecutive games since 2018 and owns a 28-game home winning streak dating back to before Heupel arrived at Tennessee from UCF.
Though the Bulldogs have looked uncharacteristically shoddy at times this season, chances are it would take an A+ effort from Tennessee to get a win Between the Hedges. If there's ever a moment for Georgia to rise and play to it full potential, this is it.
Given the Volunteers' health situation and given their ultimate aspirations, a cautious approach may be warranted.
The worst-case scenario would be that Iamaleava plays against Georgia and the Volunteers take a beating anyway. Then, Tennessee would be dealing with an ugly loss at Arkansas and a blowout loss at Georgia that has no asterisk while still facing a tough season-ending game at Vanderbilt.
There's a saying about scared money. But there's also something to be said about being smart with your money. The Vols paid big for Iamaleava, and choosing to preserve their prized QB investment may also be a way of preserving their CFP ambitions this week.
