Tennessee football is set to face Ohio State in a College Football Playoff first-round game. However, the 12-team bracket remains undetermined. Tennessee, currently ranked No. 7 in the updated poll with a 10-2 record, is in a position to potentially host a first-round playoff game at Neyland Stadium if certain teams drop in the rankings after the conference title games.

Key Factors in the Playoff Picture

The updated College Football Playoff poll shows Ohio State ranked No. 6 as the No. 8 seed, having dropped after an upset loss to unranked Michigan last week. But they still hold an edge over Tennessee. The bracket won't be set until Sunday (noon ET, ESPN), and the final playoff selections and matchups will be announced then.

Conference Championship Games and Implications

No. 2 Texas plays No. 5 Georgia in the SEC championship game on Saturday (4 p.m., ABC), while No. 1 Oregon faces No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday (8 p.m., CBS). These games will have a significant impact on the playoff picture. The CFP selection committee ranks the Top 25 teams each week for the new 12-team playoff format. There are five guaranteed spots for ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC champions, and the highest-ranked non-Power Four conference champion. Seven teams get at-large bids based on their ranking in the CFP poll, with the four highest ranked conference champions getting a first-round bye.

All first-round games will be played at campus sites, including one on Dec. 20 and three on Dec. 21. The quarterfinals will be at bowl sites like the Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 31), Peach Bowl (Jan. 1), Rose Bowl (Jan. 1), and Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1). The semifinals will be at the Orange Bowl (Jan. 9) and Cotton Bowl (Jan. 10), and the national championship game will be on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

Tennessee is ranked No. 6 in both the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25, while Ohio State is ranked No. 7 in the AP poll and No. 8 in the coaches poll. Here is the updated CFP poll:

College Football Playoff Top 25 rankingsOregon (12-0)Texas (11-1)Penn State (11-1)Notre Dame (11-1)Georgia (10-2)Ohio State (10-2)Tennessee (10-2)SMU (11-1)Indiana (11-1)Boise State (11-1)Alabama (9-3)Miami (10-2)Ole Miss (9-3)South Carolina (9-3)Arizona State (10-2)Iowa State (10-2)Clemson (9-3)BYU (10-2)Missouri (9-3)UNLV (10-2)Illinois (9-3)Syracuse (9-3)Colorado (9-3)Army (10-1)Memphis (10-2)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 at knoxnews.com/subscribe.Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.