McIllese Sports predicts Tennessee as No. 1 team ahead of 2016 season

McIllese Sports isn’t the most prestigious name in college football predictions, but in the past they have been right more times than not. Tennessee fans are certainly hoping that the poll can be right once again this year.

Every year, the sports company releases their prediction of what the Top 25 would look like AFTER the season is over.

On Thursday, they released that predicted poll and it had the Tennessee Volunteers sitting atop the list, which means they believe the Vols will contend for a national championship.

1. Tennessee
2. Alabama
3. Washington
4. Ohio State
5. Michigan
6. Oklahoma
7. Nebraska
8. Florida State
9. Notre Dame
10. UCLA
11. Clemson
12. LSU
13. Louisville
14. West Virginia
15. North Carolina
16. Houston
17. San Diego State
18. Iowa
19. Boise State
20. Florida
21. USC
22. Ole Miss
23. Oregon
24. Texas
25. Pittsburgh

Their poll simulates the regular season more than 70,000 times and they come up with a prediction of what things should look like at the end of the year. By this poll, which doesn’t take postseason play into account, the Volunteers would take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game to decide who will be the top team in the College Football Playoff.

The poll also has the Washington Huskies in a very good spot to make the playoff and the Nebraska Cornhuskers winning the Big Ten West with an outside shot of making the playoff as well.

Looking further down the list, Houston looks to be the team that will represent the Group of Five in a New Year’s Six bowl game, but should they slip up in the AAC title game, either San Diego State or Boise State is waiting in the wings to take over that spot.

What do you think football fans? Could this be an accurate prediction of the 2016 season?

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports

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