ESPN the latest to pick the Tigers as a possible playoff team

MEMPHIS – Exactly 100 days before we kickoff the college football season and the accolades continue to roll in for Ryan Silverfield and the Tiger football team.

According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, of the ten Group of five teams that have a chance to make the new 12-team playoff, he lists the Tigers number one on that list. Connelly is very high on a Memphis offense that he says could average 40 points a game behind Seth Henigan. He also likes a U of M defense that’s added double digit transfers.

It’s a Tiger team that could and should be favored in every game outside of its trip to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. While Silverfield is excited for the kudos, he knows it doesn’t mean much..

“We’re not worried about what the ranking is right now. It does us no good. We haven’t played a single football game. We haven’t proven ourselves to anybody yet. It’s great that we’re being recognized. We got to go put in the work. You don’t handle yourself in game one. None of that stuff matters. OK, good, you handle yourself game one, what’s game two look like,” Silverfield said. “It’s great to be recognized on a national level, but guess what? We got to go put in the work. It’s also nice that recruits and guys in the portal, high school recruits, are recognizing our name. Understanding, man, this is a place that plays big time football, and they want to be a part of it.”

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