The situation involving Alabama, LSU and Tennessee is unprecedented in the College Football Playoff era.
With the next playoff release set for Tuesday evening, there are three teams from the same conference with the same record battling for position near the top of the rankings, with the added quirk of the Volunteers' head-to-head wins against the Tigers and Crimson Tide.
However, this weekend's 63-38 loss to South Carolina threatens to overwrite those impactful wins and send Tennessee to the back of the line among two-loss SEC teams.
How to weigh this recent result against the Volunteers' deeper resume is one of the toughest questions the committee will face in this or any season under the four-team format.