One thing that should make Tennessee Vols fans uneasy this week
Almost all of the talk surrounding the Tennessee Vols right now has to do with whether or not UT will make the College Football Playoff. Tennessee is currently at No. 5 in the playoff rankings. They might need USC or TCU to lose to reach the playoff. One thing that seems to be getting overlooked […]
Almost all of the talk surrounding the Tennessee Vols right now has to do with whether or not UT will make the College Football Playoff.
Tennessee is currently at No. 5 in the playoff rankings. They might need USC or TCU to lose to reach the playoff.
One thing that seems to be getting overlooked is that the Vols need to win their final two games of the regular season — at South Carolina and at Vanderbilt.
Tennessee is favored in both games and they should be easy wins.
But overlooking either opponent — specifically South Carolina this weekend — would be a bad idea.
We've seen the Vols go into Columbia before with a lot on the line and lay an egg. In 2016, Tennessee had a chance to win the SEC East and reach the Sugar Bowl. But a 24-21 loss to the Gamecocks in Columbia ruined those plans.
I don't think that's going to happen this season. Tennessee's offense is too good — even when they "struggle", they still seem to put up 40 points.
But the fact that no one in the fan base seems to be taking this game seriously — it's the first time all season that's been the case (outside of the cupcake games) — is a bit concerning.
Even South Carolina fans seem to be conceding the loss already.
If you're a Vols fan, you have to hope that the vibe surrounding this game isn't creeping into the locker room. I know Josh Heupel has done a great job of keeping his players focused on the task at hand all season. But all it takes is one week of not being focused to ruin a season.
Tennessee is obviously a better team than South Carolina. But the Gamecocks have talent. And this is a night game on the road after a blowout win. I'm always leary of games like this when it seems like everyone has already put a W beside Tennessee's name before the game has even been played.
Hopefully, for the Vols' sake, the vibe inside the locker room is different than the vibe among both fan bases right now. Otherwise, this game could be much closer than it needs to be.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
