One big thing Tennessee Vols fans don't need to worry about against Missouri
The Tennessee Vols likely won't be heading to Atlanta in December to play for the SEC Championship — unless Georgia loses their final two SEC games of the season (Mississippi State and Kentucky). But fortunately for the Vols, they still have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff. If Tennessee wins out (and they […]
The Tennessee Vols likely won't be heading to Atlanta in December to play for the SEC Championship — unless Georgia loses their final two SEC games of the season (Mississippi State and Kentucky).
But fortunately for the Vols, they still have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff.
If Tennessee wins out (and they should), they'll finish the regular season with an 11-1 record with an impressive resumé (that LSU win keeps looking better and better).
The Vols might need some help to get into the playoff — it depends on how the committee views teams like TCU and Oregon — but for now all Tennessee needs to worry about is Missouri.
That's because Missouri is the next game on the Vols' schedule. And if they don't win that matchup, then they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.
Tennessee should beat the Tigers. Missouri's defense is much improved this season, but I don't think they have the offense to keep up with the Vols.
But this is the SEC and upsets happen.
And the recipe for an upset this weekend is certainly in place. It's a noon game after a tough emotional loss to Georgia. If Tennessee loses this game it will be because their focus wasn't in the right place.
The good news for Vol fans is that I don't believe that's the case at all. In fact, I'm extremely confident that's not the case based on what we've heard from several of Tennessee's players this week.
These players know what's at stake and they aren't overlooking Missouri or dwelling on the loss to the Bulldogs.
"Us coming off a loss, it definitely fuels our fire," said Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker on Monday. "I'm sure it will be a competitive and physical football game on Saturday."
Tennessee defensive lineman Latrell Bumphus echoed Hooker's sentiments on Monday.
"We know we're going to get their best and we gotta bring our best, too," said Bumphus. "We can't overlook them for any reason at all. I think in the past, the ones that's been here for a long time experienced what overlooking a team might be like. We gotta come out and treat this game as our biggest game because it is because it's our next one."
(You have to assume that Bumphus was referring to Tennessee's loss to Georgia State in 2019 with his comments about overlooking a team.)
Vols safety Trevon Flowers, one of Tennessee's key team leaders, also acknowledged that UT won't be hung up on the loss to Georgia this weekend.
"Of course it was a tough loss," said Flowers on Tuesday. "But at the end of the day, we got another opponent this week that we need to focus on. We just come in here ready to work every week no matter the outcome — win, lose or draw, we gotta be able to reset and get ready for the next opponent."
Tennessee is still the same team they were at 8-0. They just ran into a good opponent in Georgia and the Vols didn't play their best football that day. I don't know what happens if those two teams meet again, but I feel confident that Tennessee is better than what we saw against the Bulldogs.
And I think Tennessee's players are eager to show that this weekend against Missouri.
Featured image via Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
